Nonesuch Records releases its second album from Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Caroline Shaw, Narrow Sea, on January 22, 2021. The title piece was written for Sō Percussion, Dawn Upshaw, and Gilbert Kalish, who perform it on this recording: five parts, each a new setting of a text from The Sacred Harp nineteenth century collection of shape-note hymns. Also on the album is Sō Percussion's performance of Shaw's Taxidermy, which she wrote for the ensemble. A video for Part 2 of Narrow Sea can be seen here.

A remastered, expanded edition of the 2005 benefit album Our New Orleans will be released for the first time on vinyl on January 29, 2021. The two-LP set, also available then digitally, includes five previously unreleased tracks by Davell Crawford, Buckwheat Zydeco and Ry Cooder, Dr. Michael White, Dr. John, and The Wardell Quezergue Orchestra featuring Donald Harrison. A video of the late Dr. John recording the added track “Walking by the River” in 2005 can be seen here. To date, $1.5 million has been raised from the 2005 release to benefit the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village.

Mountain Man has shared a video of its performance of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," from the first of its streaming concert series, Live From the Garden, which you can watch here. The performance comes from last Thursday's event; the second concert takes place this Thursday, December 10, at 9pm ET, followed by a final set on December 17. The band filmed the three shows in North Carolina: in the woods, at home, and by the fire. Each night has a different set list.

Brad Mehldau gave a special solo performance without an audience in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw as part of its Empty Concertgebouw Sessions. He performed five pieces from his new album, Suite: April 2020, followed by John Coltrane's "Satellite" and Van Heusen/Burke's "Here’s That Rainy Day." You can watch the session here.

The Staves have release the song “Satisfied” from their upcoming album, Good Woman, and a live video performance of the same, which can be seen here. "This started out with an acoustic guitar," the band says of "Satisfied." "The song asking its subject, ‘Will they ever be satisfied with what they have? Is it ever enough?’ But also urging them not to give up on themselves, and love. The song really came to life when we added the band and gave strength and a backbone to the whole sentiment of the song (as well as a great groove!). Hope you enjoy.”

We join Natalie Merchant in sending our thanks to all the health care workers and first responders who have served their communities during this pandemic with such skill, grace, kindness, and generosity, such as those at Montefiore in New York City. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Composer Tristan Perich, whose Drift Multiply, for 50 violins and 50-channel 1-bit electronics, was released on New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records earlier this month, discussed the piece and recording—which both Uncut and the New Yorker call "mesmerizing" and the Wire calls "unapologetically beautiful"—with conductor Douglas Perkins in a live, online Q&A moderated by Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti. You can watch the conversation again here.

Portuguese singer Mariza celebrates the 20th anniversary of her career and the centenary of the late Queen of Fado, Amália Rodrigues, with Mariza Sings Amália, her first full album of classics, available in the US on January 29. Though Mariza has sung pieces from Amália’s repertoire since the start of her career, this is the first complete album pairing the work of the late, great voice of 20th-century popular song and the singer who helped bring fado into the 21st century. "This the best way I can find to pay my tribute to Amália," says Mariza, "and to thank her for the legacy and inspiration she gave us." Mariza celebrates the album release with a livestreamed performance via NYC's Town Hall on January 29.

Joachim Cooder has released a video for his album Over That Road I'm Bound featuring an excerpt from the album track "Over That Road I'm Bound to Go" by children's book author Barney Saltzberg. "Barney is one of our favorite children’s book authors and illustrators," Cooder says. "After meeting backstage at a show I was playing in San Francisco we began sending each other books and music. One day he sent me this video. It hit such a perfect tone for the song.” You can watch it here.

Lianne La Havas was the guest on the Twitch show The Needle Drop. She spoke with host Anthony Fantano about her new, self-titled album. You can watch the conversation here.

The Black Keys release Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition), an expanded version of their watershed 2010 multi-platinum, Grammy-winning sixth studio album December 18, 2020, in the United States and Canada and on January 1, 2021, in all other territories, via Nonesuch Records, on which the record is newly available throughout the world. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Brothers will be re-released with three added bonus songs: “Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth,” “Black Mud Part II,” and “Chop and Change.” It will be available in three formats: a 7” box set, a 2-LP set, and a CD. The band has also released a promotional video for the release, directed by Bryan Schlam, which you can watch here.

Tigran Hamasyan, whose new album, The Call Within, was released on Nonesuch in August, has performed an NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. The set includes solo piano takes on "Our Film," from the new album, which NPR Music's Suraya Mohamed calls Hamasyan's "most enterprising release,"and two earlier tunes. You can watch it here. Hamasyan performs for the virtual EFG London Jazz Festival this Saturday.