aaamusic | On 21, Jan 2011

Friday 21 January 2011 – Following his hugely successful Autumn / Winter Tour which included two sell out nights at London’s glorious Royal Albert Hall, and the release of his new album Rockinghorse, Jools Holland has announced that he is taking his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra back out on the road for a Spring / Summer tour, along with special guest Sandie Shaw.

The boogie-woogie maestro will kick off in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday 20 April, before continuing around the UK. This new tour promises to dazzle audiences in each city with all the fun and fervour of the renowned ‘big band’ sound that Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have become famous for.

Sandie Shaw, one of Britain’s top female singers of the 1960s and true British pop icon, will be Jools’ special guest for this tour – her first tour in over 25 years. Her career has spawned three UK No.1 singles – ‘Puppet On A String’, ‘(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me’ and ‘Long Live Love’, a string of Top 10 hits such as ‘Girl Don’t Come’, ‘I’ll Stop At Nothing’ and ‘Message Understood’, a collaboration with The Smiths (Morrissey and Johnny Marr are both fans) and more recently, Sandie sung the title track for the hit British film Made in Dagenham, which was released last year. Tohave Sandie Shaw join Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on this tour makes it one not to be missed.

Jools Holland said, ‘I’m delighted to have the wonderful Sandie Shaw joining us on the road this year, particularly as this is her first tour for such a long time. She is an absolute icon and I am really looking forward to sharing the stage with her on this tour, along with the great musicians we have in the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.’

Sandie Shaw added, “I met Jools at ‘Later’ last year and then again at his studio for his Radio 2 programme. We got onlike a house on fire and he made me feel very at home. I had a great time that afternoon with some of the members of his orchestra. It was an absolute pleasure to be invited to come on tour. It has been a while but I am reallylooking forward to the show.”

With long time guest vocalists Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall along with the inimitable musicianship of the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Jools Holland will perform tracks spanning his entire solo career as well as songs taken from his latest album Rockinghorse which was released last November. The album includes unique collaborations with some of the world’s most notable singers and musicians including Booker T., Michael McDonald, Alison Moyet, Allen Toussaint and David Sanborn.

Dates:

APRIL 2011

Wed 20^th Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre

Thu 28^th Derry, Millennium Forum

Fri 29^th Derry, Millennium Forum

MAY 2011

Wed 4^th Basingstoke, The Anvil

Thu 5^th Hastings, White Rock Theatre

Wed 11^th Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre

Thu 12^th Margate, Winter Gardens

Wed 18^th Bridlington, SPA

Thu 19^th Middlesborough, Town Hall

Fri 20^th Perth, Concert Hall

Sat 21^st Preston, Guildhall

Wed 25^th St. Albans, Arena

Thu 26^th Croydon, Fairfield Hall

JUNE 2011

Thu 9^th Hampton Court Palace Festival

Thu 23^rd Jersey, Fort Regent, The Gloucester Hall

Fri 24^th Waddesdon Manor (nr Aylesbury)

Thu 30^th Llandudno, Venue Cymru

JULY 2011

Fri 1^st Liverpool Summer Pops

Sat 2^nd Alcester, Ragley Hall

Wed 6^th Milton Keynes, Theatre

Thu 7^th London, Kew Gardens, Kew the Music

Wed 13^th Tollard Royal, Larmer Tree Festival

Sat 16^th Ripley, Harrogate, Ripley Castle

Sat 23^rd Sherborne, Dorset(Yeovil), Sherborne Castle,

Sun 24^th Macclesfield (Cheshire), Capesthorne Hall

Sat 30^th Exeter, Powderham Castle

Tickets are available from all venue box offices, or visit http://www.joolsholland.com/tourdates.htm.