Randy Newman's Songbook Vol. 2 was released earlier this week on Nonesuch. On the new album, to which the Daily Mail gives a perfect five stars, Newman takes a fresh look at both classic and more recent work in new solo takes on 16 of his celebrated songs, surveying 40 years of recordings. Newman performs his song "Birmingham," featured on the new album, on Later Live ... with Jools Holland on BBC Two, starting at 10 PM BST tonight. He then performs two more album tracks, "Laugh and Be Happy" and "Same Girl," on Later ... with Jools Holland, and talks with Holland about the new album starting at 11:50 PM. Also on this week's episodes are Brian Wilson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Arctic Monkeys, and more. Newman posed with Wilson and famed composer/arranger Van Dyke Parks on the Later set in the picture at left.

Randy Newman appeared on the BBC World Service arts program The Strand last night. He spoke with presenter Mark Coles about his new album and performed excerpts from some of his songs. The BBC describes Newman as "one of America's best known, most successful singer songwriters ... [k]nown as a writer of witty acerbic zeitgeist-capturing songs." You can listen to the program at bbc.co.uk.

Newman is also the guest on BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris Sunday, which airs starting at midnight Saturday night. He speaks with Harris and performs the first of four session tracks, recorded especially for the show. The second part will air in next week’s show.

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Randy Newman will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this Monday, May 16. The show is giving Newman's fans a chance to be front and center at his Late Night performance in New York City. Head to fallonbandbench.com and enter for a chance to win seats on the show's "band benches" surrounding the stage during Randy’s performance. Enter the code RAN in your entry form.

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To pick up a copy of Songbook Vol. 2, head to the Nonesuch Store, where orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the complete album at checkout.