Wordless Orchestra

Nathaniel Rateliff

Nathaniel Rateliff has announced a performance celebrating the life and work of Leonard Cohen, this time with the 40-piece Wordless Orchestra with a show in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall on April 20.

The Canadian shows will closely follow Rateliff’s highly anticipated performances of “A Night of Leonard Cohen with the Colorado Symphony” for their Imagination Artist Series, taking place at Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall on April 5 and 6. All performances will feature support from pianist Phil Cook, the virtuosic folk musician and frequent collaborator of Rateliff’s.

One of the most fascinating and enigmatic singer/songwriters of the late ‘60s, Leonard Cohen developed a massive following across six decades of music-making, interrupted by various digressions into personal and creative exploration, all of which have only added to the mystique surrounding him. A master wordsmith with a voice like aged whiskey and lyrics that cut to the core of humanity, Cohen’s artistry transcends generations, weaving tales of love, longing, and spirituality that continue to resonate. Denver singer and songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff joins the Wordless Symphony, blending his folk, Americana, and vintage rhythm & blues influences with Cohen’s timeless lyrics for a collaboration six decades in the making. From “Hallelujah” to “Suzanne,” witness the power of songwriting to touch the deepest recesses of the soul.

Growing up in Herman, Missouri, Nathaniel Rateliff started his music career playing in his family’s band at church and music became an obsession for him and his friends. At 19, Rateliff moved to Denver where he worked night shifts at a bottle factory and a trucking company while testing out songs at open-mic nights. After playing rock music in various incarnations, Rateliff began gravitating towards a folksier sound, first captured on 2007’s Desire and Dissolving Men. In 2010 he released In Memory of Loss, a solo album on Rounder Records. In 2013 Rateliff released Falling Faster Than You Can Run on modyvi records, followed by the Closer EP, and 2020’s gorgeous And it’s Still Alright on Stax Records. Since 2015, Rateliff has also led the high-octane, horn-flanked band the Night Sweats, who released their third album The Future in 2021.