Journal
- Friday, November 22, 2024
The Way Out of Easy, the first album from guitarist Jeff Parker and his long-running ETA IVtet—saxophonist Josh Johnson, bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Jay Bellerose—since their 2022 debut Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, which Pitchfork named one of the Best Albums of the 2020s So Far, is out now on International Anthem / Nonesuch Records. Like that album, The Way Out of Easy comprises recordings from LA venue ETA, where Parker and the ensemble held a weekly residency for seven years. During that time, the ETA IVtet evolved from a band that played mostly standards into a group known for its transcendent, long-form journeys into innovative, groove-oriented improvised music. All four tracks on The Way Out of Easy come from a single night in 2023, providing an unfiltered view of the ensemble, fully in their element.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News
- Monday, April 5, 2010
Louis Andriessen is set to preside over several concerts he has curated as holder of Carnegie Hall's Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair, starting Friday. The New York Times recognizes Andriessen's "gift for embracing conflicting values, musical and otherwise, and making it seem as if they fit together naturally." Among the participants in these events are John Adams, Dawn Upshaw, Iva Bittová, Alan Pierson, and Nonesuch President Robert Hurwitz.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist NewsMonday, April 5, 2010Wilco's current tour, An Evening with Wilco, may be fully sold-out, but that doesn't mean you'll have to go without. Tune in to the band site for live webcasts of Tuesday's show from Boston and Wednesday's show from Concord, New Hampshire. Relix described the tour opener as "a spirited rock-and-roll blowout." You can also enjoy Wilco live via the forthcoming vinyl release of Kicking Television: Live in Chicago.
Monday, April 5, 2010Tony Allen—best known for his work as drummer and musical director for Fela Kuti—makes his World Circuit / Nonesuch debut with next week's North American release of Secret Agent, on April 13. Now comes confirmation of Allen's North American tour this summer, with stops in Toronto, Madison, Chicago, Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Seattle, and Northern California.
Journal Topics: Album Release, On TourFriday, April 2, 2010After a pre-sale brought fans of The Black Keys early access to tickets for the band's summer tour and their forthcoming album, Brothers, tickets are now available direct from the venues, and the album is available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. Fans who got in on early tickets were able to download "Tighten Up," the first single off of Brothers. Now everyone can catch the video for the song and its undeniably charismatic star.
Journal Topics: VideoFriday, April 2, 2010Wilco tour heads up the East Coast as Blogotheque posts its "Take-Away Show" ... Carolina Chocolate Drops stop off at The Showroom in Spartanburg, South Carolina ... Bill Frisell makes Savannah Music Festival debut on double bill with ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate ... Phillip Glass plays the Pacific Northwest ... The Low Anthem has shows in Salt Lake City, Boulder, and Omaha ... Brad Mehldau Trio sets up for a weekend at Yoshi's ... and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Weekend EventsFriday, April 2, 2010The Brad Mehldau Trio began a four-night residency at Yoshi's in Oakland last night. Mehldau recently returned to the US after an extensive European tour and kicked things off with a solo show at Largo in LA. The Los Angeles Times says any solo set from Mehldau "promises to be an adventurous treat" and finds the pianist to be "at the peak of his powers," calling his latest album, Highway Rider, "one of the most striking jazz releases of the year."
Friday, April 2, 2010Ali and Toumani, the second and final collaboration between the late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré and kora master Toumani Diabaté, was released earlier this year to critical acclaim and has now made its way to the top of the World Music Charts in Europe. The Mail & Guardian calls it "a masterpiece." The New Zealand Herald gives it five stars, calling it "stunning" as does Jambase. Sonic Boomers finds it to be "an achievement of brilliance."
Journal Topics: Artist News, ReviewsThursday, April 1, 2010David Byrne's Here Lies Love—a collaboration with Fatboy Slim and nearly two dozen vocalists—is out now. Earlier this year, Byrne spoke with CNN about his craft while at the TED Conference, in a just-published video. The Daily Telegraph gives Here Lies Love four stars, calling it "inspired ... a headily atmospheric and inspired combination of humid, late-Seventies, early-Eighties Latin-tilted beats and lyrics you actually want to think about."
Thursday, April 1, 2010The Carolina Chocolate Drops have been on a roll on their current tour of the US, playing sold-out sets along the way, including one tonight at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. Tune in to North Carolina Public Radio's The State of Things live at 12 PM ET to hear a chat with the band. The Raleigh News & Observer says "the best thing the Chocolate Drops have going for them is freshness, an ability to make old music sound and feel relevant."
Wednesday, March 31, 2010Here Lies Love, David Byrne's song-cycle collaboration with Fatboy Slim on the life of Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos, is due out next week, on Tuesday, April 6. One week later, on Tuesday, April 13, Byrne will appear at the MoMA Design and Book Store at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City to sign copies of the album purchased there.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist NewsWednesday, March 31, 2010The Low Anthem concludes the West Coast leg of its tour at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe tonight, before heading inland for shows from Salt Lake City to Chicago before it's back East. The band walked Paste through the recording space for its next record and spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about it, after playing a number of new tunes for KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in LA.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist NewsTuesday, March 30, 2010David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's upcoming collaboration, Here Lies Love, will be released in the US on April 6. In the meantime, you can stream the album in its entirety at NPR Music's First Listen at npr.org
Journal Topics: Radio