Words and Music from Studio-A

Tom Jones is back with a new album called Spirit In The Room, and while hIs voice is unmistakable, his choice of songs might surprise you. The stripped-down sound is a new direction for Tom as well, and things got even more acoustic when he stopped by Studio A. We'll have video soon, but in the meantime, you can take a listen to the performances and my conversation with Tom below.

Sam Beam is the mastermind behind Iron & Wine, and he released his first record back in 2002, called The Creek Drank the Cradle. It was an intimate and mostly acoustic affair, but over the years, Sam has expanded his sound. He's now on his fifth full-length Iron & Wine album, Ghost On Ghost, and it features backing vocals along with string and horn sections.

Sam brought his whole crew to Studio A when he recently stopped by WFUV to talk with me about the new album. See video of the live performances right here, and catch Iron & Wine at The Beacon Theatre tomorrow and The Capitol Theatre this Sunday.

When Irish-born Aoife Clancy (daughter of Bobby Clancy of The Clancy Brothers) met the young Australian singer-songwriter Kath Buckell in Israel, they hit it off, and Aoife told Kath to look her up if she ever moved to the U.S. A couple years later, Kath did just that, and one night they teamed up with Rhode Island singer-songwriter Becky Chace for a concert that had instant chemistry. Soon the Israeli flutist Hadar Noiberg joined them, and The Jammin' Divas became a group, which draws on their diverse backgrounds and exquisite harmonies.

After taking some time off from music to advocate for the rights of women prisoners in California, Thao Nguyen returned to music with a renewed sense of optimism and hope. It's reflected on her latest album, We The Common, and Thao brought The Get Down Stay Down along to perform a few of the new tunes in Studio A.