Joe Jackson takes on "The Duke" for fall tour
Eclectic alternative-rock icon Joe Jackson and the Bigger Band will tour the U.S. this fall in support of the forthcoming tribute album "The Duke," which drops June 26 on Razor & Tie Records.
The Grammy-winning artist will visit select cities beginning Sept. 15 in Bethesda, MD. Highlights on the itinerary include a two-night stand in New York City and a performance at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco.
His latest effort consists of 15 covers of jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington's works. Jackson said in a recent interview with the Huffington Post that his takes on the songs will be nothing like the originals. "I didn't do [this album] in a very reverent spirit," said Jackson. "Ellington is immortal. He's one of the giants of music, so nothing that I could do to his music, no matter how good or bad, was going to change that."
The album features a variety of special guests including R&B diva Sharon Jones singing "I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues", Iranian vocalist Sussan Deyhim singing "Caravan" in Farsi, Lillian Vieira of the Brazilian/Dutch collective Zuco 103 singing "Perdido," and punk rocker Iggy Pop, who pairs with Jackson for "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got No Swing)." Violinist Regina Carter, bassist Christian McBride, rock guitarist Steve Vai, drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, Vinnie Zummo and Sue Hadjopoulos take on the album's four instrumental songs, which include "The Mooche" and "Black and Tan Fantasy."
Jackson is best known for 1978's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and 1982's "Steppin' Out." Both earned him Grammy nominations and ranked high on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1999, Jackson fused his love of pop/rock with his roots in classical music to produce "Symphony No. 1," which was played by a band of jazz and rock musicians including the aforementioned Steve Vai. The work won him the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2000.
15 - Bethesda, MD - Music Centre at Strathmore
16 - Greenville, SC - Peace Center Hall
18 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
19 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
21 - New York, NY - Town Hall
22 - New York, NY - Town Hall
25 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
27 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
28 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
29 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
October 2012
2 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
4 - Saratoga, CA - The Lillian Fontaine Garden Theatre at Montalvo
5 - San Francisco, CA - Nob Hill Masonic Center
6 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre
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