JOOLS Holland will welcome Latin music icon José Feliciano as his special guest on his 2017 autumn and winter tour with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
Among the 33 dates will be York Barbican on November 3, Harrogate International Centre on December 21 and Leeds First Direct Arena the following night, the closing show of Holland's itinerary.
Holland says of Feliciano: "José is a man whose voice and guitar I’ve idolised all my life: a unique innovator whom I am immensely looking forward to working with."
Feliciano in turn enthuses: "My gosh! Jools Holland is an icon who’s played a major role in the life of contemporary music throughout the United Kingdom and way beyond. He continues to do so and for that I admire him greatly. Don’t ever deny us of your magic, Jools; it’s an honour to be working (playing!) with you."
Puerto Rican singer,songwriter and guitarist Feliciano, 71, is a Grammy Award winner who has worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell and his catalogue of international hits include his Latin pop covers of The Doors’ Light My Fire and The Bee Gees’ And The Sun Will Shine and the Christmas song Feliz Navidad.
Jools Holland: new album with José Feliciano
Jools and José will be recording an album with the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra during this year for release on October 27 to coincide with the tour, when the shows also will feature tour regulars Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall plus Beth Rowley, who was such a hit when making her Jools debut on last year's travels.
Joined as ever by former Squeeze cohort Gilson Lavis on drums, Holland will perform material spanning his solo career, selections from last December's instrumental album, Piano, and songs from his new collaboration with Feliciano.
The Puerto Rican is the latest in a long line of recording artists that has joined Holland's tours as his special guest over the past 22 years. Among them have been Solomon Burke; Lulu; Sandie Shaw; KT Tunstall; Spice Girl Melanie C; Alison Moyet; Soft Cell's Marc Almond and Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson from ska revivalists The Selecter on the 2016 tour.
Tour tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am at ticketmaster.co.uk or on 0844 844 0444. York tickets can be booked at yorkbarbican.co.uk or on 0844 854 2757; Harrogate, at harrogatetheatre.co.uk or on 01423 502116; Leeds, firstdirectarena.com or on 0844 248 1585. Holland and Feliciano's album can be pre-ordered with tickets if booked at ticketmaster.co.uk/artist/28630
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