Out Now: ‘Summer of Sorcery,’ the New Album from Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul

For the first time in two decades, the man known around the music business as Little Steven has released a new album of original material with Summer of Sorcery, which is available now at this link.

Steven Van Zandt, known for (among many other roles) his iconic work with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as a radio DJ, for his many film roles and so on, reconvened in the studio with an all-star array of musicians and laid down the tracks for what became this new record.

Via the news release, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul will hit the road heavy in the coming weeks, and it sounds like it’ll be a fantastic night of music delivered by some of the industry’s best pros:

Little Steven will be joined on the “Summer of Sorcery World Tour 2019” by the one and only Disciples of Soul, a 14-strong all-star ensemble made up of some of the best studio and live musicians in the business. Leading the charge alongside Van Zandt is musical director and guitarist Marc Ribler (Darlene Love, Roger McGuinn, Carole King) who conducts the band: Lowell “Banana” Levinger (of The Youngbloods) on piano and Wurlitzer, bassist Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Boz Scaggs, Darryl Hall), drummer Rich Mercurio (Ben E King, Sara Bareilles, Idina Menzel), percussionist Anthony Almonte (King Creole and The Coconuts), Andy Burton on B3 organ, piano, synthesizers (Cyndi Lauper, John Mayer, Ian Hunter), the dynamite horn section of horn director Eddie Manion on baritone saxophone (Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny), Stan Harrison on tenor saxophone and flute (David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Duran Duran), Ron Tooley on trumpet (James Brown, John Lennon, Maceo Parker), Ravi Best on trumpet (Aretha Franklin, Stevie, Wonder, Kool and The Gang) and Clark Gayton on trombone (Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Joss Stone, Rhianna). The band is rounded out with the soulful, synchronized dancing backup singers Jessie Wagner (Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Chic), Sara Devine (Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige) and Tania Jones (Disciples of Soul).

Summer of Sorcery is Van Zandt’s commitment to his solo career and was born from his renewed interest in his own music following his return to the spotlight with 2017’s Soulfire, his first album as Little Steven in nearly two decades. Created with a new incarnation of the Disciples Of Soul, that album saw him revisit songs that spanned the length of his career as artist, performer, producer, arranger, and songwriter, focusing on the “soul horns-meet-rock ‘n’ roll guitars” sound he first pioneered on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes’ classic first three albums and later, his own first solo LP. After two years on the road, which totaled more than a hundred shows and resulted in a rousing live CD, concert Blu-ray video and 7LP vinyl box set, Little Steven was inspired to record his first album of original material in 20 years, buoyed by his incredible 14-piece band, the first time he ever used the same band for consecutive albums. Together they retreated to Van Zandt’s NYC studio in the fall of 2018 and conjured up 12 incredible sonic movie scenes that feel like summer.

Stream Summer of Sorcery below, via Spotify:

And catch the band on the road at the following dates:

SUMMER OF SORCERY RECORD RELEASE SHOWS 2019

MAY
4 – Beverly Hills, CA – The Saban
8 – Asbury Park, NJ – Paramount Theatre

SUMMER OF SORCERY TOUR – EUROPE 2019

MAY
16 – Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy
18 – Leeds, UK – O2 Academy
20 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
22 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy
24 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town
26 – Derbyshire, UK – Bearded Theory Festival *
28 – Berlin, Germany – Huxley’s
30 – Jelling, Denmark – Jelling Muiskfestival *

JUNE
1 – Stockholm, Sweden – Cirkus
3 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller
5 – Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
7 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique (AB)
9 – Emmen, The Netherlands – Hello Festival *
11 – Zurich, Switzerland – Kaufleuten
13 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
15 – Bilbao, Spain – Music Legends Festival *
17 – Barcelona, Spain – Sala Apolo
20 – Kragujevac, Serbia – Arsenal Festival *
23 – Paris, France – La Cigalle

SUMMER OF SORCERY TOUR – NORTH AMERICA 2019

JUNE
29 – Syracuse, NY – New York State Blues Fest *

JULY
2 – London, ON – London Music Hall
4 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest *
6 – Quebec City, QC – Festival d’été de Québec *
10 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Theatre
12 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
14 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
16 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
18 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
20 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
24 – Richmond, VA – The National
26 – Easton, PA – State Theatre Center For The Arts
28 – Annapolis, MD – Outlaw Jam *

SUMMER OF SORCERY TOUR – EUROPE 2019

AUGUST
3 – Notodden, Norway – Notodden Blues Festival *
5 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio
7 – Warsaw, Poland – Stodola
9 – Erfurt, Germany – Gewerkschaftshaus
11 – Hanau, Germany – Amphitheater
13 – Nuremberg, Germany – Serenadenhof
17 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg
21 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
23 – Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street
25 – Oxford, UK – O2 Academy
27 – Newcastle, UK – O2 Academy
29 – Cardiff, UK – Tramshed

SEPTEMBER
2 – Vienna, Austria – Arena Wien

SUMMER OF SORCERY TOUR – NORTH AMERICA 2019

SEPTEMBER
5-8 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino *
9 – Ventura, CA – The Majestic Ventura Theater
11 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre
13-15 – San Diego, CA – Kaaboo Del Mar *
15 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Theatre
17 – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theatre
22 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond *
29 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin

OCTOBER
3 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
17 – Burnsville, MN – Ames Center
19 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
21 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts
23 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues
26 – Cleveland, OH – Masonic Auditorium
28 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
30 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

NOVEMBER
2 – Medford, MA – Chevalier Theatre
4 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
6 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre

* FESTIVAL APPEARANCE