The Way Out of Easy, the first album from guitarist Jeff Parker and his long-running ETA IVtet—saxophonist Josh Johnson, bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Jay Bellerose—since their 2022 debut Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, which Pitchfork named one of the Best Albums of the 2020s So Far, is due November 22 on International Anthem / Nonesuch Records. Like that album, The Way Out of Easy comprises recordings from LA venue ETA, where Parker and the ensemble held a weekly residency for seven years. During that time, the ETA IVtet evolved from a band that played mostly standards into a group known for its transcendent, long-form journeys into innovative, groove-oriented improvised music. All four tracks on The Way Out of Easy come from a single night in 2023, providing an unfiltered view of the ensemble, fully in their element. You can watch a video for the seventeen-minute album track "Late Autumn," made by Mikel Patrick Avery, here.

"For some five decades, artist and musician Laurie Anderson has been redefining cultural boundaries," says PBS NewsHour host Amna Nawaz. "In a new album, she's now exploring the story of an earlier woman who reached for the heights." Anderson spoke about that album, Amelia, and more with NewsHour senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown. "The stories you tell yourself about who you are and what you want, those are stories to help you live," she says. "If you don't have those suddenly, it's terrifying. I mean, you will keep living ... but it's the story that keeps you going." You can watch their conversation here.