Bruce Cockburn – The Blood of Others
Bruce Cockburn revisits the blues, folk, gospel and jazz songs that shaped his musical journey on ‘The Blood of Others’
Bruce Cockburn – The Blood of Others
Format: CD / 2LP / Digital
Label: Sunset Blvd Records
Release date: October 16, 2026
Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Bruce Cockburn releases his 39th album, ‘The Blood of Others’, on October 16, 2026, through Sunset Blvd Records. Produced by longtime collaborator Colin Linden, the fifteen-track collection marks Cockburn’s first full-length album devoted entirely to songs written by other artists.
Rather than recording new compositions, Cockburn has selected material that has remained with him throughout his life. Some songs first caught his attention during the 1960s, before he began writing his own music, while others became familiar through years of performing and exploring different guitar techniques.
The repertoire moves between traditional blues, folk, gospel and jazz. Robert Wilkins’ Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, W.C. Handy’s Yellow Dog Blues and Mississippi John Hurt’s Louis Collins reflect Cockburn’s longstanding interest in early American blues. Elsewhere, he turns to familiar standards including As Time Goes By, I’ll Be Seeing You and One for My Baby.
Several selections carry personal memories. As a teenager, Cockburn was influenced by Scotty Moore’s guitar playing on Elvis Presley’s recordings, an early inspiration that connects with his choice of Arthur Crudup’s That’s All Right.
Hearing Mississippi John Hurt also left a lasting impression, particularly the guitarist’s distinctive fingerpicking and vocal phrasing.
Bruce Cockburn during a recording session. Photo courtesy of the official press kit.
Another connection comes through Lonnie Johnson’s Laplegged Drunk Again. Cockburn once requested the song when he saw Johnson perform in Ottawa. Johnson declined to play it on that occasion, but the encounter remained part of Cockburn’s musical memories.
The album was recorded in January 2026 at Colin Linden’s Pinhead Recorders studio in Nashville. Cockburn’s acoustic guitar is central to the arrangements, with additional musicians contributing to selected tracks. The relatively restrained instrumentation places the emphasis on the compositions and the guitar traditions behind them.
The album title was inspired by Simone de Beauvoir’s novel ‘The Blood of Others’, which Cockburn read during the 1970s. The book’s exploration of personal responsibility stayed with him, while its title also seemed appropriate for a recording project consisting entirely of other people’s songs.
Available on CD, double vinyl and digitally, ‘The Blood of Others’ brings together fifteen compositions that trace the musical influences and personal encounters behind Cockburn’s long career.
Website: https://brucecockburn.com/
Tracks:
01. Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down
02. As Time Goes By
03. Buddy Bolden’s Blues
04. You Belong to Me
05. That’s All Right
06. Four Strong Winds
07. God Bless the Child
08. Louis Collins
09. Yellow Dog Blues
10. Fare Thee Well
11. I’ll Be Seeing You
12. Laplegged Drunk Again
13. One for My Baby
14. Les Feuilles Mortes
15. Peace in the Valley
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