Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider’s fifth full-length LP, a new, all-orchestral album Forward Into Light, produced by Silas Brown and recorded by Metropolis Ensemble led by artistic director/conductor Andrew Cyr, is due February 27 on New Amsterdam / Nonesuch Records. It features Forward Into Light, inspired by the American women’s suffrage movement; the string orchestra and harp (Noël Wan) version of Drink the Wild Ayre; Eye of Mnemosyne, a work on memory, innovation, and culture; and Something for the Dark, a meditation on resilience. Snider says: “I chose to create an album of these four works because they share themes of perseverance, alliance, and evolution through dark and light—concepts that have been at the forefront of my mind in recent years."

After a nearly five-decade career as one of his generation’s defining rock bassists, time and space have finally allowed Flea to work with a dream band of modern jazz visionaries, returning to his first instrument and musical love, the trumpet, for a new album to be released in 2026 on Nonesuch. A preview, Flea’s original song “A Plea,” is out now. Written and performed by Flea, “A Plea” urges listeners to “build a bridge, shine a light, make something beautiful and see somebody, give it to somebody.” Featuring Flea on electric bass, vocals, and trumpet, the ensemble also includes double bassist Anna Butterss and guitarist Jeff Parker, as well as drummer Deantoni Parks, percussionist Mauro Refosco, alto flutist Rickey Washington, and trombonist Vikram Devasthali. Chris Warren joins on vocals, as does the song’s producer Josh Johnson, who also plays alto saxophone. Also out today: a music video, directed by Clara Balzary and featuring choreography by Sadie Wilking.