_Dean Budnick_

Leon Russell, the iconic songwriter, pianist and singer who passed away at the age of 74 last November, will have his final studio album posthumously released later this year. On a Distant Shore was recorded during the final year of Russell’s life and will be available September 22 via Palmetto.

Russell’s wife Jan Bridges says that he called the new album, which features 12 new songs to add to his extensive catalog, “his favorite album he ever made” and that “he felt like everything clicked into place.”

“Leon always wanted to write standards,” Bridges says in a press release. “He thought that kind of music was very important. A lot of songs just disappear, but the standards stick around. To me, he always remained a mystery to people outside his circle, but this album gave him a chance to show his emotions. On a Distant Shore is a great portrait of him. An accurate portrait.”

Below, listen to the lead single from On a Distant Shore, “Love This Way,” via Rolling Stone.

On a Distant Shore Tracklist:

1. On a Distant Shore
2. Love This Way
3. Here without You
4. This Masquerade
5. Black and Blue
6. Just Leaves and Grass
7. On the Waterfront
8. Easy to Love
9. Hummingbird
10. The One I Love Is Wrong
11. Where Do We Go from Here
12. A Song for You