Randy Newman launches a month-long tour of Europe with a performance at the Sage Gateshead in England tonight, followed by performances at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Royal Festival Hall in London, two nights at Vicar Street in Dublin, and a number stops throughout Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland. See below for all of the currently scheduled dates; for details and ticket links, go to nonesuch.com/on-tour.

While touring in support of his 2008 album Harps and Angels, Randy Newman performed a special concert at London’s intimate LSO St. Luke’s accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra led by Robert Ziegler. The program, featuring songs from throughout Newman’s career, was televised by the BBC and comprises his latest Nonesuch release, the 2011 CD/DVD Live in London. The Sunday Times of London says: "Essential listening for anyone who cares about the art of songwriting."

In advance of the upcoming tour, Newman spoke with the Daily Telegraph's Chrissy Iley about his career, family life, and the joys of performing live on tour. "It keeps me sharp," he tells Iley. "I worried that there is evidence that says people do their best work before they are 30. But I’m as good or better. I haven’t changed a great deal from when I wrote my first song when I was 23.” Read the article at telegraph.co.uk.

He talks to the Herald Scotland about looking back on his body of work in crafting the new solo piano versions of career favorites for the recent Songbook series, volumes 1 and 2. "I like what I've done," he tells the Herald. "I was gratified by the quality of it going back a long time. I thought it was really pretty good. I was real surprised, there's some kind of consistency to it, but I haven't really settled down enough to think, Oh look what I've done. Maybe when I quit, when I'm off oil painting somewhere." Read the article at heraldscotland.com.

Newman also spoke with London's Jewish Chronicle, which describes his early albums as "all-time classics of mature, mordant song-craft." The Chronicle's Paul Lester says that, "for critics, serious music fans and indeed other musicians, he's The Man." Lester talks with Newman about, among other things, his songwriting style and what distinguishes it from others'.

"What I do is different to what other writers do," Newman says. "What works is the direct stuff: 'I love you, you love me, you don't love me anymore, I still love you'. I have written love songs, but they don't interest me much. I like songs where I can see the characters more clearly, possibly on a couple of levels."

Read the interview at thejc.com.

RANDY NEWMAN ON TOUR