Lianne La Havas is the guest on today's episode of WNYC's Soundcheck. She recently stopped by the WNYC studios to perform live solo takes on three songs off her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?—"Age," "Forget," and "No Room for Doubt"—and talk with Soundcheck host John Schaefer about the album, her musical influences, and the inspiration behind the songs. Tune in to 93.9 FM WNYC tonight or listen to the complete episode here.

Jessica Lea Mayfield will tour in the US this November and December in support of her highly acclaimed Nonesuch Records debut album, Tell Me, playing with her brother David Mayfield on their Sibling Rivalry Tour. Growing up in Kent, Ohio, the Mayfields were surrounded by bluegrass and folk music; both David and Jessica first performed with their family band One Way Rider, traveling across the country in a 1956 tour bus once belonging to Bill Monroe, Kitty Wells, and Ernest Tubb.

Dr. John, who spent the spring and summer on tour following the release of his acclaimed new album, Locked Down, is set to hit the road again this fall, this time with a four-piece band and The Blind Boys of Alabama for the Spirituals to Funk tour. Based on the legendary Carnegie Hall Spirituals to Swing concerts of the 1930s, Spirituals to Funk features an integrated show that explores the connections between jazz, blues, and gospel, all under Dr. John's musical direction. The tour will visit 30 cities and towns in 14 states across the US, from October 10 to November 18.

Timothy Andres, Sara Watkins perform at the "magnificently enlightening" (Los Angeles Times) Carlsbad Music Festival ... Laurie Anderson alights in Austin and Albuquerque ... Billy Bragg joins Woody Guthrie Brooklyn birthday bash ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play from Raleigh to MASS MoCA ... Fatoumata Diawara is a "must-see" (Sun-Times) at Chicago's World Music Festival ... Einstein on the Beach concludes run at BAM ... Kronos Quartet performs Steve Reich in Düsseldorf ... k.d. lang plays three-night run in Toronto ...Pat Metheny concludes Yoshi's residency, plays Monterey Jazz Fest ... Chris Thile, Michael Daves headline Brooklyn Bluegrass Bash ... and more ...

Fatoumata Diawara kicks off her US tour, featuring music from her debut album, Fatou, at the Cityfolk Festival in Dayton, Ohio, tonight, followed by stops in Bloomington, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington, DC, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. Her new album is "a joyous mix of vibrant songs about love, politics and empowerment," says the Chicago Sun-Times. "Fatou is a rare gift of a record for fans of African pop, female vocalists and generally outstanding music," raves PopMatters. "Prepare to be smitten." Diawara has just been nominated for a MOBO Award for Best African Act.

The Brad Mehldau Trio’s new album, Where Do You Start, a companion disc to this spring’s critically acclaimed Ode, is out now. The new album, featuring interpretations of ten tunes by other composers plus one Mehldau original, earns four stars from the Guardian, Independent on Sunday, Times of London, and Daily Telegraph, and five stars from the Financial Times, which says the Trio gives "an adventurous sheen to modern jazz." NPR's Fresh Air says: "The pianist builds his improvisation like a master storyteller." The BBC finds Mehldau "entering a new prime phase in his career."

Randy Newman’s new song, “I’m Dreaming,” is available as a free download here, where you can also watch the accompanying video. With lyrics from the viewpoint of a voter who casts his ballot solely based on skin color, the song draws attention to something Newman has noticed and written about for 40 years: racism in America. (The complete lyrics are here as well.) While the song, which Newman performs solo at the piano, is free, anyone wishing to contribute is encouraged to donate to the United Negro College Fund.

Punch Brothers have announced a 2013 New Year's Eve Three-Night Extravaganza to take place at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC, December 29–31. In addition to single show tickets, there are three-night passes available, which include a limited-edition silkscreen poster. A limited pre-sale is underway now. The shows will come at the end of a three-month international tour that includes stops at venues across North America, Europe, and the UK; a New Yorker Festival event; ACL Festival set; and much more.

Lianne La Havas—who has just been nominated for the Best Newcomer Award at this year's MOBO Awards—made her US television debut with a performance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last night on CBS. She performed the song "Age," off her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?. Watch it here. La Havas is back home in the UK to tour and will return to the US at the end of October for a tour supporting John Legend.

Jonny Greenwood, whose soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film The Master is out now, spoke with NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, about being both the guitarist for Radiohead and a highly respected composer. Says New York magazine of The Master: "While Anderson paints with light, composer Jonny Greenwood is painting with sound." The score "is positively marvelous," says MTV. It just may be the best score you'll hear all year ... as mercurial and multilayered as The Master itself."

Lianne La Havas—whose highly praised debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, was recently named to the UK’s esteemed Mercury Prize Short List—celebrates the album's recent US release with a performance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight. Tune in to CBS tonight at 12:35 AM ET to see La Havas make her US television debut with a performance of "Age," off the new album.

Kronos Quartet closes out Kraków's Sacrum Profanum festival with a celebration of Polish composers and a double bill with Sigur Rós ... Laurie Anderson brings Dirtday! from Uppsala to Portland ... Billy Bragg celebrates Woody Guthrie in the UK ... Carolina Chocolate Drops tour the Northeast ... Rhys Chatham gives A Crimson Grail its UK debut ... Shawn Colvin is in Texas ... Einstein on the Beach opens at BAM ... Adam Guettel performs in London ... k.d. lang plays the Pantages in Winnipeg ... Pat Metheny's Unity Band is in residence in Seattle ... Joshua Redman tours Ireland ... Chris Thile solos in NYC ... Sara Watkins presents the Watkins Family Hour in LA ... and more ...