Mary Halvorson performs songs from her just-released Nonesuch debut albums, Amaryllis and Belladonna, with the musicians on the albums in New Hampshire and Quebec this weekend ... Jeremy Denk brings Bach to Bath ... Rhiannon Giddens gives a lecture in Richmond ... Tigran Hamasyan brings StandArt to Budapest ... Emmylou Harris is at FreshGrass in Arkansas ... Hurray for the Riff Raff tours Texas with Bright Eyes ... Gabriel Kahane is in Chicago and Ann Arbor ... Kronos Quartet is in Germany ... Lake Street Dive plays Pittsburgh ... Jeff Parker, Lee Ranaldo are at LPR in NYC ... Caroline Shaw, Attacca Quartet are in Austria ... 

Ahead of the long-awaited world premiere of Omar, the opera composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, next Friday, Giddens has released her own recording of the song “Julie’s Aria” from the opera. The recording was made by Giddens with guitarist Bill Frisell and her frequent collaborator Francesco Turrisi. Omar is based on the life and autobiography of enslaved Muslim scholar Omar Ibn Said, who was forcefully brought to Charleston from Africa in 1807. “My work as a whole is about excavating and shining a light on pieces of history that not only need to be seen and heard," Giddens says, "but that can also add to the conversation about what’s going on now. This is a story that hasn’t been represented in the operatic world—or in any world.” Omar will also be performed by LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Boston Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Two new items of Nonesuch-logo merch are now in the Nonesuch Store: a heather-gray pullover hoodie and t-shirt! Keep cozy while enjoying your favorite albums indoors and on the go in the new heather-gray heavyweight hoodie with a front pocket and fleece interior, made by Lane Seven. And show your love of fine music in style and comfort while sporting the slim-fit, light-weight heather-gray tee made from 100% cotton by Next Level Apparel. These new items join other Nonesuch-logo merch in black: a t-shirt, zip-up hoodie, tote bag, hat, mug, slipmat, and buttons. Orders also include a free Nonesuch sticker to boot. 

The Black Keys’ eleventh studio album, Dropout Boogie, is out now. “Some of the stickiest alt-boogie of their career,” says Rolling Stone. “Still raw, fast and loose,” adds the Associated Press. Classic Rock magazine exclaims: “Rock'n'roll in 2022 doesn't get any better than this.” The band was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform the tracks “It Ain’t Over” and “Wild Child"; you can watch both here. The Black Keys will tour North America for the first time in three years starting in July. The band will take part in an iHeart Radio album release party tonight.

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway’s new album, Crooked Tree, is now on vinyl, following its recent release on CD and digital. The album, recorded live in Nashville, was produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas and features collaborations with Sierra Hull, Old Crow Medicine Show, Margo Price, Billy Strings, Dan Tyminski, and Gillian Welch. The tracks, all written or co-written by Tuttle, explore her lifelong love of bluegrass. "Molly Tuttle's fingers move so quickly, she could pick your pocket without breaking stride," says the New York Times. NPR calls it "dashingly virtuosic." It "feels like the album Molly Tuttle was destined to make," says Uncut. You can watch the new video for the album track "Flatland Girl," featuring Margo Price, and get tickets for Tuttle and the band's tour here.