JOE JACKSON AND THE BIGGER BAND FEATURING REGINA CARTER - 2012 TOUR
Joe will be touring the US in September/October and Europe in October/November in support of his new album THE DUKE. The show will consist of music from the album (Joe's unique interpretations of Duke Ellington classics) and original songs taken from throughout Joe's own 30-year writing and recording career, from LOOK SHARP to RAIN.
The six-piece ensemble - called THE BIGGER BAND to set it apart from the small bands Joe has toured with over the last several years - features acclaimed jazz violinist REGINA CARTER, who made an important contribution to the album. Two former J J band members will also be returning: Percussionist SUE HADJOPOULOS and Vocalist/Multi-Instrumentalist ALLISON CORNELL. The remaining members are JESSE MURPHY (Bass, Vocals, and Tuba), ADAM ROGERS (Guitar) and NATE SMITH (Drums). The show will run approximately 2 hours and there will be no opening act.
American audiences can get a preview of the touring band on the JIMMY FALLON SHOW on July 13.
Show dates can be seen on the Tour Dates page. We will update the page as new dates are confirmed.
DUKE ELLINGTON TRIBUTE ALBUM, THE DUKE, - out June 26th
The Duke finds Joe Jackson interpreting 15 Ellington classics over the course of ten tracks, interspersing melodic and rhythmic elements of various compositions in a manner that's consistent with Ellington's own freewheeling approach. Rather than emulating the songs' original big-band settings, Jackson filters the material through his own musical imagination while exploring an assortment of unexpected grooves and textures. The resulting album is a seamless fusion of sounds and styles, whose abundant sense of playfulness is consistent with Ellington's boundary-breaking attitude.
Jackson’s distinctive voice is featured on I’m Beginning To See The Light, Mood Indigo, and I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good), while It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) finds him trading vocals with punk icon Iggy Pop. R&B diva Sharon Jones, meanwhile, shines with a soulful I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But The Blues. In keeping with Ellington’s multiculturalism, Jackson also encouraged Iranian singer Sussan Deyhim to perform a soaring Caravan in Farsi, and Lilian Vieira, of the Brazilian/Dutch collective Zuco 103, to create a sunny, sexy Portuguese version of Perdido.
The album’s striking mix of electronic and organic textures is especially evident on instrumentals like Isfahan, Rockin’ In Rhythm, The Mooche, and Black and Tan Fantasy. The musicians include two contemporary jazz stars, violinist Regina Carter and bassist Christian McBride; rock guitar hero Steve Vai; drummer Ahmir 'Questlove’ Thompson and other members of The Roots; and two of Jackson’s old associates, guitarist Vinnie Zummo and percussionist Sue Hadjopoulos. The album was recorded and mixed by the legendary Elliot Scheiner. Though The Duke is a tribute album, it’s also very much a Joe Jackson album, consistent with his long-standing sense of musical adventure.
Listen to track 3 from The Duke
The Duke will be available on Razor & Tie in the U.S. and Edel everywhere else.
Read Joe's interview in Billboard
STOKER
Stoker is an original musical theatre piece about the life and the world of Bram Stoker, and tells the ‘back-story’ of how he came to create Dracula. Joe has been working on this project with writer Raymond Hardie and director Judy Dolan for several years on and off, and after several workshops and revisions, the team has now pronounced the work ‘ready to go’. Producer Michael Parva of The Directors Company in New York is now in talks with several theatres with a view to mounting a fully staged production.
BLUE NOTE COMPILATION
JJ was recently approached by Blue Note Records in the Netherlands to make a compilation of his favourite music from the label. This is the third in a series selected by famous jazz fans – compilations by Henry Rollins and Dutch singer/actress Carice have already been released.
Joe's selection consists entirely of music by his favourite Blue Note artists, Horace Silver and Art Blakey. The 2-CD set has just been released in the Netherlands, and releases are planned for the US, Canada, Germany, Belgium and Japan, though dates have not yet been set. Future releases will be compiled by Flea, Jamie Cullum, and Clint Eastwood.