BMGDavid Crosby has unveiled the official release date for Sky Trails, his second new solo album in less than a year, which hits stores on September 29. Following his sparse, acoustic 2016 album Lighthouse, Sky Trails features more electric instrumentation while incorporating influences including jazz, folk and rock.
Speaking with ABC Radio about the sound and themes of new songs, Crosby says, “It’s hard to categorize them into one bag. They’re all over the map.”
The folk-rock legend wrote or co-wrote eight of the 10 tracks on the album, which includes four songs co-written with his son and frequent collaborator James Raymond, as well as tunes he penned with Michael McDonald and with Lighthouse contributor Becca Stevens.
Crosby is particularly fond of the songs he wrote with Raymond. “[They’re] startlingly good,” he says with a laugh. “I know that’s immodest to say, but he’s terrific.”
Besides the original material, Sky Trails includes a cover of his old friend Joni Mitchell‘s 1976 song “Amelia,” about the famous pilot Amelia Earhart.
One of the new songs, the jazz-rock-flavored “Sell Me a Diamond,” recently was posted on SoundCloud.
Crosby was joined on Sky Trails by a core group of musicians that included multi-instrumentalist Raymond, bassist Mai Agan, drummer Steve DiStanislao and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione. The album is available for pre-order now on CD, LP and digitally.
Crosby has announced a fall tour in support of Sky Trails that kicks off October 30 in Chicago and runs through a December 9 concert in Clearwater, Florida. Accompanying David will be the same band who backed him on his spring trek — Raymond on keyboards, guitarist Jeff Pevar, DiStanislao, Agan and singer/keyboardist Michelle Willis, another Lighthouse contributor.
Here’s the Sky Trails track list:
“She’s Got to Be Somewhere”
“Sky Trails”
“Sell Me a Diamond”
“Before Tomorrow Falls on Love”
“Here It’s Almost Sunset”
“Capitol”
“Amelia”
“Somebody Home”
“Curved Air”
“Home Free”
And here are Crosby’s fall tour dates:
10/30 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
11/1 — Des Moines, IA, Hoyt Sherman Place
11/2 — Burnsville, MN, Ames Center
11/4 — Carmel, IN, The Palladium – Center for the Performing Arts
11/5 — Kent, OH, The Kent Stage
11/7 — Munhall, PA, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
11/8 — Ithaca, NY, State Theatre
11/10 — Montreal, QC, Canada, Place des Arts
11/12 — Portland, ME, State Theatre
11/13 — Boston, MA, City Winery
11/15 — Derry, NH, Tupelo Music Hall
11/17 — Albany, NY, The Egg Center for the Performing Arts
11/18 — Rutland, VT, Paramount Theater
11/20 — Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
11/21 — Collingswood, NJ, Scottish Rite Auditorium
11/25 — New York, NY, The Concert Hall at NYSEC
11/26 — Morristown, NJ, Mayo Performing Arts Center
11/28 — Vienna, VA, The Barns at Wolf Trap
11/29 — Vienna, VA, The Barns at Wolf Trap
12/1 — Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
12/2 — Durham, NC, Carolina Theater
12/4 — Nashville, TN, CMA Theatre – Country Music Hall of Fame
12/5 — Atlanta, GA, City Winery Atlanta
12/7 — Fort Lauderdale, FL, Parker Playhouse
12/9 — Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theater
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.