Devendra Banhart, who is currently touring North America performing songs from his recently released Nonesuch Records debut album, Mala, was featured on Morning Becomes Eclectic out of KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, last Friday. The session, which was recording during the California leg of the tour earlier in May, includes intimate in-studio performances by Banhart and his band of a number of songs from the new album. Watch the set here. The tour continues into Montreal, Toronto, Boston, DC, and Philadelphia, before concluding at The Town Hall in New York City on June 12.

While touring the US East Coast last month, Iron and Wine's Sam Beam stopped by the Boston Public Library to discuss his songwriting with WBUR's Off the Record and perform a couple of songs off the new album Ghost on Ghost. Watch the solo, acoustic performances of the album tracks "Caught in the Briars" and "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" and listen to the interview here. The Guardian gave four stars to last week's London show, saying "Beam writes with an artist’s eye, his songs alive with place and time ... [His] easy charm dazzles."

Devendra Banhart continues the Midwestern leg of his tour with shows in Chicago and Detroit and performs on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic ... John Adams conducts the NSO and Jeremy Denk at The Kennedy Center ... Björk brings Biophilia to LA ... Bombino plays two sets at Wakarusa Festival ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play festivals in Ohio and Virginia ... Richard Goode plays Beethoven in London ... Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell close out European tour in Hamburg ... Iron and Wine continues its European tour ... Gidon Kremer tours China ... Natalie Merchant headlines benefit concert for victims of domestic violence in upstate NY ... and more ...

Audra McDonald, who is featured on NPR's Tell Me More today, has announced a number of new tour dates across the US for this summer and fall featuring music from her new album, Go Back Home. The tour includes performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, San Francisco Symphony's Opening Night, shows in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Kansas City, and much more. In a new video, McDonald says of Go Back Home: "If there were a Broadway show that were written about my life, especially the last seven years," she says of the album in the video, "this would be the soundtrack." Watch the video here.

Audra McDonald brought the music of her new album, Go Back Home, to homes across the US when PBS broadcast "Audra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home" on Live From Lincoln Center on Friday. You can now watch the show online and watch three web-exclusive bonus performances here. McDonald recently stopped by WNYC's Soundcheck to discuss and perform a few songs from Go Back Home; listen to the show here.

This Memorial Day weekend, John Adams concludes his week-long residency at the Library of Congress in DC with two concerts ... Sam Amidon closes out UK tour ... Devendra Banhart, Bombino play Sasquatch! ... Björk brings Biophilia to Bay Area ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play two festivals ... Nataly Dawn, Joshua Redman give gigs in Germany ... Richard Goode performs Beethoven in Belgium ... Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell sing in Scandinavia ... Pat Metheny Unity Band has sold-out Tokyo residency ... Punch Brothers perform at Spoleto ... Rokia Traoré closes out UK tour ... 

Audra McDonald performs songs from her new album and more on "Audra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home," airing on PBS's Live From Lincoln Center tonight. The show presents McDonald's May 9 at performance in New York City for Lincoln Center's spring gala, which the New York Times called "absolutely thrilling." USA Today, in recommending tonight's show, says: "McDonald has one of the warmest, most glorious singing voices on the planet." McDonald discusses her inclusion of Adam Gwon's "I'll Be There" on the album and concert in a new video clip you can watch here.

Tuareg guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bombino kicks off the first US leg of his tour featuring music from his new album, Nomad. The month-long tour begins with a set at the Sasquatch! Festival in Washington on Saturday, followed by additional stops out West, down South, across the Midwest, and into the Northeast, including headline shows, supporting slots with Gogol Bordello, festival sets at Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, and Celebrate Brooklyn, and more. Bombino and the band return to North America for the next leg of the tour in July.

Nonesuch Records President Bob Hurwitz gave the Keynote Address at the Recognition Ceremony celebrating the Mannes College The New School for Music Class of 2013, held earlier today at the school’s campus in New York City. Here are his remarks.

Audra McDonald marked the release of her new album, Go Back Home, with an appearance on PBS's Charlie Rose. The two discuss the personal nature of the new album, her career in theater and on television, and the upcoming broadcast of "Audra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home," on PBS's Live From Lincoln Center this Friday, May 24, featuring her recent performance in concert at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall. 

Pat Metheny’s recording of John Zorn’s Tap: The Book of Angels, Vol. 20 from Zorn’s Masada Book Two was released yesterday on Nonesuch Records and Tzadik. The album was featured on NPR's All Things Considered last night. "Metheny takes what's on the page and goes to work conjuring," says NPR's Tom Moon. "The result is an ornate, stunningly vivid sound world that neither artist would have found on his own." Listen to the complete All Things Considered review here.

Sam Amidon, who is currently touring Europe in support of his new album, Bright Sunny South, has performed the album track "As I Roved Out," for The Line of Best Fit. On the new album, Amidon delves "further in compelling expressions that draw jazz and folk influences together to an entirely unique place," says the site. Watch that performance and his recent set for ABC Radio in Australia, which has named Bright Sunny South its Album of the Week. The Daily Telegraph and Irish Times give the album four stars.