Brad Mehldau’s new album, Jacob’s Ladder, first released on CD and digital in March, is now available in a double vinyl set. The album features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock he loved as a young adolescent—his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. Mojo calls it "a kaleidoscopic affair, where baroque prog-rock edifices are juxtaposed with clouds of ethereal choirs, dreamy piano interludes, and squalls of free jazz-style clarinet. Skillfully weaving these elements into storytelling sound collages, Mehldau takes the listener on a memorable musical journey."

In celebration of Father’s Day, Molly Tuttle recorded a new performance video of her song, “Grass Valley,” featuring her father, Jack Tuttle, a music teacher and multi-instrumentalist, on mandolin and vocals. The song, from Tuttle's new album, Crooked Tree, recorded with her band Golden Highway, tells the story of going to Grass Valley, California’s annual Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival with her dad, where she was first exposed to the bluegrass music that inspired her to play. You can watch the video here.

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi are the hosts of a new Apple Music radio show, Musical Routes Radio, all six episodes of which are now available. You can hear them now on Apple Music, and tune in to hear them on Apple Radio Country every other Saturday. “So much of the Americana and country music we love has roots outside of the United States,” says the show. “Illustrating the many intersections between country/roots music and global musical traditions, including Celtic music, Caribbean music, Indigenous music, and more, listeners will discover new artists, broaden their own musical knowledge, and enjoy unscripted, far-reaching conversations from two of music's most encyclopedic minds."

Nonesuch Records releases the first recording of Steve Reich’s Reich/Richter, performed by Ensemble intercontemporain and conducted by George Jackson, on CD and digital today, with the vinyl due August 5. The composition was originally written to be performed with German visual artist Gerhard Richter and Corinna Belz’s film Moving Picture (946-3). A video of the composer talking about Reich/Richter may be seen here.

Jeff Parker is on the International Anthem Podcast. He spoke with host Ayana Contreras in front of a live audience at Dorian's (Through The Record Shop) in Chicago last December, ahead of the release of his new solo guitar album, Forfolks. They talk about record collecting, Parker’s journey to embracing solo guitar sonics as improvisational atmospheres, and more. You can hear their conversation here.

The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Koerner Hall in Toronto has announced its 2022–23 concert season, including performances from Nonesuch artists Tigran Hamasyan, Kronos Quartet, Punch Brothers, Jeremy Denk, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Joshua Redman.

Composer Ingram Marshall, about whose music composer Timo Andres once said that it "merges sacred and secular in mysterious ways, following a train of thought into territories entirely on its own,” died on Tuesday at the age of 80. “To reach the music of Ingram Marshall," New York magazine music critic Justin Davidson has said, "turn left at minimalism, right at electronica and keep going until just before you reach avant-garde. Marshall occupies a one-man lot on the contemporary music landscape. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that he creates his own musical landscapes—mists, mysterious places that afford moments of strange lucidity.” Nonesuch has released two albums of music by Ingram Marshall and a recording of his famed Fog Tropes, conducted by John Adams.

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway performed three songs from their new album, Crooked Tree, in a live Paste Studio on the Road session from DelFest in Cumberland, MD. They were joined by special guest Jerry Douglas, who co-produced the album with Tuttle, to perform “Over the Line,” “Dooley’s Farm,” and “Crooked Tree” and talk about the making of the album. You can watch the set here.

Congratulations to Tyondai Braxton, who has been named to the faculty of the Department of Music at Princeton University. As Assistant Professor, he will be teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses beginning this fall. Braxton is joining the composition faculty, which includes Professor of Music Donnacha Dennehy. Among the other artists in Princeton’s Department of Music who have recorded on Nonesuch are Ensemble in Residence Sō Percussion, Director of Choral Activities Gabriel Crouch, and Global Scholar: Irish Studies & Music Department Iarla Ó Lionáird. 

Rhiannon Giddens performed in the National Memorial Day Concert on the National Mall in Washington, DC, last night. Giddens sang "Count on Me," a song she and Dirk Powell wrote and which she performed on the television show Nashville in 2017. You can watch her National Memorial Day Concert performance here.

Rhiannon Giddens’ new opera with Michael Abels, Omar, gets its long-awaited world premiere at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston ... Jeremy Denk is at Hay Festival in Wales ... Tigran Hamasyan plays StandArt at Jazz sous les Pommiers in France ... Hurray for the Riff Raff tours with Bright Eyes in Florida, Atlanta ... Kronos Quartet is at Bergen International Festival in Norway ... Lake Street Dive plays three shows in upstate New York ... Joshua Redman, Christian McBride perform at Wigmore Hall in London ... Caroline Shaw, Attacca Quartet are in Maryland, as are Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway ... Wilco leads Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA; Daughter of Swords performs ...

Rhiannon Giddens has been named the Music Director for the 77th Ojai Music Festival, to be held June 8–11, 2023, in Ojai, CA. The initial list of guest artists includes Francesco Turrisi, Attacca Quartet, Wu Man, and Kayhan Kalhor. “I am so thrilled that Rhiannon Giddens accepted my invitation to become Music Director of the 2023 Ojai Music Festival,” says the Festival’s Artistic and Executive Director Ara Guzelimian. “I have boundless admiration for Rhiannon as both a compelling musician and as an extraordinary artistic catalyst bringing together musical worlds towards important philosophical, cultural, and social goals." Julia Bullock performs at the 2022 Festival, which takes place June 9–12. Past Artist Directors include John Adams, Jeremy Denk, and Dawn Upshaw.