Journal
- Monday, April 29, 2024
Congratulations to Darcy James Argue, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Mary Halvorson, and Ambrose Akinmusire, who have all been nominated in the Jazz Journalists Association's 2024 JJA Jazz Awards: Argue for Composer of the Year, Arranger of the Year, Large Ensemble of the Year for Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, and Record of the Year for the group's Dynamic Maximum Tension; Salvant for Jazz Musician of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Record of the Year for Mélusine; Halvorson for Guitarist of the Year; and Akinmusire for Trumpeter of the Year. Winners will be announced on May 8.
Journal Topics: Artist News
- Friday, May 13, 2011
Earlier this month, The Kitchen, the NYC non-profit performance and visual arts space, celebrated its 40th anniversary by honoring Philip Glass in a gala benefit. The gala also included the premiere of a short film that looks back on the organization's history of supporting innovative artists and includes interviews with Glass, Laurie Anderson, Rhys Chatham, and others, along with photos, and audio and video footage of performances from throughout the Kitchen's 40 years, including early sets from Alarm Will Sound, Bill T. Jones, Beastie Boys, and Talking Heads. Watch it here.
Journal Topics: Artist News, VideoThursday, May 12, 2011Kate McGarrigle, who died of sarcoma last year, will be celebrated in a two-night tribute at New York’s Town Hall tonight and tomorrow, with performances by her children Martha and Rufus Wainwright, her sister Anna, Emmylou Harris, Antony Hegarty, Norah Jones, Teddy Thompson, and others. Tell My Sister, a three-disc set comprising Kate & Anna McGarrigle's first two albums plus previously unreleased songs, is out now. The Philadelphia Inquirer says it "captures the McGarrigles in their prime, when they made their own brand of frisky, tough-minded, and sexy folk music."
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, ReviewsWednesday, May 11, 2011Anna McGarrigle to Appear on NPR's "Fresh Air"; "Tell My Sister" Earns Five Stars in Financial TimesAnna McGarrigle will appear on NPR's Fresh Air today to discuss her relationship with her late sister Kate and the music they made together. Tell My Sister, a three-disc set comprising remastered versions of their first two albums and a collection of previously unreleased songs, is out now. The Financial Times gives the set a perfect five stars. Kate McGarrigle, who died of sarcoma last year, will be celebrated in a two-night tribute at New York’s Town Hall starting this week, with performances by Anna, Kate's children Martha and Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, and others.
Journal Topics: Artist News, Reviews, RadioWednesday, May 11, 2011Chris Thile and Michael Daves kicked off their three-night run of sold-out shows at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City last night, performing songs from their new album, Sleep with One Eye Open, released yesterday. No Depression calls the album "a smartly-paced and well-varied set of tunes, performed with celebratory vigor and and passion for the material." We're happy to announce the winner of the Martin 000X1AE acoustic guitar in the album pre-order contest: Morgan Mecaskey of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Congratulations!
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, ReviewsWednesday, May 11, 2011The Metropolitan Opera's premiere production of John Adams's Nixon in China, conducted by the composer and staged by director Peter Sellars in their Met debuts, will air on PBS on Wednesday, June 1, at 9 PM ET, as part of THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met series. Watch a preview here. To coincide with the Met premiere of Nixon in China, Nonesuch Records reissued the Grammy-winning original cast recording in a newly redesigned three-CD set, available now.
Journal Topics: Artist News, TelevisionTuesday, May 10, 2011Sleep with One Eye Open, the debut album from Chris Thile and Michael Daves, is out today. They kick off their US tour with a sold-out, three-night run at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall tonight. It's "a rip-roaring partnership," says the New York Times. "Bluegrass, in their hands, gets roughed up in the best possible way, with skill and fervor, and a touch of abandon." The Independent on Sunday says it's "a pleasure to hear such virtuosic types giving themselves over to high-end ribaldry." Metro gives the album four stars, citing "an up-all-night intensity and a technical virtuosity." Watch the duo perform "20/20 Vision" here.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist NewsTuesday, May 10, 2011Randy Newman's Songbook Vol. 2 is out today on Nonesuch. On the new album, Newman takes a fresh look at both classic and more recent work in new solo takes on 16 of his celebrated songs, surveying 40 years of recordings. MusicOMH calls it "an invigorating celebration of the power of music, and a delicate declaration of the power of one man and his piano." Newman performs on Later ... with Jools Holland this Friday and on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News, TelevisionTuesday, May 10, 2011Steve Reich was the guest of honor at the Barbican in London for Reverberations, a weekend-long music marathon exploring his music and influence, featuring Kronos Quartet in the European premiere of his WTC 9/11. The Daily Telegraph gives Reverberations a perfect five stars, saying that while Reich's "influence has been massive ... it was the innocence and shy ecstasy of Reich’s own music that left the deepest impression." The Times and Evening Standard give the festival four stars. Kronos gives the Scottish premiere of WTC 9/11 this Friday for the weekend's Kronos in Glasgow festival.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, ReviewsTuesday, May 10, 2011Ben Folds launches a month-long tour of Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea this week in Canberra. He returns to the US to tour this summer. Folds recently recorded Ke$ha's "Sleazy," a tour favorite, to support the Japan tsunami relief efforts. He has now released a video for the song. MTV describes Folds as "a musician's musician: someone who knows everything one needs to know about the craft of songwriting" and calls the cover "a welcome experiment." Perez Hilton says: "This is just flat-out EPIC." Watch it here.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, VideoTuesday, May 10, 2011Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's Nonesuch debut, Grá agus Bás, was released last week. The album includes the title piece, which was inspired by sean-nós "old style" Irish vocal music, as well as the composer’s song cycle That the Night Come, comprising six settings of poems by W.B. Yeats. Dennehy spoke with the Irish Times about his music, which, the Times says, "is predicated on classical training, but very much a hybrid of new classical and experimental," and the inspirations behind the works on the new album.
Journal Topics: Artist NewsMonday, May 9, 2011The Low Anthem perform songs from their new album, Smart Flesh, on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in LA this morning, in advance of their show at The Autry tonight. The LA Times calls the album "a gorgeous, inventively arranged set of reverb-rich roots ballads in which the music's frayed edges add emotional weight." LA Weekly says "These four aim for timelessness with a brand of Americana that nods as much to high-energy gospel and gritty blues as it does to rustic, autumnal hues." The split 12" vinyl of The Low Anthem's Daytrotter Sessions, with Iron and Wine on the flip side, is now available for pre-order.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, Reviews, RadioFriday, May 6, 2011Steve Reich is the guest of honor at the Barbican in London for Reverberations, a weekend celebration of his music and influence; Kronos Quartet gives the European premiere of Reich's WTC 9/11 ... David Byrne introduces a discussion of "The Sustainable City" in NYC ... Carolina Chocolate Drops perform in the South ... Wanda Jackson plays the Pacific Northwest ... The Low Anthem is in Arizona ... Jessica Lea Mayfield is out West ... Punch Brothers, Allen Toussaint join Jazz Fest ... Sara Watkins joins John Prine ... and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Weekend Events