12 September 2022
Newsdesk
Norah Jones covers Leonard Cohen with a striking new version of “Steer Your Way,” a song that appeared on the legendary songwriter’s final album You Want It Darker. “I loved singing this song because it’s a newer one but has all the best qualities of some of his older classic songs,” says Jones. It’s the latest single from Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen, a remarkable album produced by Larry Klein that features an extraordinary line-up of vocalists interpreting Cohen’s profound songs. Previously released singles include “Coming Back To You” by James Taylor and “Famous Blue Raincoat” by singer Nathaniel Rateliff.
Here It Is also includes contributions from Peter Gabriel, Gregory Porter, Sarah McLachlan, Luciana Souza, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, and David Gray. The vocalists are accompanied by an exceptional band featuring saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, guitarist Bill Frisell, pedal steel guitarist Greg Liesz, pianist Kevin Hays, organist Larry Goldings, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Nate Smith. The album comes out Oct. 14 and can be pre-ordered now on D2C exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, or digital download.
“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.”
So Klein decided to assemble an album’s worth of Cohen songs, matching vocalists from different genres with an exceptional core band of jazz-based musicians—or, as he puts it, “a group of the most prescient and forward-looking musicians in the jazz world.”
