Paul Simon Announces Live Album The Quiet Celebration Concert

Paul Simon has announced the upcoming release of a new live album, The Quiet Celebration Concert, arriving on CD and vinyl on October 9. The recording captures performances from McCaw Hall in Seattle toward the end of the first U.S. leg of his A Quiet Celebration Tour.

The tour has featured material from Simon’s catalog alongside Seven Psalms, his continuous 33-minute piece released in 2023. The new live album serves as a companion piece to the Quiet Celebration Concert film, which debuted on Hulu and Disney Plus.

Reflecting on Live Performance

Reflecting on returning to the stage amid his battle with hearing loss, Simon noted that the experience allowed him to reconnect with fellow musicians. “It’s enabled me to play with musicians again. I really missed it,” Simon shared. “Everybody has enjoyed the experience so much, there’s been a feeling of camaraderie and elation that we were playing this piece of music that we were really interested in, and that had a significant effect on me. It made for one of the most extraordinary tours I’ve done – maybe the most joyous.”

Simon’s touring ensemble featured Mark Stewart, Steve Gadd, Bakithi Kumalo, Andy Snitzer, Mick Rossi, Jamey Haddad, Gyan Riley, Nancy Stagnitta, Caleb Burhans, and Eugene Friesen.