Best known for his contribution to the soundtrack for the 2003 Italian Job remake starring Mark Wahlberg, Brazilian-born DJ Amon Tobin talks to The Moscow Times about a surprising array of influences, from Ennio Morricone to Grandmaster Flash, and about his latest record, Foley Room, on which he looked to Kronos Quartet to record new tracks he could sample. Moscow readers can listen for the Kronos samples at Tobin's show tonight at Ikra. 

David Byrne's artwork graces the cover of the November issue of Poetry magazine. The issue features works by Heather McHugh, Elfriede Jelinek, and, more unexpectedly, powerhouse vocalist Neko Case. The cover art is called "Chairs," 2004–2006.

As part of its new feature, Source-Outing, Spinner.com asked Caetano Veloso to name five artists and albums that would give readers a better understanding of his own music. Writer Steve Hochman, in his introduction, writes: "In nearly 40 years he's covered so much ground but with so distinct an approach at all stages that trying to characterize any particular phase or album as anything different from any other just seems pointless and wrongheaded. Some have termed his most recent release, Cê, a 'rock' album. But, really, it's simply a Caetano Veloso album, just as Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain isn't a classical-fusion album, it's Davis. Or Rubber Soul isn't a folk-rock album, it's a Beatles album."

Last night, at a special event at New York's Lincoln Center, Youssou N'Dour was named among the 2008–09 mentor artists in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. The mentors, from five countries and six different fields in the arts, also include director Martin Scorsese and actress Kate Valk from the US, German artist Rebecca Horn, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, and Czech choreographer Jiri Kylian.

Pianist Philip Bush reports in his blog, Mostly Music in the Midlands, from his weeklong tour through France with the Steve Reich Ensemble and conductor Alan Pierson performing The Cave, Reich's early '90s video-opera collaboration with Beryl Korot.

Gilberto Gil will resign as Brazil's minister of culture next year to seek treatment for a polyp on his vocal cords. The polyp first caused the legendary performer trouble at a concert performance last year. When Gil took on the official political office in 2003, it was an unexpected turn of events for the longtime activist; he was jailed in 1968 along with Caetano Veloso for what the military dictatorship then in power took to be the subversive nature of the Tropicália movement the musicians had founded.

"Clearly one of the most original and most proficient guitarists now playing, he is acknowledged as one of the most influential and exciting jazz guitarists to emerge in the latter half of the 20th century," says All About Jazz in a feature profile of Bill Frisell. "Noted for his unparalleled sensibilities, over the years Frisell has pursued emotional honesty over technical perfection to achieve a specific sound that is both powerful and beautiful. As a solo artist, he has explored various music venues and taken his listeners to a lot of places ... Simply put, you never know what to expect from Frisell."

Congratulations to Caetano Veloso, who, last night, was awarded Latin Grammys in both of the categories in which he was nominated. The ceremony, held for the first time in Las Vegas, brought Caetano awards for Best Singer-Songwriter Album for Cê and Best Brazilian Song for "Não Me Arrependo," off the new CD. That brings his total number of Latin Grammys to five (including his albums Livro and Noites do Norte) and makes him the Brazilian artist with the most wins in the Award's history. 

Organizers of the Ojai Music Festival have released a few details for the 62nd annual event, with Dawn Upshaw slated to perform and Steve Reich named as composer-in-residence. The Festival, which runs June 5–8, 2008, marks the composer's first appearance there in 35 years and includes a number of events featuring his works. 

The line-up for the 2008 Virginia Arts Festival has been announced, and Audra McDonald is among the featured artists. She'll be at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach on May 11 as part of the multi-venue festival, which runs April 18–May 26 and includes performers from across the arts, from classical music to theater to dance.

Tomorrow night, Friday, November 9, Laurie Anderson, ever the consummate storyteller, will present a lecture/reading called "Stories About Stories" at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. The Albany Times Union recently spoke with her about the reading and her new project, Homeland, which she's been touring across the globe and is now in the studio recording for release on Nonesuch next year. In "Stories About Stories," she tells the Times Union, "I'll be giving away all of my trade secrets. No more mystique. That's it."

Seattle radio station KEXP has added to this week's list of featured new releases David Byrne's "In the Future" from the reissue of Knee Plays. The album—on CD for the first time—hit stores yesterday, complete with the original 13 tracks plus seven previously unavailable instrumental tracks. You can hear a clip of "In the Future" on KEXP.org or visit kneeplays.com to hear more from the album and check out site-exclusive bonus materials.