Who does Van Morrison think he is — Neil Young?
Less than three months after his last album, the covers set Roll With The Punches in September, the iconic Irish singer will release another set, Versatile, on December 1. The new outing lives up to its title, mixing six Morrison originals with 10 favorites from George and Ira Gerswhin (“A Foggy Day,” “They Can’t Take That Away From me”), Cole Porter (“I Get A Kick Out Of You”) Tony Bennett (“I Left My Heart In San Francisco”) and more.
The album also features a Morrison arrangement of the traditional “Skye Boat Song” and a collaboration with James Galway on the original “Affirmation.”
Morrison is in the midst of a European tour that runs through December 12, then plays a short U.S. run starting January 31 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.