Rod Meets Stevie, Dolly

Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Eric Clapton and Bette Midler are among those joining Rod Stewart on his newest collection of standards, Stardust . . . The Great American Songbook: Volume III, due in stores October 19th.

This time around, Stewart tackles songs popularized by the likes of Louie Armstrong, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, including “What a Wonderful World” (featuring Wonder on harmonica), “For Sentimental Reasons” and “Night and Day.” Parton lends her pipes to the holiday season seduction song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” while Midler and Clapton are aboard for “Manhattan” and “Blue Moon,” respectively.

Stewart’s previous standards collections, It Had to Be You (2002) and As Time Goes By (2003), earned the raspy-throated rocker quite a successful second career as a distinguished crooner, as they each sold more than two million copies.