journal.nonesuch.com

Two New Albums from Brad Mehldau

Two new records featuring Brad Mehldau's compositions are available today: House on Hill, the final recording from his long-time trio with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossi (Jeff Ballard is the group's current drummer) and Love Sublime, which comprises songs Mehldau wrote specifically for world-renowned operatic soprano Renee Fleming, as part of a Carnegie Hall commission. The New York Times calls House on Hill "a marvel of collective self-assurance, worth hearing not only for Mr. Rossy's weightless time feel but also for Mr. Mehldau's thoughtful compositions," and says Love Sublime is "thoughtful too, sometimes achingly so."

Click here to listen and learn more about the albums.

Packaging and Music

By David Byrne

David Byrne recently posted this article in his own journal and is generously allowing us to publish it here as well.

There are those who mourn the vanishing of the nice big cardboard packages that vinyl came in. The format allowed fairly large images, credits, and photos. The usual assumption is that much of this imagery, like music videos, is a reflection of, and extension of, the music creator’s sensibility. As if the packaging and the videos were usually under the direct control of the author. This is absurd. Though pop artists attempted to wrestle control of the way they were presented from the distributors beginning in the 60s, most LPs design, and music videos as well, are directed and designed under the control of the record companies. Here are some obvious examples:

Recording Gorecki in London, May 1991

Henryk Gorecki's Third Symphony was recorded in one day, fifteen years ago last month. Here is Bob Hurwitz's journal entry from that day.

Nonesuch Journal, May 9, 1991

I am always careful about looking both ways when crossing the road in London, but today I am within a hair of walking into a speeding cab when David Drew pulls me back at the last instant. We are far outside central London, at CTS Studios, near Wembley, and they don’t have the large painted warnings in the road instructing you to look right or left like they do in the middle of town. David, renowned biographer of Kurt Weill, is our close friend from Boosey and Hawkes, a confidant of Henryk Gorecki, and earlier today we recorded Gorecki’s Third Symphony with Dawn Upshaw singing and David Zinman conducting; the orchestra was an expanded version of the London Sinfonietta. We were to go to Orso's for dinner, and were trying to figure out how to get into the city. David Drew said, “I have great faith in the London transport system.” We all thought it was the right way to go, and I rushed out into the street, only to be pulled back to safety.

"The Light in the Piazza" on PBS

Adam Guettel's six-time Tony Award-winning show "The Light in the Piazza" will broadcast live on PBS's "Live from Lincoln Center" tomorrow night, Thursday June 15. Visit pbs.org for more info & local broadcast times.

Nonesuch released the show's cast album in 2005. Listen to original tracks, as well as Adam performing demo versions of songs, and watch a video interview about the album.

Young Rapture Choir in France

By Laura Veirs

About a year and a half ago during a tour through France, a man named Patrice introduced himself after a show. He told me he was teaching some of my songs to his middle school music class. "Wow, I'd love to hear a recording," I told him. A few months later, back in Seattle, I received a package with their renditions of "Rapture" and "The Cloud Room". Forty-five pure, young, French-accented voices piped through my speakers, and I sat there dumbstruck. Accompanied by cello on the first song and a rock band on the second, this mysterious children's choir gave me the surprising gift of hearing my songs in a whole new light. I wrote them a letter thanking them for the honor, and they replied with a plan to do a full concert of my songs the following Spring.

Sweeney Todd on TV and Online

** UPDATE: Sweeney Todd won two Tony Awards: Best Direction: John Doyle and and Best Orchestrations: Sarah Travis

Nonesuch released the Broadway cast album of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd earlier this year. The show has been nominated for six Tony Awards -- Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Michael Cerveris, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Patti LuPone; Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Manoel Felciano; Best Direction of a Musical: John Doyle; Best Orchestrations: Sarah Travis.

Tune into CBS's Early Show on June 10 to hear Manoel Feliciano perform "Not While I'm Around". Learn more about Manoel and the show by watching him give a backstage tour and reading his Tony blog.

The entire cast will perform during the Tony broadcast on CBS Sunday, June 11 at 8pm.

The Myth of Discovery

By Robert Hurwitz

Is it possible for a great talent to go unnoticed in music?

DOWNLOAD & REMIX: Brian Eno + David Byrne

Brian Eno + David Byrne's "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" came out in 1981. It has now been re-issued in a new package, with extensive liner notes and photos, featuring 7 previously unreleased tracks from the original album and a film by influential artist Bruce Conner.

In keeping with the spirit of the original album, Brian and David are offering for download all the multitracks on two of the songs. In line with Creative Commons licenses, you are free to edit, remix, sample and mutilate these tracks however you like. Add them to your own song or create a new one. Visitors are welcome to post their mixes on the site for others to hear and rate.

www.bush-of-ghosts.com