Brad Mehldau's new album, Finding Gabriel, out next Friday, May 17, is streaming in full till then as an NPR First Listen. It's "a swing-for-the-fences opus," says NPR's Nate Chinen. "When you spend some time with Finding Gabriel, you begin to understand how much faith Mehldau has placed here in human vocalization, as a call to communion in troubled times." The album "feels both impeccably crafted and wildly out on a limb," says Chinen, "rooted in both breath and spirit, and a force that moves in mysterious ways."

Robert Plant and his band the Sensational Space Shifters will return to North America to tour this fall. The new dates, which follow a previously announced Scandinavian summer tour, start with a set at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in New Brunswick on September 13 and continue in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and Utah, culminating at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon, on October 3. 

Brad Mehldau has released "O Ephraim," a song from his new album, Finding Gabriel, which is out next Friday, May 17, on Nonesuch. On the song, Mehldau performs on OB-6 Polyphonic synthesizer, vocals, Steinway C grand piano, drums, Fender Rhodes, Musser Ampli-Celeste, and Morfbeats gamelan strips. A video for the song, featuring artwork by Dima Drjuchin animated by Robert Edridge-Waks, premiered on WBGO this morning. You can watch it here.

Rhiannon Giddens is a guest on the latest episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour. She and multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi talk with New Yorker editor David Remnick about their new album, there is no Other, and perform songs from it live. You can hear the conversation and performance here.

Rhiannon Giddens's new album, there is no Other, made with multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi and produced by Joe Henry, is out now. "This is acoustic roots music at its most glorious," exclaims Uncut, "and Giddens is fast becoming the genre’s brightest star in the firmament." "Wonderful," the Guardian declares in its five-star review, naming it Folk Album of the Month. Giddens and Turrisi will tour with music from the album all year, including a newly announced European tour. A two-LP vinyl edition, with four additional tracks, will be released on September 13 and is available to pre-order now in the Nonesuch Store with an exclusive, limited-edition autographed print.

Composer William Brittelle's album Spiritual America is out now on New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records. The album features acclaimed American rock duo Wye Oak, Grammy-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra Metropolis Ensemble, performing a genre-fluid electro-acoustic song cycle written by Brittelle, plus one piece composed by Wye Oak and re-imagined by Brittelle. To coincide with the album's release, Brittelle has released a new video for the title track, which you can watch here.

Caroline Shaw performs with Roomful of Teeth in London … Sam Amidon is at Oberlin … Jeremy Denk continues tour with Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis in New Jersey … Brad Mehldau Trio begins European tour in France … Gaby Moreno celebrates Bowie in New Zealand … Joshua Redman, Yola perform at Cheltenham Jazz Festival … Rokia Traoré is Guest Director at Brighton Festival …

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi performed several songs from their new album, there is no Other, out this Friday, and spoke with WNYC's Alison Stewart at The Greene Space in NYC last night. "Your talent is so stunning," says Stewart, "and it really does transport one, so thank you." You can watch the performance, with bassist Jason Sypher, and interview here. And tune in to WNYC's All of It with Alison Stewart to hear the set on the show at a later date.

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi stopped by the Paste Studio in New York City to discuss and perform three songs from their album there is no Other, out this Friday: the title track, "Wayfaring Stranger," and "Little Margaret." You can watch the performance here.

Daughter of Swords, a.k.a. Mountain Man's Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, releases her debut album, Dawnbreaker, on June 28, 2019, via Nonesuch Records (Bella Union in Europe). Co-produced with Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn, the album crackles with country swagger and a sparkling pop warmth. Pre-order in the Nonesuch Store to download the title track, a video for which can be seen here, and "Gem" now and get an exclusive, limited-edition print created and signed by Sauser-Monnig. NPR Music, which premiered the "Dawnbreaker" video, called the track "a soft swoon of a song that goes down like a cup of hot cocoa laced with CBD oil."

Happy International Jazz Day! Looking for a soundtrack to celebrate? Check out the Nonesuch: Jazz playlist on Spotify and Apple Music here, featuring new and classic songs from Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Tigran Hamasyan, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Allen Toussaint, James Farm, Rokia Traoré, Joni Mitchell, and others. And to hear new tracks as they’re added with music from new and upcoming releases, subscribe to the playlist today.

Rhiannon Giddens, Emmylou Harris join Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis for music from Ken Burns’s Country Music in NYC … Sam Amidon tours Midwest … Tyondai Braxton performs in Austria … David Byrne is on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on HBO ... Jeremy Denk begins tour with Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis … Gabriel Kahane, Lake Street Dive conclude European tours … Gaby Moreno performs in San Diego … Joshua Redman Trio tours Europe … Chris Thile hosts Live From Here from the Ryman in Nashville …