Reggae royalty Stephen Marley is set to release his fifth solo album titled ‘Old Soul’ following the release of the single the same name. The album is set for September 15, 2023, via Tuff Gong Collective/UMe/Ghetto Youths International.
‘Old Soul’ boasts an impressive array of guest appearances, including legendary artists such as Bob Weir, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley, Buju Banton, Eric Clapton, and multi-platinum artist Slightly Stoopid.
‘Cool As The Breeze‘, is the second single from the album.
Stephen Marley’s last solo album was ‘Revelation Pt. 2 – The Fruit of Life’, released in 2016. Last year Stephen Marley produced an album of Nina Simone covers : ‘Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone’ with covers by Queen Ifrica, Etana, Maya Azucena, Melanie Fiona, Joss Stone, Cedella Marley and Terri Walker via Ghetto Youths International label.
“Irie vibration,” Stephen says of the sounds listeners can expect on the new album. “Old Soul” was recorded during these unplugged jam sessions, the spirit of which will permeate the vibe of his upcoming tour dates and his forthcoming solo album. “You have to be true to yourself,” he says. “I refuse to be put into any category. I am inspired by everything. So, if I feel like I want to play some jazz music, I will play some jazz music. Who dig it, dig it.”
Marley commented on his selections, stating, “You have to be true to yourself. I refuse to be put into any category. I am inspired by everything. So if I feel like I want to play some jazz music, I will go play some jazz music. Who dig it, dig it.”
Ziggy Marley is featured on “There’s A Reward,” a tribute to Joe Higgs, who is one of the persons who introduced Bob Marley to the music industry. Additionally, Stephen’s younger brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is featured on “Cast The First Stone,” a powerful and thought-provoking track set to an ominous groove reminiscent of a lost spaghetti Western soundtrack.
The album also features tracks like “Thanks We Get (Do Fi Dem)” with Buju Banton, and the poignant ballad “Standing In Love” with Slightly Stoopid’s Kyle McDonald, which harks back to reggae’s sweet rocksteady era.
Eric Clapton lends his guitar expertise to an acoustic rendition of Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff.”
Clapton’s cover version of Bob Marley & The Wailers classic reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 49 years ago. The song was included on his 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard. Clapton’s I Shot The Sheriff is soft rock and its the most successful rendition of the song to date.
The album concludes with “Winding Roads,” featuring Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir and surfer/singer/songwriter Jack Johnson. This track was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios with his Wolf Bros band.
To celebrate the album’s release, Stephen Marley will embark on the “Old Soul Tour Unplugged 2023,” which is scheduled to run from September 8 to October 22. The tour will kick off at The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, IN, and will include performances in various cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
This tour will feature special guest reggae singer-songwriter Mike Love as the opener for select shows.
For a complete list of tour dates, refer to the schedule below:
Sat Sep 9 Mundelein, IL – Miracle in Mundelein
Sun Sep 10 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Mon Sep 11 Fargo, ND – Outdoors at Fargo Brewing
Thu Sep 14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Sat Sep 16 Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Sun Sep 17 Victoria, BC – Rifflandia Festival
Tue Sep 19 Bend, OR – Midtown Ballroom
Thu Sep 21 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Fri Sep 22 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst Club
Sat Sep 23 Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
Thu Oct 5 Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
Thu Oct 12 Beverly, MA – Cabot Theatre *
Fri Oct 13 Plymouth, NH – The Flying Monkey *
Sun Oct 15 Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre *
Tue Oct 17 Englewood, NJ – Bergen PAC *
Wed Oct 18 Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore *
Fri Oct 20 Norfolk, VA – NorVa *
Sat Oct 21 Columbia, SC – The Senate *
Sun Oct 22 Atlanta, GA – Center Stage *
* with Mike Love
