Van Morrison - New Arrangements And Duets [2LP Orange]

Van Morrison's New Arrangements And Duets revisits songs from across his long career with fresh eyes and a few famous friends, arriving as a limited 2LP set on orange vinyl.

Produced by Morrison himself and drawn from sessions in 2014 and the late 2010s, the 2024 album leans into the swing, rhythm and blues and jazz-inflected soul that have fuelled his music for decades. Rather than chasing radio hits, it plays like a master craftsman reworking his own blueprints, loosening some songs and giving others a brighter, swinging polish.

The guest list is a highlight. Joss Stone joins him for a warm, soulful duet on Someone Like You, first heard on Poetic Champions Compose in 1987, while jazz vocalist Kurt Elling trades lines with him on Broken Record. Willie Nelson drops in for What's Wrong With This Picture, his weathered drawl a perfect foil for Morrison's growl, and Curtis Stigers joins the band on Close Enough For Jazz.

Morrison's voice has deepened with age, but his phrasing is as distinctive as ever, rolling and stretching each line like a jazz horn. The band swings with easy, nightclub assurance throughout.

Generous in length and relaxed in spirit, it is a late-career set best enjoyed with the lights low and the volume comfortably up.