DG BOOSTS CROSSOVER CREDENTIALS.

Deutsche Grammophon's classical crossover credentials are about to be strengthened with the March 19 release of Anne Sofie von Otter Meets Elvis Costello, an album of jazz and pop ballads produced, arranged or newly-written for the Swedish mezzo-soprano by the musically adventurous rock star.

"Anne Sofie actually asked if l would consider producing a record," says Costello. "I think she may even have used that dreadful word `crossover', but I don't think of it like that. Once we started to talk about it, I told her that I really believed she could do something different from what had been achieved before with a classically-trained singer performing popular repertoire."

Costello's choice of covers ranges widely, from virtual standards such as the Beatles' For No One and the Beach Boys' You Still Believe In Me, to less familiar tunes such as Tom Waits's Broken Bicycles, Paul McCartney's Junk, and Ron Sexsmith's April After All. The final ...