John Adams, Staves, Black Keys, Timo Andres, Kronos Quartet, Yasmin Williams, Vagabon News and More
New John Adams album * Staves' Nonesuch Selects * Black Keys on 'Sound Opinions' * Timo Andres in 'Gramophone' * Kronos Festival * Yasmin Williams, Vagabon tours * and more
New This Week
John Adams: Girls of the Golden West
This first recording of John Adams' 2017 opera, Girls of the Golden West, is his eighth music theater work to be released by Nonesuch. It tells the story of the California Gold Rush not through familiar time-worn myth, but in the words and deeds of real people. Longtime Adams collaborator Peter Sellars drew from original sources from the era—letters, journals, newspaper articles, and familiar song lyrics—to create the libretto. The composer leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in this recording made in Disney Hall, with the Los Angeles Master Chorale led by Grant Gershon and a cast featuring Davóne Tines, Julia Bullock, Paul Appleby, Hye Jung Lee, Elliot Madore, Daniela Mack, and Ryan McKinny.
News from the Nonesuch Journal
Watch: The Staves Share Nonesuch Selects
The Staves stopped by for the Nonesuch Selects video series, in which artists visit the Nonesuch office, pick some of their favorite albums from the music library, and share a few words on their choices. They chose music by The Gipsy Kings, Emmylou Harris, Joachim Cooder, Steve Reich, and Nickel Creek.
Listen: The Black Keys on Sound Opinions
The Black Keys are on Sound Opinions to talk about their new album, Ohio Players, with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, who call them "one of the greatest rock acts to emerge in the 21st century." The hosts also review Hurray for the Riff Raff's new album, The Past Is Still Alive, calling it "one great tune after another."
John Adams' El Niño Gets Met Premiere
"It was almost as inspiring to see as it was to hear John Adams' marvelous work on the Met's stage," says the New York Times, reviewing the Met premiere of his opera-oratorio El Niño, with Julia Bullock and Davóne Tines in their Met debuts. Performances continue through May 17. The premiere recording of El Niño was released on Nonesuch in 2001, with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Dawn Upshaw, and Willard White.
Timo Andres's The Blind Banister in Gramophone
"Unsurprisingly perhaps, the inquisitive, explorative and dynamic approach one hears in Timo Andres's piano-playing also comes through in his own music," Pwyll ap Siôn writes in the Gramophone review of the album The Blind Banister. "With a wonderfully controlled and poised performance by cellist Inbal Segev in Upstate Obscura, the Metropolis Ensemble under conductor Andrew Cyr in full control throughout, and the irrepressible Andres on top of his game in The Blind Banister and the solo piano piece Colorful History, I cannot recommend this album highly enough."
Kronos Festival Returns to SFJAZZ Center in June
Kronos Quartet's ninth-annual Kronos Festival will take place at SFJAZZ Center June 20–23. The festival marks the ensemble's 50th Anniversary year and the farewell performances of John Sherba and Hank Dutt, members of Kronos for more than 45 years. It will feature a slate of world and Bay Area premieres; several guest artists; and the final performance of A Thousand Thoughts, a live documentary chronicling the quartet's career.
Yasmin Williams to Tour with Brittany Howard, Michael Kiwanuka
Composer/guitarist Yasmin Williams—whose first song on Nonesuch, "Dawning," was released late last year—will support Brittany Howard and Michael Kiwanuka on tour in September and October, with shows in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Saint Paul, Denver, Boise, Portland, Vancouver, Seattle, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and more.
Vagabon to Tour with Crumb in October
Vagabon will support the band Crumb on their US tour this October. The shows begin in California—Santa Cruz, Oakland, and Sacramento—then head to Salt Lake City and Denver and on to Texas—Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso—and Albuquerque and back to California to close out the tour in Santa Ana, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
Nonesuch Events for the Weekend
John Adams' El Niño continues at the Met with Julia Bullock and Davóne Tines. Sam Amidon and Nico Muhly are in London. Joachim Cooder tours Ireland. Rhiannon Giddens tours Arizona. Hurray for the Riff Raff performs at New Orleans Jazz Fest, as do Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, who also play in Alabama and Memphis. Nathalie Joachim joins Silkroad Ensemble at Oberlin. Kronos Quartet is at UCSB and UCLA. The Magnetic Fields play 69 Love Songs in San Francisco. Mandy Patinkin is in Charlottesville, VA. Cécile McLorin Salvant tours France. Sarah Kirkland Snider's Mass for the Endangered is performed in Austin.
Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi at 15
It was 15 years ago this week: Allen Toussaint's Nonesuch debut album, The Bright Mississippi, was released. Toussaint explores the work of his New Orleans forebears on a soulful, live-in-the-studio jazz set, produced by Joe Henry, performing with Don Byron, Nicholas Payton, Marc Ribot, David Piltch, Jay Bellerose, and special guests Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman. "Exquisite," exclaimed the Washington Post.