Boz Scaggs will return this October with Detour, his first studio album in seven years. The record, due October 17 via Concord Records, marks the Grammy-winning vocalist and guitarist’s long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s Out of the Blues and finds him exploring the Great American Songbook with his trademark mix of finesse, soul and subtlety.
As a preview, Scaggs has released a newly reimagined version of “I’ll Be Long Gone,” a song that first appeared on his self-titled 1969 debut album. The fresh arrangement revisits the fan favourite through the lens of Scaggs’ matured voice and musical sensibilities, transforming it from its raw origins into something tender and timeless.
“I had no intention of making a record when I started singing these songs,” Scaggs explains. “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. What began as informal sessions between the two quickly evolved into something more meaningful. Their demos showcased a level of intimacy and musicality that demanded to be heard beyond the living room. Those moments became the backbone of Detour.
The result is an 11-track journey that weaves through classics and lesser-known gems, touching on the repertoires of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Irma Thomas and Lonnie Johnson. The title itself reflects both the spontaneity of the project and Scaggs’ view that the most rewarding paths are often the unplanned ones.
One of the album’s highlights is the return of “I’ll Be Long Gone.” Originally recorded at Muscle Shoals with a young Duane Allman on guitar, the 1969 version established Scaggs’ reputation as an expressive singer and adventurous interpreter. More than five decades later, Asarnow encouraged Scaggs to revisit the song.
“I get a lot of requests for it,” Scaggs says. “Seth put together this beautiful arrangement… it ended up falling in perfectly with everything else we did for this album.”
The new rendition mirrors the reflective tone of the project, proof that Scaggs’ voice has only grown in richness and depth with age.
While many think of Scaggs as a guitarist, he remains clear about his central instrument. “If I look at myself as a musician over the years, I’d have to consider my primary instrument to be my voice,” he reflects.
That voice carries Detour. From the delicate opening of Allen Toussaint’s “It’s Raining” to the wistful textures of “The Very Thought of You,” Scaggs demonstrates a masterclass in restraint and phrasing. Rather than reinventing the wheel, he brings emotional clarity and grace to every note.
The Great American Songbook is often tackled with reverence, but Detour is not about mimicry. Instead, it’s about perspective. Scaggs filters these songs through a life lived on stages and in studios across six decades.
The eclectic tracklist includes the aching ballad “Too Late Now,” the slow blues meditation of “Tomorrow Night,” and “Detour Ahead,” a song associated with Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Together, the collection underscores Scaggs’ ability to move fluidly between jazz, blues, and soul while still sounding unmistakably himself.
Rolling Stone once hailed Boz Scaggs as “one of rock and roll’s most soulful vocalists,” a description that remains apt. His career began in the mid-1960s with the Steve Miller Band before he struck out solo. His 1969 Atlantic Records debut—recorded in Muscle Shoals with Duane Allman—was a cult classic. But it was 1976’s Silk Degrees that made him a household name.
Silk Degrees went five-times platinum in the United States, producing the Grammy-winning “Lowdown,” as well as “Lido Shuffle” and “We’re All Alone,” which became a worldwide hit for Rita Coolidge. The record made Scaggs one of the defining voices of the era, straddling pop, soul, and R&B.
Over the years, Scaggs has sold millions of records, toured the world, and remained a vital interpreter of song. Detour continues that tradition, not by chasing trends but by honouring the timeless qualities of great music.
Detour Tracklist
It’s Raining
Angel Eyes
Once I Loved
The Very Thought of You
I’ll Be Long Gone
Detour Ahead
I Could Have Told You
The Meaning of the Blues
Tomorrow Night
Too Late Now
We’ll Be Together Again
Detour is out October 17 via Concord Records.
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