Kenny Chesney will perform a one-hour acoustic set in New Orleans on May 17 to help raise money for the charities of two of his friends -- actor Matthew McConaughey and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

"Having spent the last five or six months in the studio, I am so ready to get out there and play," Chesney told The Tennessean, Nashville's daily newspaper. "Even though we're making music, it's not the same, and I can't wait to be in a room with the energy of the people ... have that feeding back at me, getting all that coming back at me."

Chesney expects to release his new album this fall. He's been working on it since October, the newspaper reports. Chesney's previous album, Life on a Rock, was released in April 2013.

Tickets to the New Orleans charitable event are $350 for general admission. Proceeds will benefit McConaughey's Just Keep Livin' Foundation and Brees' charity, the Brees Dream Foundation.

"Drew and Matthew set the bar -- for working hard, for giving back, for inspiring others," Chesney said. "They inspire me. And if I can go play songs and help them raise money for their foundations, which do so much good, I'm happy to.

"When you factor in that I've been cooped up, not really playing, and I'm ready to get out there with some people. ... it's a little selfish 'cause the audience makes me feel so good! But having done this, I already know we're gonna have a ball, and no one will get out of there without a smile on their face."