“Among the top [jazz] practitioners in the world, and certainly among one of the most thoughtful and inquisitive spirits in jazz, is pianist Brad Mehldau,” says Sebastian Scotney on The Economist’s The Intelligence podcast. “He probably has the mantle of the world’s preeminent jazz pianist.” You can hear their conversation here.

Rachael & Vilray have released a live performance video of "Even in the Evenin'," a song from their new album, I Love a Love Song!. You can watch it here.

Brad Mehldau has published his debut book, Formation: Building a Personal Canon, Part I, out now on Equinox Publishing. "It's an autobiographical bildungsroman of sorts, tracing my musical and personal formation up until the age of twenty-six," he says. "Along the way, it gives a picture of what the New York City jazz scene felt like in the late 1980s and early ’90s." Joshua Redman says: "His music is nothing short of magic—an impossible wonder of ecstatic and empathic creative communion, to which I myself have borne witness, time and time again. Now, in this probing and provocative memoir, Brad finally shares with us some of the secrets (or at least the stories) behind the casting of his innumerable spells. A worthy read for anyone intrigued by the genesis of genius.”

Hurray for the Riff Raff—aka Alynda Segarra—is featured singing harmonies on fellow New Orleans–based musician Esther Rose’s just-released song, “Safe to Run,” the title track to Rose’s forthcoming album, due April 21 on New West Records. You can watch the video for the track, directed by Rett Rogers, here.

David Byrne performed “This Is a Life,” the Oscar-nominated song from the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once, at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles last night with Stephanie Hsu, who herself was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the film, and the band Son Lux, which was up for an Oscar for Original Score. You can watch their performance of “This Is a Life,” for which Byrne, Mitski, and Son Lux’s Ryan Lott were nominated for the Oscar for Original Song, here.

“This week’s guest has a voice for the ages,” Sheroes host Carmel Holt says of Rachael Price. “That may sound like a bold statement to some of you, but those of you who have heard Rachael Price sing, either as the front woman of Lake Street Dive, or in her duo Rachael & Vilray, will know that it’s not hyperbole … Our guest has carved a seemingly limitless path for her instrument.” They talk about Rachael & Vilray's new album, the “superb” I Love a Love Song!, and much more. You can hear the episode here.

Cécile McLorin Salvant performed in concert at Cabaret Sauvage in Paris broadcast live for the ARTE series Les Concerts Volants. She was joined by pianist Aaron Diehl for the show to perform songs from her new album, Mélusine, due March 24, and more. You can watch the set here.

Rhiannon Giddens and Molly Tuttle are featured in a new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit American Currents: State of the Music, which highlights significant developments in country music over the past year. The exhibit opened at the Nashville museum last night and runs until February 2024. Tuttle's display includes her grandfather's guitar and the clothing pictured on the cover of her Grammy-winning album Crooked Tree; Giddens's celebrates her Grammy-winning album They're Calling Me Home; her Carnegie Hall Perspectives series; her debut book, Build a House; and her opera Omar.

Rhiannon Giddens’s second book, We Could Fly, is due October 10, from Candlewick Press. The picture book, a companion to her debut book, Build a House, released last October, gives wing to a tale of grace and transcendence, with illustrations by acclaimed artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. The new book draws on lyrics from the song “We Could Fly,” which Giddens wrote with Dirk Powell and recorded for her 2017 Nonesuch album, Freedom Highway. It draws on a heritage of African folklore for a dialogue between a mother and daughter, paired with illustrations that celebrate love, resilience, and the spiritual power of the “old-time ways”—tradition and shared cultural memory—to sustain and uplift.

David Byrne was the subject of a feature profile on the latest episode of CBS's 60 Minutes. He spoke with Anderson Cooper about his life and career, including his work with Talking Heads; his solo music; his hit Broadway show American Utopia’; his collaboration with Fatboy Slim Here Lies Love, which debuts on Broadway this summer; his online magazine Reasons to Be Cheerful; and the ongoing immersive experience he created in Denver with Mala Gaonkar, Theater of the Mind. 

Cécile McLorin Salvant has released the title track to Mélusine, her new album, due March 24, along with a video she created for it. You can watch it here. The album features a mix of originals and interpretations of songs dating as far back as the twelfth century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl. The title track was written by Salvant.

Carnegie Hall has announced its 2023–24 concert season, and among the performers taking the esteemed hall's stages are Timo Andres, Julia Bullock, Gabriel Kahane, Kronos Quartet (joined by Laurie Anderson, Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion, and others), Brad Mehldau, and Chris Thile.