Grammy Winner and Alberta Native Pays Homage to Canadian Songwriters on Latest Album

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2005, at 8 PM

Media support provided by Oldies 540/1260

Incomparable performer k.d. lang interprets the Canadian songbook for a one-night-only performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday, January 7, at 8 p.m. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association presents the multi-Grammy winner as part of its new Songbook Series. lang is on a worldwide tour along with her band, Teddy Borowiecki (piano), Greg Leisz (guitar), David Piltch (bass), and Danny Frankel (drums).

lang's performance features a diverse catalogue of songs spanning her 20-year career, and focuses on tunes from her latest album Hymns of the 49th Parallel. Her latest endeavor, released this past summer on Nonesuch Records, is a tribute to fellow Canadian songwriters including Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Jane Siberry, Ron Sexsmith, and Bruce Cockburn. These "hymns" are songs by artists who had an inspiring and profound impact on lang.

The three-concert Songbook series, presented by the L.A. Philharmonic Association to celebrate the art of song, concludes with Peter Cincotti (March 4, 2005) performing The New American Standard, with classics from the 1940s and '50s plus contemporary pop songs infused with a jazz twist.

The ultimate pleasure in witnessing musical icon k.d. lang perform on stage - besides basking in the beauty of her astonishing, incomparable voice - is the deep connection she shares with her audience. Their mutual admiration and affection is undeniable, and it has arguably been the fuel propelling lang from one remarkable recording to the next.

"You have to respect your audience," lang asserts. "Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself. That's not particularly appealing to an artist who craves the communal experience of sharing new ideas and sounds. The ideal scenario is to have an audience; to build and nurture a bond with them." The bond k.d. shares with her fans has deepened over time and extended through such now-classic recordings as Shadowland (1988), Absolute Torch & Twang (1989), Ingenue (1992), and Live By Request (2001) which have garnered a mountain of awards, including multiple GRAMMYs. Her most recent recording of duets with Tony Bennett, entitled A Wonderful World (and Grammy-nominated as Best Pop Collaboration), prompted lang to state, "I can't even begin to say how much it means to me. He's an amazing, gracious man. I keep wondering to myself, where does one go from here?" With Hymns of the 49th Parallel, lang has gone on to conquer yet another creative mountain, adding one more element to a brilliant career filled with achievements.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2005 AT 8 PM

Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

k.d. lang

Hymns of the 49th Parallel

Media support provided by Oldies 540/1260

Tickets ($26 - $84) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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