Van Morrison will release ‘New Arrangements and Duets’ in September
Van Morrison has announced the release of his latest album, ‘New Arrangements and Duets’, scheduled to drop on 27th September. The album launch is accompanied by the release of its first single, ‘Choppin’ Wood’.
‘New Arrangements and Duets’ features a selection of unreleased material that Morrison has decided to share with his fans rather than leaving it stored away. This album is a small part of the extensive archive he plans to release in the future.
The big band tracks on the album were recorded in 2014, with Paul Moran and Chris White handpicking the songs for their big band arrangements. The duets, recorded between 2018 and 2019, feature an impressive lineup of vocalists including Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Joss Stone, and Willie Nelson. Notably, the Willie Nelson duets – ‘What’s Wrong With This Picture’ and ‘Steal My Heart Away’ – also highlight the guitar skills of Lukas Nelson from Promise Of The Real.
The first single, ‘Choppin’ Wood’, offers a preview of the album’s sound, featuring Van Morrison’s distinctive vocals leading a vibrant big band performance. The song is a tribute to Morrison’s late father, with lyrics referencing Belfast, the Harland & Wolff shipyard, and his father’s love for jazz legends like Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton. The original version of this song appeared on Morrison’s 2002 album ‘Down The Road’.
‘New Arrangements and Duets’ is available for pre-order now and will be released in various formats, including black double-vinyl, orange double-vinyl, CD, and digital.
Following a recent sold-out performance at the Royal Albert Hall, which earned a four-star review from The Independent, Van Morrison has several upcoming shows. Limited tickets are available for the following dates:
JULY
4th – Dublin, Iveagh Gardens
7th – Gloucestershire, Westonbirt Arboretum Forest
11th – Belfast, Stormont Hotel
OCTOBER
19th – Los Angeles, Orpheus Theatre
The track list for ‘New Arrangements and Duets’ includes:
‘Ain’t Gonna Moan No More’ – with Kurt Elling
‘Broken Record’ – with Kurt Elling
‘Avalon of the Heart’
‘Close Enough for Jazz’ – with Curtis Stigers
‘I’ll Be Your Lover Too’
‘Only a Dream’
‘So Quiet in Here’
‘Someone Like You’ – with Joss Stone
‘The Beauty of the Days Gone By’
‘The Master’s Eyes’
‘So Complicated’
‘Choppin’ Wood’
‘You Gotta Make It Through the World’
‘What’s Wrong With This Picture’ – with Willie Nelson
‘Steal My Heart Away’ – with Willie Nelson
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