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Gidon Kremer + Kremerata Baltica
The Art of Instrumentation: Homage to Glenn Gould
Released on what would have been Glenn Gould’s 80th birthday, this album comprises 11 pieces and arrangements by contemporary composers that quote from or are inspired by works, mostly by Bach, that Gould famously recorded during his career. It is "lovely and alluring," says NPR. "There are many moments in this album to make you smile, wonder and simply bask in the beauty of the music." The CBC calls it "a haunting, highly personal homage from one great musician to another and a deeply affecting tribute to Gould's enduring genius."
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Randy Newman
I'm Dreaming
Randy Newman’s song “I’m Dreaming” is available as a free download here, where you can also watch the accompanying video. With lyrics from the viewpoint of a voter who casts his ballot solely based on skin color, the song draws attention to something Newman has noticed and written about for 40 years: racism in America. While the song, which Newman performs solo at the piano, is free, anyone wishing to contribute is encouraged to donate to the United Negro College Fund.
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Brad Mehldau Trio
Where Do You Start
The Brad Mehldau Trio’s Where Do You Start is a companion disc to the critically acclaimed Ode. Whereas Ode featured 11 songs composed by Mehldau, Where Do You Start comprises the Trio’s interpretations of ten tunes by other composers, along with one Mehldau original. "The pianist builds his improvisation like a master storyteller," says NPR's Fresh Air. The album, says the BBC, "points to Mehldau entering a new prime phase in his career."
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![The Master [Soundtrack]](http://www.nonesuch.com/files/imagecache/section-artists-latestrelease/albums/coverart/greenwood-the-master.jpg "The Master [Soundtrack]")
Jonny Greenwood
The Master [Soundtrack]
Jonny Greenwood’s soundtrack to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s film The Master comprises 11 compositions by Greenwood—“rich and inventive” (The New Yorker)—along with four recordings from the post–World War II era in which the film is set. Rolling Stone says the film's "visual poetry is matched by Jonny Greenwood's haunting, hypnotic score." Soundtrack performers include The London Contemporary Orchestra, AUKSO Chamber Orchestra, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others.
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Fatoumata Diawara
Fatou
On her debut album, singer/songwriter Fatoumata Diawara—whom the Telegraph calls “the most beguiling talent to hit the world music scene in some time” and Mojo calls a "spell-weaving new voice"—uses elements of jazz, pop, and funk along with her ancestral Wassoulou tradition. John Paul Jones, Toumani Diabate, and Tony Allen all make guest appearances. Uncut gives Fatou four stars; Pitchfork calls it "beguiling." The Washington Post says "her well-crafted songs are quietly powerful."
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Ry Cooder
Election Special
Ry Cooder’s Election Special is a wake-up call for the 2012 US election. On the album, which he produced, Cooder plays mandolin, guitar, and bass and wrote all of the songs, co-writing one with Joachim Cooder, who plays drums on the record. Uncut names Election Special Album of the Month. Mojo gives it four stars, saying: "Ry has proved equal to the crying need of the times." The Guardian gives the album four stars as well, calling it "an entertaining, thoughtful and bravely original set." Rolling Stone, in its four-star review, exclaims: "A guitar great takes a shot at political satire and hits the mark."
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Lianne La Havas
Is Your Love Big Enough?
Lianne La Havas has emerged as one of the UK’s most buzzed-about new talents, with critically acclaimed EPs, sold-out shows worldwide and nods from the likes of Bon Iver and Ryan Adams. Her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, produced by Matt Hales (Aqualung), "is not just one of the year's best debuts," says the AP, "but one of the year's best albums." Says the BBC: "It’s always been clear that La Havas has a special voice, and so it proves here. It’s a voice that invites you in, and only the hardest heart will resist the offer." The San Francisco Chronicle exclaims: "It's hard not to want to shout, 'Viva La Havas!"
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Pat Metheny
Unity Band
For the first time since his 1980 release 80/81, Metheny has recorded with a band that features tenor saxophone. Unity Band introduces a new Metheny ensemble of the same name with Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, and the up-and-coming Ben Williams on bass. The album features nine new Metheny compositions, "each one exquisitely performed and uniquely absorbing," says the Observer. All About Jazz says Unity Band is "unequivocally one of Metheny's finest—an album that's sure to find its way to 'best of' lists for 2012." Grammy Award winner for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
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Shawn Colvin
All Fall Down
A collection of 11 songs—eight written or co-written by Colvin—All Fall Down is her eighth studio album and the first to be produced by her longtime friend and cohort Buddy Miller (Robert Plant, Solomon Burke). Recorded in Nashville, All Fall Down features performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Jakob Dylan, Bill Frisell, Viktor Krauss, Brian Blade, Stuart Duncan, and Julie Miller, among others. The songs are "rich, knowing, smart, draped in discreet and intelligent shades of folk, country and rock," says the Irish Times. The Boston Globe calls the album "superb."
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Shawn Colvin
Diamond in the Rough
In her first-ever memoir, Diamond in the Rough, acclaimed songwriter and musician Shawn Colvin shares her candid, colorful coming-of-age story, including more than three decades of touring, writing, and living to make music. The wit, lyricism, and empathy found in the book are traits that have long characterized Colvin’s songwriting and her live performances. "There are humor, remorse, and gratitude in her narrative," says the Boston Globe. "Colvin illuminates the magical blend of craft and happenstance that leads to powerful music."