Michael McDonald Announces New Album 'Wide Open'

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Michael McDonald has announced his first album of original material in 17 years.

Titled Wide Open, the forthcoming new album serves as McDonald's first project of original work in 17 years following 2000's Blue Obsession. The three albums that came after it — Motown, Motown Two, and Soul Speak — were made up of covers.

Wide Open will feature contributions from Warren Haynes, Robben Ford, Marcus Miller and Branford Marsalis. The album will be released on September 15.

Prior to the album's release, McDonald will be embarking on a tour that begins in Lincoln, California, on June 10, and ends in Oakland, California, on November 16. He will then have a one-off performance next year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 3, as a part of the 70s Rock and romance Cruise.

McDonald recently spoke of his adoration of bass virtuoso Thundercat, as well as his desire to work with Frank Ocean.

"When I first heard Thundercat's stuff I thought, 'Man, this is so original,'" McDonald said during an interview with Noisey. "A lot of his ballads to me had such a beautiful harmonic, almost classically Hispanic feel, or like Brazilian kind of feeling."

McDonald popped up on Thundercat's song "Show You The Way," alongside Kenny Loggins. McDonald also performed alongside Solange at the Okeechobee Festival in Florida a couple months back. The two transformed the Doobie Brothers classic "What A Fool Believes" into a duet.