Randy Newman Solo

The Shedd Institute is extremely pleased to welcome back to the Jaqua Concert Hall, singer and composer Randy Newman. Newman's wry and sometimes raw musical commentary has become a big part of the American cultural landscape. Over the course of some forty years, his ten studio albums have offered an incisive and often caustic take on contemporary life, earning five Grammys (13 nominations) in the process for songs like "Short People", "Sail Away", "I Love L.A.", and "Political Science". His knack for story-telling has also made him Hollywood's favorite tunesmith, with 17 Oscar nominations (and 1 win) for such blockbuster family films as Toy Story 1 & 2, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., and Cars. And while everyone from Ray Charles to Joe Cocker has recorded his music, Newman remains his own best interpreter. This rare solo performance will feature songs from Harps and Angels, his first album of new material in nine years, which includes the hit single "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country", originally published as a New York Times op-ed piece and named the #2 song of 2007 by Rolling Stone.