The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers is the seventh album from the Grammy-winning band—and its first comprising all instrumental tunes, as well as its first with fiddle player Brittany Haas, who joined the quintet in 2023. The album features eight new original compositions by Punch Brothers plus three traditional songs they arranged. The album’s title is more than a play on words: without lyrics to guide the listener, these are stories, impressions, and emotions communicated entirely with strings through melody, harmony, rhythm, and a literary sense of musical structure. The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers is produced by the band and engineered by Joseph Lorge.
Pianist and composer Vijay Iyer—whose album with Henry Threadgill and Dafnis Prieto, Fifteen, is due August 21 on Nonesuch—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. He chose recordings by Ramnad Krishnan, Laurie Anderson, Julius Hemphill, Kronos Quartet, and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and from the Nonesuch Explorer Series.
Composer Donnacha Dennehy has released an excerpt from his Violin Concerto’s second movement, performed by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, conductor Ryan McAdams, and violinist Stephen Waarts, from the upcoming album Limina, and a video for it made during the album’s recording at National Concert Hall in Dublin. The new album, due August 28, also includes the orchestra and McAdams performing Dennehy’s piano concerto Limina with pianist Eliza McCarthy.
Cécile McLorin Salvant, who was named Female Vocalist of the Year in DownBeat’s Critics Poll, has released the video for her performance of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” from her new album, With Every Breath I Take. The video was made by and stars drag artist X. The album, Salvant’s first with orchestra, features The Netherlands’ Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley performing timeless songs newly arranged by Darcy James Argue.
Qobuz is having a sale of 20% off its selection of over 200 Nonesuch Records titles through August 10.
Punch Brothers and Yasmin Williams are at Newport Folk Festival. The band is also at RockyGrass in Colorado, as is Rhiannon Giddens. Laurie Anderson is in the Hamptons. Timo Andres is performed in the Bay Area. Emmylou Harris is outside Detroit and Chicago with Graham Nash. Brad Mehldau is in Berlin. Cécile McLorin Salvant is in San Sebastian. Molly Tuttle tours Montana.
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