Michael Bolton will release his 21st studio album titled Gems – The Duets Collection on June 21, 2011. The new album, to be released on Sony Music/Legacy Recordings, will feature productions by acclaimed songwriters, producers and musicians including David Foster, Dann Huff, Rudy Perez and A.R. Rahman.
Gems – The Duets Collection includes musical collaborations Rascal Flatts, Seal, Delta Goodrem, and the famed late vocalist Eva Cassidy. "It was an incredibly rewarding experience recording this album," says Bolton. "The opportunity to work with legendary talent like David Foster, Dan Huff, A.R. Rahman and some of the absolute greatest singers and recording artists in the entire world was inspiring. I can't wait to share the special music we all created with the world."
"We heard that Michael wanted to write something with us. We all kept telling ourselves, 'It's like, Michael Bolton! Come on - he's one of the greatest singers on the planet," say Rascal Flatts. "He wanted to get the whole band involved and make this thing really fresh and new. It was just so cool that we had a chance to get together and write this killer song called 'Love is Everything.'"
David Foster cooked up a duet featuring Michael singing "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Seal joining in with James Brown's "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World." Foster says, "I woke up at 6 AM one morning with the idea that these two songs could go together, with these two great voices from different genres, and they embraced it. This is a powerful, powerful moment. It's a real shootout, and it's impossible to say who wins, because they're both so amazing."
"When I first met Michael, we got to talking about music, philosophy, the universe, and many things that we had in common," shares A.R. Rahman. "I wanted Michael to do a bit of singing that he's never done before, without compromising on his musicality."
"He's a very great human being and we had a lot of fun," Chris Botti says. "There aren't singers like Michael anymore. He can sing anything from classical music to jazz to something like ["You Are So Beautiful"], it's so unbelievably soulful."
A full track listing for Gems - The Duet Collection is below.
"Love Is Everything" feat. Rascal Flatts
"Fields Of Gold" feat. Eva Cassidy
"Sajna" feat. A.R. Rahman
"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" feat. Anne Akiko Meyers
"I'm Not Ready" feat. Delta Goodrem
"Over The Rainbow" feat. Paula Fernandes
"When A Man Loves a Woman\It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" medley feat. Seal
"The Prayer" feat. Lara Fabian
"You Are So Beautiful" feat. Chris Botti
"Make You Feel My Love" feat. Helene Fischer
"Hallelujah" feat. MB's Childrens Choir
"Steel Bars" feat. Orianthi
A list of Michael Bolton's upcoming tour dates, including several with Kenny G, is below.
May
5/14/11 Port of Spain, Trinidad Hasely Crawford Stadium
5/17/11 Sao Paulo, Brazil Via Funchal
5/19/11 Buenos Aires, Argentina Luna Park
5/21/11 Santiago, Chile Casa Piedra Theater
5/24/11 Lima, Peru CC. Maria Angola
5/26/11 Mexico City, Mexico Bleu
5/28/11 Puebla, Mexico Auditorio Siglo XXI
June
6/17/11 Charleston, SC Family Circle Cup Stadium w. Kenny G
6/18/11 Fayetteville, NC Crown Center w. Kenny G
6/19/11 New York, NY Beacon Theater w. Kenny G
6/21/11 Hartford, CT Bushnell Theater
6/24/11 Dresden, Germany Kulturpalast
6/26/11 Antwerp, Belgium Queen Elizabeth Hall
6/28/11 Berlin, Germany Admiralpalast
6/30/11 Vilnius, Lithuania Siemens Arena w. Kenny G
July
7/1/11 Warsaw, Poland Palace Of Culture
7/2/11 Vienna, Austria Stadhalle
7/4/11 Stuttgart, Germany Jazz Festival
7/6/11 Neidernhausen, Germany Rhein-Main-Theater
7/8/11 Tenerife, Canary Islands Canary Live Sun Festival
7/10/11 Lisbon, Portugal Atlantic Pavilion w. Kenny G
7/14/11 Segovia, Spain La Granja
August
8/28/11 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
8/30/11 Livermore, CA Wente Vineyards
Michael will also perform on ABC's Dancing With The Stars On May 10th with Delta Goodrem.