There's great news from The Word as the supergroup which features Robert Randolph, John Medeski, Chris Chew, Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson will finally issue the long-awaited follow-up to their 2001 debut this May. Soul Food is due on May 5 via Vanguard Records.

[Photo by Joshua Timmermans]

The Word impressed aboard Jam Cruise and we're really excited to see the band isn't finished yet and hope there's a tour in store, though no dates have been announced. According to Rolling Stone, the quintet started work on the album last summer in NYC before moving the sessions to Royal in Memphis this past fall. "The recording locations of New York City and Memphis represent who the Word is," explained Luther Dickinson. "The spirit of each city, different though they might be, each sets us free. And 14 years after our first album, it is so thrilling to hear what our collective power for improvisation has become. We're ready to go anywhere the inspiration takes us." Look for Amy Helm and Ruthie Foster to make cameos on the new LP.

Check out a brief preview of the album: