Bill Murray Is Releasing a Classical Music Album This Summer
“New Worlds” will feature the comedy legend singing and reading literary works over chamber accompaniment
April 20, 2017
Bill Murray has built a career on delightful surprises. From his dramatic turn in “Lost in Translation” to his 2015 Netflix Christmas special to randomly bartending in Brooklyn, Murray loves to keep his fans guessing. Now, that trend continues with his new project “New Worlds,” an album and live show built around classical music.
The New York Times reports on the former Stern Show guest’s unusual venture, in which he sings and performs literary readings over chamber music, led by cellist Jan Vogler. The project reportedly includes Murray singing songs from “West Side Story,” Stephen Foster’s “Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair,” and the work of Gershwin, while performing readings of Hemingway, Mark Twain, and Walt Whitman, among others. The accompaniment will include music by Schubert, Bach, and Piazzolla. While the move may seem strange for Murray, it’s really not a far cry from Nick the Lounge Singer, his crooning “Saturday Night Live” character.
Murray will premiere “New Worlds” at Festival Napa Valley on July 20, followed by a North American tour and album release in August.
Read more about “New Worlds” here and check out Murray’s 2014 appearance on the Stern Show here.
