Leonard Cohen Tribute Album to Feature Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, & More

The post Leonard Cohen Tribute Album to Feature Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, & More appeared first on Consequence.

Blue Note Records has announced a new covers album titled Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen. Out October 14th, it features a star-studded lineup of vocalists including Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop, and Mavis Staples.

Among the other heavy hitters on the LP are Norah Jones, Nathaniel Rateliff, and James Taylor, the latter of whom recorded a version of “Coming Back to You” that serves as the lead single. Meanwhile, Sarah McLachlan takes on “Hallelujah.”

Here It Is was produced by Cohen’s longtime friend Larry Klein, who assembled a core band of jazz-based musicians including guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Nate Smith.

“Leonard Cohen had been a friend since 1982 or so, and in the last 15 years of his life, he became a close friend,” said Klein in a press release. “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 — in a certain way, Leonard is the best pop songwriter ever — but the other reason was that it helped keep him in the air around me.”

Pre-orders for Here It Is are ongoing. Check out the artwork and tracklist below.

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In a statement, Taylor explained how recording “Coming Back to You” proved to be a challenge. “Larry opted to cut the song in Cohen’s original key, which was certainly at the bottom of my own range,” he recalled. “But somehow moving me out of my comfort zone helped me find my own approach to the song. Like so much of Leonard Cohen’s writing, this lyric resonates deeply with his forlorn and hopeless take on the bleak landscape of love and attachment. So, breathe a deep sigh and, drink up.”

Stream James Taylor’s version of “Coming Back to You” below.

Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen Artwork:

Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen Tracklist:
01. Norah Jones – “Steer Your Way”
02. Peter Gabriel – “Here It Is”
03. Gregory Porter – “Suzanne”
04. Sarah McLachlan – “Hallelujah”
05. Immanuel Wilkins – “Avalanche”
06. Luciana Souza – “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye”
07. James Taylor – “Coming Back to You”
08. Iggy Pop – “You Want It Darker”
09. Mavis Staples – “If It Be Your Will”
10. David Gray – “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy”
11. Nathaniel Rateliff – “Famous Blue Raincoat”
12. Bill Frisell – “Bird on the Wire”

Leonard Cohen Tribute Album to Feature Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, & More
Eddie Fu

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