Yesterday, Blue Note Records announced they will honor the late Leonard Cohen with an album of covers titled Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen, due to release on Oct. 14 on exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital download. The album features a diverse lineup of iconic singers, songwriters and musicians who tenderly reimagine Cohen’s equally iconic compositions.

The 12-track homage was produced by Larry Klein and includes contributions from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, Sarah McLachlan, Nathaniel Rateliff, Bill Frisell and more. The tracklist explores some of the most influential and beloved songs penned by Cohen like “Suzanne,” “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Hallelujah,” “Steer Your Way,” the album’s title track “Here It Is,” and more.

Klein described the backing band on the project as “a group of the most prescient and forward-looking musicians in the jazz world.” They include pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, the aforementioned Frisell on guitar, drummer Nate Smith and also features contributions from pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz and organist Larry Goldings.

In conjunction with the album announcement, Blue Note Records shared the first single off the project, James Taylor’s rendition of Cohen’s 1984 song “Coming Back To You.”

“When Larry Klein invited me to participate in a Leonard Cohen tribute album, I accepted immediately,” Taylor said in a statement. “Both because Larry is a great producer of excellent recordings and a good friend and because, like almost everyone in my generation, I venerate Leonard Cohen. As soon as I began seeking out my own musical preferences, Cohen’s songs were among my few favorites and had a major influence on my own progression as a songwriter.

He continued to say, “For the project, I was drawn to a relatively obscure piece that was new to me, ‘Coming Back To You.’ Larry opted to cut the song in Cohen’s original key, which was certainly at the bottom of my own range. But somehow, moving me out of my comfort zone helped me find my own approach to the song. Like so much of Leonard Cohen’s writing, this lyric resonates deeply with his forlorn and hopeless take on the bleak landscape of love and attachment. So, breathe a deep sigh and drink up…”

Klein and Cohen had been friends since 1982, and in the last 15 years of his life, Cohen became Klein’s close friend. “He was possibly the wisest and funniest friend that I had and someone that I enjoyed immensely in every way,” shared Klien. “After he passed away, I found myself frequently covering his songs with other artists that I was working with. One reason, of course, is that the songs are so good—in a certain way, Leonard is the best pop songwriter ever—but the other reason was that it helped keep him in the air around me.”

Pre-order Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen here.

Listen to James Taylor’s rendition of “Coming Back To You” below.

Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen tracklist:

1. Steer Your Way – Norah Jones
2. Here It Is – Peter Gabriel
3. Suzanne – Gregory Porter
4. Hallelujah – Sarah McLachlan
5. Avalanche – Immanuel Wilkins
6. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye – Luciana Souza
7. Coming Back To You – James Taylor
8. You Want It Darker – Iggy Pop
9. If It Be Your Will – Mavis Staples
10. Seems So Long Ago, Nancy – David Gray
11. Famous Blue Raincoat – Nathaniel Rateliff
12. Bird On The Wire – Bill Frisell