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b'Crossing borders, jumping barriers, taking risks, betting it all: that\\u2019s the path Alejandro Escovedo has been taking in his lifelong search for the heart of rock and roll.The epic 17 song suite comprising\\xa0The Crossing\\xa0is about that journey: searching, but not necessarily finding, eyes and ears open all the way. Ranging from sweeping orchestral numbers to classic rock to bursts of 70s punk, the collection finds Escovedo delving further into his lifelong musical journey across his most sonically diverse work yet.The Crossing\\xa0tells the tale of two boys, one from Mexico, one from Italy, who meet in Texas to chase their American rock and roll dreams. They discover a not-so-welcoming, very different place from the Promised Land they imagined, with cameos from the likes of Wayne Kramer of the MC5 and James Williamson of the Stooges to show the boys the way.A Mexican-American kid with Texas roots and California raising taking on immigration issues in two continents with an Italian band, no less, makes perfect sense \\u2014 if you know Alejandro Escovedo. Forever the curious explorer, he\\u2019s been a punk of the rebel kind in The Nuns, a cowpunk of the non-Western variety in Rank and File, commander of a guitar army in The True Believers, an orchestral conductor in his solo work, and a sensitive boy who has outrun death, demons, lust, and lost love in his songs. He has collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, John Cale, Los Lobos, Peter Buck & Scott McCaughey, Los Texmaniacs, and Chuck Prophet.\\xa0No Depression\\xa0magazine declared him the Artist of the Decade.Keeping the Escovedo edge sharp on\\xa0The Crossing\\xa0are his personal heroes Williamson and Kramer. Additional guests include Peter Perrett and John Perry from UK cult band The Only Ones. Joe Ely -\\xa0Rio Navidad a spoken word track about a Texan ranger \\xa0written by novelist and bandleader Willy Vlautin, and read by Freddy Trujillo from Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.'