Audra McDonald will be among the Broadway luminaries instructing students from theater programs throughout the US at the December 27–29 Moveable Arts Winter Retreat in New York City. Events include workshops and master classes designed to give participants insight into the world of musical theater. Audra will lead a discussion exploring the path from stage to screen.

Stephin Merritt played DJ to an eclectic crowd last night at London's George & Dragon pub. The photo here captures Merritt at the helm, conveniently positioned in front of a poster for The Magnetic Fields' upcoming Nonesuch release, Distortion, out in January:

Just in time for the holidays, famed jazz photographer Jimmy Katz has published Jazz Katz: Jazz in NY, a collection of black-and-white photos that All About Jazz calls "a feast for the eyes." The book featuring jazz luminaries, including Brad Mehldau and Bill Frisell, on stage and behind the scenes.

Earlier this week, we brought you news that the Metheny Music Foundation would be holding a concert with the Pat Metheny Trio and Pat's brother, Mike, to raise funds for the Foundation's scholarship program. The Kansas City Star has more of the details on the organization's backstory and its dual goals of supporting music education in the Methenys hometown of Lee's Summit, Missouri, and honoring the family's dedication to that town.

Stephin Merritt will be DJing at the George & Dragon pub in London on December 10. He's been a regular at NYC’s Beauty Bar night "The Phantastic Invisible Tentacle" and a co-host of the Nowhere Bar’s "Runt" party. This marks his return to the London venue, where he'll be spinning his eclectic mix of late '60s and early '70s bubblegum and psychedelic pop songs. Distortion, the forthcoming The Magnetic Fields album, was featured on BBC 6 Music's Roundtable and scored high on the show's rating scale.

Lee's Summit, Missouri, Pat Metheny's hometown, is also the home and inspiration for the new Metheny Music Foundation, which awards scholarships for local high school students to attend the University of Missouri—Kansas City Jazz Improv Camp. On Friday, March 7, the Foundation will hold a fundraising concert at the nearby Unity Village Activities Center featuring student musicians from Lee's Summit schools along with the Pat Metheny Trio and Pat's brother, trumpeter Mike Metheny.

Sam Davol was recently featured in the New York Times—not an unheard of event for the cellist of The Magnetic Fields. This time, though, it wasn't in the Arts section. Sam, his wife, Leslie, and their two children have decamped from tony downtown Manhattan to return to the couple's hometown of Boston, and their beautiful new home is on view in the Times's Home & Garden section. The Davols traded in their New York digs for a more affordable place up north so, among other things, Sam could focus on his music. And with the recording studio they built in the new space, Sam was able to record a number of his tracks on The Magnetic Fields upcoming Nonesuch release, Distortion, right from home.

The Guardian has revealed the last batch of albums on its list of the 1,000 all-time must-hears. Earlier this week, we brought you Nonesuch artists A through M on the list. Here are N through Z, along with the Guardian's take on albums from Orchestra Baobab, Astor Piazzolla, Radio Tarifa, Oumou Sangare, SFJAZZ Collective, Taraf de Haïdouks, Rokia Traoré, and Wilco.

During her visit to the BBC Radio 2 studios in London last Friday, k.d. lang stopped to spend some time with "Pudsey," the mascot for the charity Children in Need. The organization works to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in the UK. 

The CMJ chart numbers have been released, and Youssou N'Dour's Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take) moves up ten slots—the week's biggest mover—to hit No. 1 on the New World chart. Youssou performs tonight and tomorrow night at NYC's Nokia Theatre as part of the Great African Ball. 

Congratulations to Ry Cooder, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist by the Americana Music Association (AMA), in a ceremony held earlier this month at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

In a ceremony held at Manhattan's Hudson Theater last Tuesday, Laurie Anderson was awarded the esteemed Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Named in memory of the early-film era stars, each year, the prize honors “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.” Here is a transcript of Laurie Anderson's acceptance speech from the event.