Out Now: David Crosby’s New Album ‘For Free,’ ft. Contributions from Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Sarah Jarosz and More (Listen)

For years, David Crosby sought a musical collaboration with Steely Dan‘s Donald Fagen — and now he has finally achieved that goal, just short of his 80th birthday coming up on Aug. 14. The track is called “Rodriguez for a Night,” one of the highlights from For Free, the brand new studio album from the legendary singer/songwriter released today, July 23.

For Free is Crosby’s first release since 2018’s Here If You Listen, as well as his first record since selling his catalog (solo, the Byrds, CSN & CSNY) to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group in early March.

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Michael McDonald also lends his services to “River Rise,” one of the album’s pre-release singles:

In addition to Fagen and McDonald, the new album features collaborations with Crosby’s son James Raymond and Sarah Jarosz, as well as recent collaborators including saxophonist Steve Tavaglione and drummer Steve DiStanislao.

The cover artwork was designed by none other than Joan Baez, and the record draws its name from the title track, a cover of Joni Mitchell‘s 1970 song from her album Ladies of the Canyon, which David Crosby reimagines for this new project (featuring Jarosz).

“Joni’s the greatest living singer/songwriter, and ‘For Free’ is one of her simplest,” said Crosby in a statement. “It’s one of my favorite songs because I love what it says about the spirit of music and what compels you to play.”

David Crosby is an undeniable musical force, pumping out engaging new material well into his career — and For Free is another strong addition to what’s become a prolific catalog in recent years. Stream the album below.