Pitchfork

In the world of soul singers with froggy tenors, stylish outfits, and killer falsettos, Cee-Lo Green has reigned supreme since at least the summer of 2006, when "Crazy" was inescapable.

No disrespect to Cee-Lo, but the original Green machine, i.e. Reverend Al, has returned with a new album to dispatch with all this Gnarls Barkley malarkey. Aptly titled Lay It Down, the record comes out May 27 via Blue Note.

In an inspired move, Green collaborated with the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and Roots/Lauryn Hill/Common collaborator James Poyser to produce the album. ?uestlove plays drums on Lay It Down, and the record's other musical contributors include Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, and Corinne Bailey Rae, as well as horn group the Dap-Kings.

Green will lay it down on the road in support of the record with several North American shows scattered all the way through September.

Lay It Down:

01 Lay It Down [ft. Anthony Hamilton]
02 Just for Me
03 You've Got the Love I Need [ft. Anthony Hamilton]
04 No One Like You
05 What More Do You Want From Me
06 Take Your Time [ft. Corinne Bailey Rae]
07 Too Much
08 Stay With Me (By the Sea) [ft. John Legend]
09 All I Need
10 I'm Wild About You
11 Standing in the Rain

Al Green:

04-03 Philadelphia, MS - Silver Star Casino & Resort Convention Center
04-05 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
04-27 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-23 Sonoma, CA - Field of Dreams Park
05-24 Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Hotel & Casino/Expo Pavilion
05-25 Aptos, CA - Aptos Village Park
06-19 Toronto, Ontario - Sony Centre
06-27 New York, NY - Carnegie Hall
06-28 Montreal, Quebec - Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier/Place des Arts
06-29 Ledyard, CT - Foxwoods Casino/MGM Grand *
07-04 Bossier City, LA - Horseshoe Casino Riverdome *
07-05 Tunica, MS - Grand Casino & Hotel
07-12 Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion
07-15 Vienna, VA - The Filene Center at Wolf Trap
09-13 Primm, NV - Star of the Desert Arena
09-17 Fresno, CA - Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
09-20 Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre

* with Gladys Knight