Rufus Wainwright to Make Special Appearance with Jane Birkin at Carnegie Hall

A special limited edition version of actress, singer, songwriter and fashion icon Jane Birkin's orchestral album tribute to late husband Serge Gainsbourg, Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le symphonique, is set for release November 10. In addition to the critically acclaimed studio album, the deluxe package contains a second disc with a live Japanese concert recording, as well as a DVD of a brand new film created and narrated by Birkin herself, Mes images privées de Serge [My Private Images of Serge], composed of never-before-seen film footage of the couple and their time together. This very limited deluxe edition may be purchased HERE.

In celebration of Barnes & Noble's Vinyl Weekend, Birkin will appear at a special LP signing event at the Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan at 2pm on November 18.

On February 1, Birkin performs at Carnegie Hall with the critically lauded Wordless Music Orchestra-featuring a special appearance by Rufus Wainwright-marking her first U.S. performance since 2011 as part of an extensive international tour that sees her playing to full houses in Montreal, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and London, among many other cities. Tickets are available at Carnegiehall.org, by phone at 212.247.7800 and in person at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, located at 881 Seventh Avenue in New York City.

The standard version of the LP, Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le symphonique, is out now to wide critical acclaim and may be streamed, shared and purchased HERE. Arranged by Emmy Award-winner Nobuyuki Nakajima with artistic direction by Philippe Lerichomme, the album features symphonic versions of classic Gainsbourg songs ranging from the beginnings of his career in the 1950s to those written especially for Birkin, such as "Jane B" and "Baby Alone in Babylone," penned after the legendary couple's separation.

As Gainsbourg's companion of 12 years (during which daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg was born), Birkin occupies a unique position as an interpreter of his music. "It is a privilege that one of the greatest French writers wrote for me from the age of 20 to 45," Birkin says. "In a way it never stopped. It's a strange situation. What can I do for him now, even though it's too late! At least I can wear him, take him with me. Say his words!" Having sung his songs on stages around the world for more than 30 years, Birkin came to the realization that Gainsbourg had been so inspired by and used classical music so often within his music that a symphonic project would mark a truly logical extension of his body of work.

A live collaboration with Nakajima in Japan surrounding a benefit for the victims of the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster led to a deep admiration for his arrangements of Gainsbourg's music and solidified the concept. "Nobu writes beautiful arrangements, so delicate, so moving," she notes. "He has understood Serge's charm, which can be funny as well as dramatic, can make you laugh out loud or cry when your soul is touched."

Gainsbourg was a prolific singer/songwriter, novelist, actor and filmmaker known for his provocative words and outrageous behavior. His musical genius-covering classical, chanson, jazz, rock, reggae and more-is still felt in France and around the world more than 25 years after his death in 1991. An inspiration for musicians across the world, his songs have been sampled by artists ranging from De La Soul to Massive Attack and his work cited as influences by Beck, Yo La Tengo and Tame Impala, to name just a few. So important is his impact on the cultural life of his home country that François Mitterrand, the French president at the time of Gainsbourg's death, described him as "our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire...he elevated song to the level of art."

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