"The first poignant tones make it clear that trumpeter Nicholas Payton is hitting a sweet spot on his new CD," says the Philadelphia Inquirer in its 3.5-star review of Payton's Nonesuch debut, Into the Blue, a blend of "dreaminess with some serious playing."

Congratulations to Joshua Redman, who was awarded the 2008 Harvard Arts Medal at a ceremony last Thursday evening at the New College Theatre in Cambridge. The Medal honors a distinguished Harvard graduate or faculty member who has achieved excellence in the arts and made a contribution to education or the public good. Redman is the 14th Harvard Arts Medal recipient. Previous honorees include John Adams, Peter Sellars, Yo-Yo Ma, John Harbison, and John Updike.

Nicholas Payton recently performed at the New Orleans JazzFest; it was in that city, his hometown, where Payton recorded his Nonesuch debut, Into the Blue, last fall. The Washington Post says the new album "boasts relaxed, self-assured performances" and calls it "a summing-up of sorts, an album that recalls some of Payton's previous acoustic and fusion-inspired work yet manages to sound fresh and inspired---even surprising."

After spending a number of weeks traveling across Australia with her Watershed tour, k.d. lang and her band have made their way across the Tasman Sea for a performance in Wellington, New Zealand, tonight at the Michael Fowler Centre, and a stop in Auckland tomorrow night. NPR's World Cafe has broadcast an interview with and performance from k.d. "Offered up with confidence and honesty," says NPR, "k.d. lang's deeply personal narratives invite listeners into an intimate world. Her glorious voice fuses country, jazz, and even Brazilian rhythms, and on her latest CD, Watershed, she finds a certain earthy elegance."