Joey DeFrancesco to co-produce next Van Morrison album – spring release planned
Speaking to Walter Love of the BBC aired initially on a themed night time hometown radio show shaped around songs from Versatile, Van Morrison discussed the studio experience, drummers, Gershwin, jazz and the importance of putting your own ‘stamp’ on things among other topics in an extended interview which revealed that there is another album on the way scheduled for April.
The long running Jazz Club programme also aired tracks from the album including his beautiful, 6”39’ stirring transformative version of ‘Affirmation’ with flautist Sir James Galway joining Sir Van on alto saxophone plus his scat in the stream of consciousness passage towards the end going beyond into the mystic, included.
Van mentioned that Hammond B3 organist and trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco is to co-produce the next album, which is already in the can, and is to come out in April before Morrison’s headlining shows at the Derry jazz festival. DeFrancesco is known primarily for his work with guitar legend John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra) in an earlier phase of his career. Like Van pal Joey tours the world, often playing the best jazz clubs available including down Frith Street way where the singer/saxophonist/blues harpist-guitarist recorded How Long Has This Been Going On? with Georgie Fame in Soho at Scott’s.Marlbank has contacted Joey DeFrancesco via his manager for comment. Joey De Francesco pictured top at the B3 and above left via Twitter with Van Morrison.
