One of our time’s most influential and prolific songwriters, Leonard Cohen, is being honored with new tribute album, Here It Is. The album, which Larry Klein is producing, will feature an impressive lineup of vocalists from a variety of genres, including Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Gregory Porter, Sarah McLachlan, Luciana Souza, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, David Gray, and Nathaniel Rateliff.
One of the stand-out tracks on the album is Jones’ cover of “Steer Your Way.” Speaking about the song, Jones said, “I loved singing this song because it’s a newer one but has all the best qualities of some of his older classic songs.” Jones’ haunting and beautiful rendition of the track is just a taste of what’s in store for listeners on the upcoming album, and you can check it out below.
“Steer Your Way” is an outstanding ode to Cohen. Norah Jones’ voice is stunning as it floats over the delicate piano work, the soothing bass line, and the subtle drumming. The visualizer for her rendition of the track is also beautiful and a perfect complement to this fascinating song. Acrylic painting animations of landscapes, silhouettes, slithering snakes, and open-ended highways all flow together to create an artwork that ties together things that give us a journey that can only be felt in the words and sound of a track like “Steer Your Way”.
When asked about his motivation for putting the album together, Klein said:
“Leonard Cohen had been a friend since 1982 or so, and in the last 15 years of his life, he became a close friend,” says Klein. “He was possibly the wisest and funniest friend that I had, and someone that I enjoyed, immensely, in every way. After he passed away, I found myself frequently covering his songs with other artists that I was working with. One reason, of course, is that the songs are so good, but the other reason was that it helped keep him in the air around me.”
Check out “Steer Your Way” below. You can also pre-order the 12-track album, which is out October 14th, here.
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
Here It Is Tracklisting:
1. Steer Your Way – Norah Jones
2. Here It Is – Peter Gabriel
3. Suzanne – Gregory Porter
4. Hallelujah – Sarah McLachlan
5. Avalanche – Immanuel Wilkins
6. Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye – Luciana Souza
7. Coming Back to You – James Taylor
8. You Want It Darker – Iggy Pop
9. If It Be Your Will – Mavis Staples
10. Seems So Long Ago, Nancy – David Gray
11. Famous Blue Raincoat – Nathaniel Rateliff
12. Bird on The Wire – Bill Frisell
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