"Never again will a record company essay what the producers of the Nonesuch Explorers did in 1967, bringing out a series of superb field recordings to make, eventually, a 92-record set," says The Scotsman in its five-star review of the two titles that marked the reissue of a number of Japanese Explorer Series albums on CD this fall: Koto Classics and Geza Music from the Kabuki. "The vinyl LPs ... brought to light a wealth of hitherto hidden traditions," says the review, and their return as remastered CDs "is simply wonderful, because much of this music—four decades on—is now either extinct or grievously debased."

Saxophonist Joshua Redman’s 2007 album Back East was his first recording as the leader of an acoustic sax/bass/drums trio. The seminal 1957 Way Out West by his hero Sonny Rollins provided a conceptual impetus for Redman’s album. Among other accolades, the New York Times called Back East, “the most agile and personal record of his career.” Going one step further on concepts from that album, Redman entered the studio with four friends and colleagues—Brian Blade (drums), Larry Grenadier (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums), and Reuben Rogers (bass)—who, with Redman, became a rotating, and intertwining, pair of trios. Together they recorded what became Redman’s new Nonesuch album, Compass, which will be released on January 13, 2009.

Toumani Diabaté's US fall tour comes to a close tomorrow night at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music after a show tonight at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. The Seattle Times reports from his "showstopper" performance at the Earshot Jazz Festival last weekend that "Diabaté did not disappoint" with "a sometimes diabolically impossible round of riffs and variations." The Minneapolis City Pages calls Toumani's latest release, The Mandé Variations, a "tour de force" and "a shimmering mix of traditional and startling experimental pieces played with the exquisite touch and resolute soulfulness that are his trademarks." Time Out Chicago calls it "exquisite" as well, and the Chicago Tribune says the new album from this "legend from Mali ... affirms that he's only gotten better and bolder" over the years.

Clarinetist/composer Don Byron celebrates his 50th birthday with a series of four different programs at New York's Jazz Standard, beginning tonight and running through Sunday. Opening the festivities this evening is Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz, in which Byron revisits his groundbreaking 1993 klezmer-rooted Nonesuch album of the same name. Next is music from Byron's classic 1996 release Bug Music, featuring works by Duke Ellington and others. On Saturday, the Don Byron Quartet takes the stage, and closing out the celebration on Sunday, Byron returns to his Nonesuch catalog and his Latin-focused 1995 recording, Music for Six Musicians.

Bill Frisell has been traveling across Europe with Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen playing film music to the films of Buster Keaton, Bill Morrison, and Jim Woodring. The trio will take the show to the Barbican in London this Saturday night as part of the London Jazz Festival. In a feature profile, The Times (UK) calls the mild-mannered guitarist "a one-off ... the Clark Kent of jazz guitar—beneath his mild exterior lurks a supernatural talent," and his latest release, History, Mystery, "delightful."

John Adams's memoir, Hallelujah Junction, is now available in the UK. The Independent calls it "engaging" and says that like Adams's musical work of the same name, the book "radiates a calm, Californian confidence, letting its ideas unfold at a gentle pace." The parallels continue: "Adams's unique touch finds its literary analogue in a style of rare precision." The composer "here emerges as a storyteller."

Punch Brothers kicked off a string of November tour dates this past weekend. These latest dates marked the debut of Punch Brothers' new bassist, Paul Kowert, who, fittingly, studied with Chris Thile's recent duo partner, Edgar Meyer. The Bluegrass Blog says Kowert is "more than up to the task. Not only has he memorized the demanding Punch Brothers repertoire, but he is a brilliant soloist in his own right." The band, the review concludes is "the most technically gifted string ensemble yet assembled, and the discipline they exhibit individually and as a unit is a wonder to behold."

Pat Metheny's 1989 album Question and Answer, recently remastered and reissued by Nonesuch, is described by All About Jazz as one of "a glittering, altogether too infrequent series" of acoustic trio albums from Metheny. The review cites drummer Roy Haynes ("just heavenly") and the "shining" performance of bassist Dave Holland for creating "another magnificent Metheny trio line-up." The album is a "whirlwind of an affair, invigorating and exquisite; a masterpiece of the first order." Along with that reissue comes the wider release of Upjonie, the 2002 collaboration between Metheny and Polish singer/pianist Anna Maria Jopek, in which, The Guardian states, "Metheny's guitar often accompanies Jopek's floating, fragile intensity like another voice."

Laurie Anderson's European tour of Homeland comes to a close this week in Italy this Wednesday, after two shows in Tel Aviv, Israel, last week with special guest Lou Reed. The Jerusalem Post calls Laurie's pieces "all-encompassing experiences" and Homeland in particular a "thought-provoking performance." The addition of Reed to the lineup "charmingly combined her artistic style with his rock," for "an exceptional show that ranged from the finest in performance art to a classic rock experience."

David Byrne brings his show—"as enigmatic and adventurous as his three decades-long career" (Boston Globe)—to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and DC ... Adams's Doctor Atomic explodes onto movie screens around the world ... Laurie Anderson's Homeland tours Italy ... Shawn Colvin tours the Northeast and talks to the Washington Post ... Toumani Diabaté travels the West Coast ... Bill Frisell Trio's film music plays Eastern Europe ... Glass-scored ballets leap from Toronto to Miami to Sweden ... Kronos does Denver with Alternative Radio ... k.d. lang plays the Mile High City too ... Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman trios meet up in Spain ... Punch Brothers play the Peace Center Bluegrass Festival ... Pacific Northwest Ballet performs to Reich ... Laura Veirs plays Portland's Siren Festival ... and more ...

Following its Met premiere earlier this month, John Adams's 2005 opera Doctor Atomic was described as the composer's "most complex and masterly music" by the New York Times and "hauntingly powerful, deeply humane and eloquent" by the Boston Globe. This Saturday's matinee will be broadcast live in movie theaters around the world through The Met: Live in HD, which reaches close to 800 screens. Met General Manager Peter Gelb tells the Boston Herald: "I was determined to bring [Adams] to the company. Taking advantage of that with new media just adds to the experience."

Isabel Bayrakdarian's Gomidas Songs was the subject of a segment of New Classical Tracks on Minnesota Public Radio, in which host Julie Amacher declares: "There are so many just plain gorgeous melodies on this recording ... songs that will make you dance, cry, and smile ... Bayrakdarian taps into a well of emotion as she shares these songs of her Armenian heritage. When you join her for the journey, you'll find it's an enriching experience."