Fresh off a triple-bill tour with Steve Earle and Keb' Mo', singer-songwriter Jackson Browne [ tickets ] heads out this fall armed only with an acoustic guitar.

The unplugged outing kicks off in mid-October, and is part of Browne's continued support for "The Naked Ride Home," which surfaced in September of last year. The album is Browne's first new studio set since 1996's "Looking East," one of only two albums that he released in the '90s.

Browne recorded "The Naked Ride Home" in Los Angeles, and co-produced the set with bassist Kevin McCormick. Joining Browne and McCormick on the album are Mark Goldenberg (guitar), Mauricio Lewak (drums) and Jeff Young (keys, vocals).

Audio clips of all 10 tracks on "The Naked Ride Home" are streaming at Jackson's website. The site also features lyrics for all of the songs.

Before mounting his acoustic tour, Browne performs at two mid-September benefit shows in California. The first, dubbed the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival, takes place in Ventura on Sept. 13; the second, billed as the 4th Annual Fundraiser for All Stars Helping Kids & Montalvo Education and Outreach, happens on Sept. 14 in Saratoga. Details are available at Browne's website.

The German-born, California-raised singer-songwriter became the fourth recipient of the John Steinbeck Award in February 2002, during the centennial celebration of the California novelist's birth. The honor is "bestowed to artists whose works best exemplify the environmental and social values of Steinbeck," according to a statement. Previous recipients include filmmaker John Sayles, playwright Arthur Miller and musician Bruce Springsteen.