Sometimes, an unexpected detour leads you right where you belong. For legendary vocalist and guitarist Boz Scaggs, that journey has resulted in Detour, a captivating and deeply personal exploration of the Great American Songbook, and his first new studio album in seven years. Set for release on October 17th via Concord Records, Detour finds the Grammy-winner interpreting timeless standards with tender insight and profound emotional sophistication. Today, Scaggs shares the album’s first single: a beautiful, newly arranged version of “I’ll Be Long Gone,” a fan-favorite track from his seminal 1969 self-titled debut.
The new album began not with a grand plan, but with the simple joy of making music. “I had no intention of making a record when I started singing these songs,” Scaggs confesses. “It was all very casual at first, just an opportunity to explore a style of music I’ve always liked, to get together with a friend and play for the sheer joy of it.”
That friend is pianist Seth Asarnow, and their informal sessions together became the heart of Detour. What started as a series of personal demos for Scaggs to expand his vocal stylings soon revealed something magical. The performances and arrangements were undeniable, demanding to be shared with the world. The result is a masterclass in interpretation, an eclectic mix of the familiar and the obscure that tips its hat to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald as gracefully as it does to Irma Thomas and Lonnie Johnson. It is an elegant reimagining of old favorites and new discoveries, delivered with both reverence and a fresh perspective.
On Detour, Scaggs puts his essential instrument on full display. “If I look at myself as a musician over the years, I’d have to consider my primary instrument to be my voice,” he says. That voice has only gained nuance and depth, evident from the gentle tone of the album opener, Allen Toussaint’s “It’s Raining,” to a serene version of “The Very Thought Of You” that feels both timeless and contemporary. The project even led him to revisit “I’ll Be Long Gone” at the suggestion of pianist Seth Asarnow. “I get a lot of requests for it,” Scaggs explains, “he put together this beautiful arrangement... it ended up falling in perfectly with everything else we did for this album.”
It’s a fitting inclusion for a project born from an unexpected turn. On Detour, Boz Scaggs proves that the most rewarding journeys are often the ones we never planned to take.
About Boz Scaggs:
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of rock and roll’s most soulful vocalists,” Boz Scaggs has a rich legacy of his own. After a tenure with the Steve Miller Band, he debuted on Atlantic Records with a solo album recorded in Muscle Shoals and featuring a young Duane Allman. His star continued to ascend with a series of acclaimed albums for Columbia, culminating in 1976's 5x-platinum Silk Degrees which made him a household name and included the Grammy-winning "Lowdown." Over six decades, Scaggs has sold millions of records, toured the world, and carved out a distinctive and enduring path that continues to captivate fans.
Detour Tracklisting:
1. It's Raining
2. Angel Eyes
3. Once I Loved
4. The Very Thought of You
5. I'll Be Long Gone
6. Detour Ahead
7. I Could Have Told You
8. The Meaning of the Blues
9. Tomorrow Night
10. Too Late Now
11. We'll Be Together Again
