John Adams's Scheherazade.2 is out next Friday, September 30. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full as an NPR First Listen. "His cinematic music goes a long way in unfolding a potent drama, masterfully illuminated by conductor David Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony," says NPR. Violinist Leila Josefowicz "gives a searing performance ... The fierceness and vulnerability [she] expresses contributes to an award-caliber performance." Scheherazade.2 "sets a whole new standard for narrative and theatrical vibrancy," exclaims the San Francisco Chronicle. Hear it here.

Longtime friends and collaborators Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau's first duo album, Nearness, recorded live during their recent European tour, is out now. "Magic always seems to happen when saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau play together," exclaims Mojo. "They create a special telepathic musical synergy in each other’s company." BBC Music magazine gives the album a perfect five stars, saying: "The pair are so well matched. Both are extraordinary, scintillating improvisers bursting with energy, yet they have great ears for one another." Redman and Mehldau perform in select US cities in September and October, then head to Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Portuguese singer Mariza's newest album, Mundo, is out now in the US on Nonesuch Records. Mundo earned her the Songlines Best Artist of the Year award following its international release in 2015. The album features both new material and classics by Amália Rodrigues, Carlos Gardel, and more. "Mundo was an unalloyed triumph," says Songlinges, "her artistry hitting dynamic new heights and her voice expressing every emotional nuance." Mariza returns to North America this fall, with dates in Boston, NYC, San Francisco, and more.

Laurie Anderson's film Heart of a Dog was released in cinemas across the US last year and in Ireland and the UK earlier this year to critical acclaim, will have its Italian cinematic release next week. Anderson—currently a juror at the Venice Film Festival—will preview the film in two screenings in Milan this Sunday, at which she will also perform; dogs are welcome. Anderson has dubbed the film into the Italian herself. The soundtrack, which is the full audio recording of the film, including all spoken text in Italian, is out now on Nonesuch. You can watch the Italian film trailer here.

Brazilian samba singer Teresa Cristina's album and DVD Canta Cartola is out now. Recorded live in concert at Theatro Net in Rio de Janeiro with guitarist Carlinhos Sete Cordas, it captures their acoustic performance of songs by Brazil's beloved samba-ist Angenor de Oliveira ("Cartola"). "Canta Cartola feels fully embodied," says the New York Times, "as if Ms. Cristina had written the songs herself." Today also marks the start of her eight-city world tour with Caetano Veloso, who exclaims: "Teresa develops every melody, every word, every second. It's magical."

Devendra Banhart, whose new album, Ape in Pink Marble, is due out September 23, has unveiled a second track off the album: "Saturday Night," which can be heard here. The track is also available to download now with pre-orders of the new album—which Uncut calls "excellent"—on iTunes and in the Nonesuch Store, along with the previously released album opener, "Middle Names." Nonesuch Store CD and vinyl pre-orders also include an exclusive, limited-edition autographed print of a drawing by Banhart.

Nonesuch releases John Adams's Scheherazade.2 on September 30, 2016. The 50-minute "dramatic symphony" was written for the violinist Leila Josefowicz, who performs it here with the St. Louis Symphony led by Music Director David Robertson; Chester Englander is the cimbalom soloist. In the piece, Adams imagines a modern day Scheherazade, an "empowered, liberated spirit embodied in the multifaceted solo violin role," he says. "Scheherazade.2 is also a virtuoso romantic symphony-concerto on the grand scale which acknowledges its predecessors in works by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Bartók, and Berg." He and Josefowicz will perform Scheherazade.2 with orchestras in Europe this fall.

Lianne La Havas will follow a summer spent on a 37-concert, 15-country tour with Coldplay, including four sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium, with a return to the US this fall to play 17 dates with Leon Bridges and four shows with her own band in NYC, LA, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Ahead of the tour, she has released a solo acoustic cover of the beloved Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "I Say a Little Prayer," recorded live at the Rock Werchter festival in Brussels earlier this year, available now. You can watch a video of the performance here.

Nonesuch releases Brazilian samba singer Teresa Cristina's album and DVD Canta Cartola on September 2, 2016. Recorded live in concert at Theatro Net in Rio de Janeiro with guitarist Carlinhos Sete Cordas, it captures their acoustic performance of songs by Brazil's beloved samba-ist Angenor de Oliveira ("Cartola"). "Canta Cartola feels fully embodied," says the New York Times, "as if Ms. Cristina had written the songs herself." She performs at The Town Hall in NYC on October 12, in support of Caetano Veloso, who exclaims: "Teresa develops every melody, every word, every second. It's magical." Pre-order Canta Cartola to download the track "Corra e Olhe o Céu" now.

This past winter, Conor Oberst found himself hibernating in his hometown of Omaha after living in New York City for more than a decade. He emerged with the unexpectedly raw, unadorned solo album Ruminations, available October 14, 2016, on Nonesuch. He went to ARC, the studio he built with his Bright Eyes bandmate and friend Mike Mogis, and, with the help of engineer Ben Brodin, recorded all the songs within 48 hours. The results are almost sketch-like in their sparseness: Oberst alone with his guitar, piano, and harmonica. Oberst will perform songs from the album at special solo shows this fall at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Ryman Auditorium.

Nonesuch Records releases a four-LP, vinyl-only, limited-edition The Randy Newman Songbook box set on September 23, 2016. Nonesuch's Randy Newman Songbook series—solo recordings of songs from throughout Newman's five-decade career—previously included two volumes, released on CD in 2003 and 2011; the box set marks their first release on vinyl. Sixteen additional songs from a newly released third volume, along with five bonus tracks, join those first two volumes in a new, thematic sequencing, to create this new complete Songbook box set. Pre-orders for The Randy Newman Songbook box set are available in the Nonesuch Store with an instant download of the album track "Guilty" and an exclusive, limited-edition print autographed by Newman. The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 3 also is available on September 23 as a stand-alone CD and digital album. 

Nonesuch releases Portuguese singer Mariza's newest album, Mundo, in the US on September 9, 2016. Mundo earned her the Songlines Best Artist of the Year award following its international release in 2015. The album features both new material and classics by Amália Rodrigues, Carlos Gardel, and more. "Mundo was an unalloyed triumph," says Songlinges, "her artistry hitting dynamic new heights and her voice expressing every emotional nuance." Pre-order to download the album track "Maldição" now. Mariza returns to North America this fall, with dates in Boston, NYC, San Francisco, and more.