Van Morrison And Joey DeFrancesco - You're Driving Me Crazy

Van Morrison joins forces with jazz organ virtuoso Joey DeFrancesco for new studio album!

Morrison's 39th studio collection showcases electrifying musical collaborations

Fresh interpretations of blues/jazz standards and deep cuts from Morrison's songbook

"Imagine Van and organist Joey Francesco getting together for a late night jam session with some friends and running through a set of Van tunes plus an assortment of standards. You don't have to imagine it because that's what this album sounds like and it's close to how these sessions were produced. ... I strongly recommend you consider getting this one. It's filled with great "live in the studio" music-making, superbly recorded and Van's not sung better or swung more freely on record in quite some time!" — Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here.

Van Morrison's 39th studio album is You're Driving Me Crazy, a musical collaboration with Hammond organ virtuoso and trumpet master Joey DeFrancesco, from Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

The successor to Versatile, Van's chart-topping jazz album from 2017, You're Driving Me Crazy 2LP arrives April 27.

A new milestone in Van Morrison's ever-expanding catalog of essential recordings, You're Driving Me Crazy finds the iconic Irish singer-songwriter-performer exploring a variety of jazz and blues standards and classics ("Miss Otis Regrets," "The Things I Used to Do," "Every Day I Have the Blues") alongside fresh interpretations of songs from Van's own catalog ("Have I Told You Lately," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Magic Time").

You're Driving Me Crazy finds Morrison collaborating in the studio with DeFrancesco and his band including Dan Wilson (guitar), Michael Ode (drums) and Troy Roberts (tenor saxophone). DeFrancesco, who signed his first deal with Columbia Records at the age of 16, has performed with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Grover Washington, Jr. and many more while leading his own band, and is responsible for bringing the classic Hammond organ sound back to the world of jazz in the late 1980s.

The release of You're Driving Me Crazy caps more than a year of non-stop activity for Van Morrison, who released his 37th and 38th studio albums (Roll with the Punches and Versatile) in quick succession in the fall and winter of 2017. Roll With The Punches became his 13th album to reach the Top 10 of the U.K. charts, while Versatile topped Billboard's jazz chart.

The world of jazz has provided a vital ongoing influence on the music of Van Morrison, whose acclaimed 1968 studio masterpiece, Astral Weeks, showcased jazz musicians Connie Kay, Jay Berliner, and Richard Davis. Inspired by the spontaneity, soul and sound of jazz, Morrison has performed on stage and/or in the studio with a variety of jazz and blues musicians including John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Bobby Bland, Solomon Burke, Jeff Beck, Georgie Fame, Robbie Robertson, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Maceo Parker, Candy Dulfer and others.

Joey DeFrancesco is a prolific American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist and Grammy nominee who signed his first record deal (with Columbia Records) at the age of 16 and has gone on to release more than 30 albums. He has performed on stage and in the studio with a wide variety of artists including Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, Frank Wess, John McLaughlin, Danny Gatton, Elvin Jones, and many more. DeFrancesco is a nine-time winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll (organ) and has won the Down Beat Readers Poll every year since 2005. He has won a number of JazzTimes Awards and is an inaugural member of the Hammond Hall of Fame.

Music

Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com

1. Miss Otis Regrets

2. Hold It Right There

3. All Saints Day

4. The Way Young Lovers Do

5. The Things I Used To Do

6. Travellin' Light

7. Close Enough For Jazz

8. Goldfish Bowl

9. Evening Shadows

10. Magic Time

11. You're Driving Me Crazy

12. Every Day I Have The Blues

13. Have I Told You Lately

14. Sticks and Stones

15. Celtic Swing

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