Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn has expanded his touring schedule with a new series of spring 2027 concerts, building on strong demand for his fall performances as he prepares to release his 39th album, The Blood of Others, on Oct. 16.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame member will take the new tour through Western Canada and the United States from late March through April 2027. The announcement comes as Cockburn continues a career spanning more than five decades and prepares to introduce an album centred on songs written by other artists.
‘The Blood of Others’ Revisits Songs That Shaped Cockburn
Rather than focusing on original compositions, The Blood of Others draws on music that influenced Cockburn before and during the early stages of his own career. Its selections span gospel, blues, jazz, folk and popular standards, reflecting musical influences dating back to his childhood in Ottawa.
“What began back in the eighties as a vague notion grew over time into a strong desire to put together a collection of material, written by others, that I found sticking to the edges of my musical landscape,” Cockburn explains. “The accumulation of these songs started in the sixties, before I’d even begun to try to create my own.”
The album takes its name from Simone de Beauvoir’s novel The Blood of Others, written during the Nazi occupation of France.
“Among other things it deals with personal responsibility in the face of scary oppression, and the kinds of choices people make,” he says. “I have borrowed the title because it seems perfect for an album of songs I didn’t write.”
Album Draws on Gospel, Blues, Jazz and Folk
The record opens with Robert Wilkins’ gospel song “Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down,” which Cockburn encountered through an early 1970s compilation. It also includes Herman Hupfeld’s “As Time Goes By,” widely associated with the film Casablanca.
Other selections include “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” “You Belong to Me,” “That’s Alright,” “God Bless the Child,” “Louis Collins,” “Yellow Dog Blues,” “Fare Thee Well” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
Canadian folk history also figures prominently through “Four Strong Winds.” Cockburn connects the song to Le Hibou, the Ottawa coffeehouse where Ian and Sylvia performed regularly during the 1960s.
“We were all very excited when their song showed up on the radio,” he says.
Elvis Presley’s influence is reflected in Cockburn’s interpretation of “That’s Alright,” which draws inspiration from Arthur Crudup’s original recording.
“Elvis Presley hit the radio in Ottawa right when I was hitting adolescence,” Cockburn says. “He was captivatingly charismatic of course, but the guitar. Scotty Moore’s leads, by turns raucous and tender, bred a burning desire to play the instrument.”
Spring Tour Includes Several Canadian Stops
Cockburn’s newly announced spring tour begins March 30 in San Luis Obispo, California, before moving through California, Oregon and Washington. The Canadian portion starts April 9 at Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse.
He is then scheduled to perform April 10 at The Centre Vancouver, April 12 at Kelowna Community Theatre and April 13 at Cranbrook’s Key City Theatre. Alberta dates include Calgary’s Jack Singer Concert Hall on April 14 and Red Deer Memorial Centre on April 15.
The Canadian run concludes April 17 at Winnipeg’s Burton Cummings Theatre before Cockburn returns to the United States for performances in Minneapolis, Stoughton and Chicago.
Five-Decade Career Continues
Cockburn’s recording career began in 1970 and has produced some of Canada’s best-known singer-songwriter material, including “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” “Wondering Where the Lions Are” and “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.”
His career honours include 13 Juno Awards, induction into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has also received nine honorary doctorates.
His previous studio album, O Sun O Moon, was recorded in Nashville with longtime producer Colin Linden. Discussing his approach to music, Cockburn previously summed up the creative philosophy that continues into his latest project: “I just don’t want to ever keep doing the same thing.”
With The Blood of Others, Cockburn applies that approach to the music that helped shape his own career, while an expanded touring schedule will bring the material to audiences across Canada and the United States through spring 2027.