“Due in September, Wide Open sets McDonald’s

gruff but heartfelt vocals—and his thoughts on romance and human nature—against arrangements that pull expertly from R&B, country and gospel. ‘Does the sound of my voice still carry any kind of message?’ he asks an old lover in ‘Hail Mary,’
and this excellent record argues that it does.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Wide Open may be the album that makes the kids call their folks and say, ‘Hey, have you heard of this new artist, Michael McDonald?’”—NPR Music

“His singing is so specific, and it has so much depth…Michael is such a stark example of staying honest and open in your music.”—Thundercat

“Half Truth,” the new single from five-time Grammy Award winning vocalist and acclaimed singer/songwriter Michael McDonald, is premiering via Billboard. Stream/share the track athttp://bit.ly/2uKxUMD, and watch Michael discuss the track in further detail athttps://youtu.be/Wbq5irbtymE.

The song appears on Wide Open, McDonald’s first album of new music in nearly a decade, outSeptember 15 via BMG. The record features special guests including Warren Haynes, Robben Ford, Marcus Miller and Branford Marsalis. View the album trailer athttps://youtu.be/KOlnGSsD4jk.

Most recently, NPR Music’s “Songs We Love” premiered the album’s first single, “Find It In Your Heart,” raving that “within seconds of the opening ‘oohs’ and warm, groovy vibes of McDonald’s new song, ‘Find It In Your Heart,’ your heart will be overjoyed. The opening notes call up immediate memories of some of his much-beloved Doobie Brothers classics, like ‘What A Fool Believes’ and ‘Takin’ It To The Streets,’ as well as some of of his incredible harmony singing with Steely Dan on ‘Peg’ and ‘Bad Sneakers.’” Stream/share the track athttp://n.pr/2uEaM6m.

McDonald also recently celebrated the release of Wide Open with a performance for PBS’ “Soundstage,” scheduled to air this fall, and is slated to tour extensively throughout the summer and fall including dates at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live in Austin and the closing set at the Treftles Stage at the Kaaboo Festival. See below for a complete list of tour dates.

Wide Open follows a trio of albums of R&B and soul covers McDonald recorded for the fabled Motown label, the most recent being 2008’s Soul Speak. Wide Open is McDonald’s first album of original material in 17 years, comprised largely of material written over a number of years in-between projects and recorded in McDonald’s Nashville studio with drummer Shannon Forrest(Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Toto) and an extensive cast of Nashville session musicians.

McDonald also recently collaborated with bassist Thundercat and Kenny Loggins on the hit single “Show You The Way” which the trio performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Watch/share the performance of the track from Thundercat’s critically acclaimed new album Drunk at https://youtu.be/x8AgdI4eyFc. McDonald joined Thunrdercat during a surprise guest appearance at this year’s Coachella, as well; the Los Angeles Times hailed McDonald’s surprise appearance as one of the “10 best performances” at the festival, praising “McDonald’s silky keys over Thundercat’s undulating bass,” while The Guardian called it “a perfect moment in a set that contained slick highs” and Billboard noted, “Who thought that in 2017 65-year old Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald would bring down the house at Coachella?” Watch/share the performance via Pitchfork at http://bit.ly/2pt2ito.

In addition to his work with Thundercat, McDonald was also recently joined by Solange Knowles, Allen Stone, Lawrence and members of Snarky Puppy and Vulfpeck during his set at the Okeechobee Music Fest.

With a career that encompasses five Grammys, numerous chart successes and personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music. Hailing from St. Louis, McDonald arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, honing his talents as a studio musician before becoming an integral part of Steely Dan. In the mid-’70s McDonald was invited to join the Doobie Brothers as the band redefined their sound with McDonald serving as singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such Top 40 singles as “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.” Throughout the ’80s and ’90s McDonald’s solo career took off with a string of hits including “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” “Sweet Freedom,” “On My Own” (with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning James Ingram duet “Yah Mo B There,” plus he co-wrote the Van Halen hit “I’ll Wait.” McDonald has performed with a who’s-who of critically acclaimed artists across a number of genres, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Vince Gill and Grizzly Bear.

August 10	Woodinville, WA	Chateau Ste Michelle Winery
August 11	Spokane, WA	Northern Quest Resort & Casino
August 12	Goldendale, WA	Maryhill Winery Amphitheater
August 15	Livermore, CA	Wente Vineyards
August 16	Paso Robles, CA	Vina Robles Amphitheatre
August 18	Reno, NV	Carson Valley Inn Casino—TJ’s Corrall
August 19	West Wendover, NV	Peppermill Concert Hall
August 20	Steamboat Springs, CO	Strings Music Festival
September 15	Del Mar, CA	Kaaboo
October 12	Carmel, IN	The Palladium
October 13	Northfield, OH	Hard Rock Live
October 15	New London, CT	Garde Arts Center
October 17	Portland, ME	State Theatre
October 19	New York, NY	Carnegie Hall
October 21	Clearwater, FL	Clearwater Jazz Holiday at Coachman Park
October 22	Atlanta, GA	Atlanta Symphony Hall
October 24	Durham, NC	Durham Performing Arts Center
October 26	Lynn, MA	Lynn Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium
October 27	Philadelphia, PA	Merriam Theatre
October 28	Washington, DC	Warner Theatre
October 30	Nashville, TN	Ryman Auditorium
November 2	Minneapolis, MN	State Theatre
November 3	St. Louis, MO	Peabody Opera House
November 4	Memphis, TN	Orpheum Theatre
November 6	Austin, TX	ACL Live at the Moody Theater
November 7	Fort Worth, TX	Bass Performance Hall
November 16	Oakland, CA	Fox Theater
November 17	Los Angeles, CA	Orpheum Theatre
November 18	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	Lewis Family Playhouse

08/10/17 sacksandco