Laurie Anderson is a guest curator of the 2020 New Zealand Festival. The event began February 21 and continues in Wellington through March 15. Anderson, who performs at the festival this week, has programmed a symphonic concert, a virtual-reality experience, an improvisational ensemble, an interactive soundscape, a film screening, and a concert for dogs. Also at the festival are Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi, performing from their album there is no Other.

Congratulations to Pat Metheny, whose new album, From This Place, debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Album chart—a career best for the guitarist/composer and his first Top 10 album—and at No. 1 on the Current Traditional Jazz Albums chart and the UK Jazz and Blues chart. Metheny begins a month-long tour of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America tonight with the band featured on From This Place: drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and pianist Gwilym Simcock. He tours Europe in May and June with his Side Eye project with keyboardist James Francies and drummer Marcus Gilmore, and has a run of trio shows in Norway in August.

David Byrne was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on NBC this weekend, with host John Mulaney. Byrne performed Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" and his 2008 tune with Fatboy Slim, "Toe Jam," two songs featured in David Byrne's American Utopia on Broadway, with musicians from that production. He also helps Mulaney steer Pete Davidson clear of La Guardia Airport sushi. You can watch all of the above along with a web-exclusive interview about his previous appearances on SNL here.

David Byrne is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live … k.d. lang's Fire Fight Australia performance airs on Fox ... John Adams leads Radio France orchestra in his new piano concerto … Olivia Chaney performs in Winchcombe … Jeremy Denk joins London Philharmonic … Early James is in Dallas with The Lone Bellow … Kronos Quartet performs Terry Riley's Sun Rings in San Jose … Joshua Redman brings Still Dreaming to Idaho … Daniel Wohl tours the UK with A Winged Victory for the Sullen …

With just over two weeks till the release of Sam Gendel's Nonesuch Records debut album, Satin Doll, we've put together The World of Sam Gendel: a playlist of songs featuring Gendel, including his own solo work and tracks from Vampire Weekend, Blake Mills, Sam Amidon, Sam Wilkes, John Carroll Kirby, INGA, Fabiano do Nascimento, and Inc. You can hear it here via Spotify and Apple Music.

Laurie Anderson and Terry Riley will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters when it holds its annual induction and award ceremony in mid-May, joining eleven other new members, including Carroll Dunham, Julian Schnabel, Edwidge Danticat, Mary Gaitskill, and Colson Whitehead. An exhibition of art, architecture, books, and manuscripts by new members and recipients of awards will be on view in the Academy's galleries in NYC from May 21 to June 21.

Lianne La Havas has released her first new music since 2016 with the song "Bittersweet." Her current sonic palate takes inspiration from the wistful 1970s Brazilian music of Milton Nascimento as well as the girl group harmonies and empowerment of Destiny's Child. You can watch her perform the song for COLORS here. La Havas debuts her new music live at LA's Roxy Theatre on March 31.

The Magnetic Fields’ Quickies will be released on Nonesuch on May 29, 2020. The five 7" vinyl box set features twenty-eight new short songs by Stephin Merritt, ranging in length from thirteen seconds to two minutes and thirty-five seconds. Preorder in the Nonesuch Store to download "The Day the Politicians Died" (the video for which can be seen here) now and get an exclusive, limited-edition print autographed by Merritt.

Yola was on The Late Late Show with James Corden last night to perform "I Don't Wanna Lie," a song from the digital deluxe edition of her Grammy-nominated debut album, Walk Through Fire. You can watch it here.

The Black Keys have announced a thirty-five-date "Let's Rock" summer tour with performances in cities including Seattle, Dallas, Boston, New York, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Each date on the tour will feature direct support by Gary Clark Jr., except the Berkeley concert with Allah-Las. Jessy Wilson and The Marcus King Band will each open select dates on the first half of the tour, and Yola will open for the twenty-concert second leg, starting in Cleveland on August 11. Tickets for all dates will go on sale on February 28.

Pat Metheny's new album, From This Place, is out now. "A breathtakingly immersive experience that affirms Metheny as a consummate musical storyteller," exclaims Mojo. "A transcendent album, possibly the maestro’s most impressive opus yet." "Impressively conceived and impeccably executed," says Jazzwise, "From This Place is Metheny's finest album to date." Stereogum says: "This is extraordinary music." Metheny is joined on the album by drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda May Han Oh, pianist Gwilym Simcock, the Hollywood Studio Symphony led by Joel McNeely, and special guests Meshell Ndegeocello, Gregoire Maret, and Luis Conte.

Gaby Moreno performs at The Town Hall in NYC as special guest of Fatoumata Diawara … Gabriel Kahane joins violinist Pekka Kuusisto in Helsinki … Chris Thile hosts Live From Here from NYC … Daniel Wohl performs in Germany as special guest of A Winged Victory for the Sullen … Yola concludes her winter Walk Through Fire tour in California …