Al Green - new ?uestlove-produced album, 2008 Tour Dates

Al Green and ?uestlove

The title of Al Green’s Lay It Down (due May 27) truly tells it like it is. Conceived as a collaboration between the soul legend and a handful of gifted young admirers from the worlds of contemporary R&B and hip hop, the album is drawn from a series of inspired sessions that yielded the most high-spirited, funky and often lushly romantic songs of Green’s latter-day career. The album is a refreshingly old school jam, with everyone laying down the music together, face to face, heart to heart, soul to soul.

Al admits, “That’s the only way I know how to work, that’s what I’ve done all my life. You just write it from here.” He taps his heart. “That’s what we do every Sunday. We never write a sermon now. If you can’t preach out of here”–tapping his chest again–“you have nothing to say anyway. It’s all from the heart, this whole album, from start to finish.”

The project features the sophisticated R&B voices of singer-songwriters John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae, and it was co-produced with Green by two of hip-hop’s most innovative players, drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson from the Roots and keyboardist James Poyser, the go-to guy for high-profile artists ranging from Erykah Badu to Common. Add in Brooklyn’s celebrated Dap-King Horns (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse), guitarist Chalmers “Spanky” Alford (Mighty Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone) and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff), among others, and you’ve got a modern soul-music dream team, fronted by the most expressive voice in the business.

Photo: Al Green and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson
Photo credit: Ginny Suss

Al Green – 2008 Tour Dates
04/03 – Philadelphia, MS – Silver Star Resort And Casino
04/05 – Tampa, FL – Ford Amphitheatre
04/27 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05/23 – Sonoma, CA – Field of Dreams Park
05/24 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Hotel Casino Expo Pavillion
05/25 – Aptos, CA – Aptos Village Park
06/19 – Toronto, ON, CAN – Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
06/20 – Rochester, NY – Eastman Theatre
06/27 – New York, NY – Carnegie Hall
06/28 – Montreal, QC, CAN – Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Place Des Arts
06/29 – Leyard, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino
07/04 – Bossier City, FL – Horseshoe Casino Riverdome
07/05 – Tunica, MS – Grand Casino And Hotel
07/11 – Sterling Heights, MI – Freedom Hill
07/12 – Chicago, IL – Charter One Pavillion
07/15 – Vienna, VA – Filene Center
07/16 – Atlanta, GA – Chastain Park Amphitheater
07/18 – Niagra Falls, NY – Seneca Niagara Casino
08/31 – Denver, CO – Denver Botanic Gardens
09/01 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Center For The Arts
09/03 – Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre At University of UT
09/05 – Tacoma, WA – Emerald Queen Casino
09/06 – Coquitlam, BC, CAN – Red Robinson Theatre
09/07 – Richmond, BC, CAN – River Rock Casino Resort
09/13 – Primm, NV – Star Of The Desert Arena
09/17 – Fresno, CA – Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
09/19 – Concord, CA – Sleep Train Pavillion
09/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
09/21 – Valley Center, CA – Harrah’s Rincon Open Sky Theater