Live in London Nonesuch/BBC****

For Newmanites, the great man’s concerts are events to treasure, so this DVD/CD of a celebrated 2008 performance for the BBC should find a ready audience. This concert – with an empathic orchestra in the intimate surroundings of St Luke’s Church – reveals little we didn’t know already about this US master storyteller, songwriter, pianist and performer. Yet the DVD is notable for the insight provided into how Newman navigates a concert: the rapier wit laced with a spiky world view; an arrogance sweetened by an innate sense of humanity and self-deprecation; an intuitive understanding of pacing and balance. That Randy Newman shows make compelling theatre is not surprising – his music’s true roots lie in the Great American Songbook, albeit a subversive version of it. There are 22 songs here, and if you wonder what the fuss is all about, it’s a reasonable place to start your investigation. See randynewman.com

Download tracks: Louisiana 1927, Marie