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."

The Times (London) gives four stars to Richard Goode's November 7 performance with Dawn Upshaw at London's Southbank Centre. The concert was the pianist's first in a series there as artist-in-residence for the 2007–08 season. The pianist's solo work, which included an "always movingly lyrical performance" of Berg's Piano Sonata was "quite some feast." And for Upshaw, there was "a new depth and focus" in the singer's work.

With the national tour of Sweeney Todd now at its second stop, Toronto can experience the production that was so well received in Boston. BroadwayWorld says the reason for the response is clear: “the simple genius of exceptional material interpreted within a brilliant directorial vision and delivered by an immensely talented and inspired cast. In short, this Sweeney Todd is not to be missed.” The Toronto Star calls it “so musically thrilling, dramatically inventive and visually striking that anyone who likes theatre above the ordinary should be thrilled to spend a few hours in its company ... You'd be a bloody fool to miss this one ... It's a murderously magical evening in the theatre.”

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. 

For the inaugural episode of the new Live Concerts podcast from NPR's All Songs Considered, Nickel Creek performed at Washington, DC's 9:30 Club last week. It was part of the group's "Farewell (For Now)" tour, as each band member goes on to pursue new projects. Chris Thile has formed Punch Brothers, whose debut album is due out on Nonesuch early next year. All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen said: "I've seen many musicians in my day, but my jaw dropped listening to and watching mandolinist Chris Thile play with Nickel Creek ... The command he had of his instrument, from frenetically fast strumming to tasty quiet fills, it was just first-rate."

This Saturday, November 10, Kronos Quartet will perform all three of Górecki's string quartets in the course of one evening in Górecki's hometown of Katowice, Poland, with the composer in attendance. The event is part of the 16th Annual Upper Silesian Art Festival. All three of Górecki's string quartets—Already It Is Dusk (Quartet No. 1), Quasi una Fantasia (Quartet No. 2), and Piesni Spiewaja ("...songs are sung") (Quartet No. 3)—were written especially for Kronos. The three quartets have never been performed like this before.

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."

Leading up to tonight's performance of the Pat Metheny Trio at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, the Asbury Park Press spoke with the three musicians—Pat, drummer Antonio Sanchez, and bassist Christian McBride—about touring together and recording their upcoming album, Day Trip, out on Nonesuch in January. "I've always tried to make it fun for myself and the musicians I play with," says Metheny. "If I do that, it's fun for the fans, too."

Following Caetano Veloso's sold-out show at the University of North Carolina, the school's Daily Tar Heel offered a glowing review and a uniquely student-centric perspective on his latest, most rock-influenced work, Cê, and his current tour of the US. "It makes me happier," the paper quotes him as saying, "because I think that a university town has a lot of young people and young people are very curious. They're interested in things."