Musical virtuoso Jools Holland and his well-renowned Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have announced dates and special guests for their upcoming 2017 Autumn/Winter UK tour. Now in its 22nd year, these legendary shows are not to be missed, with the 33-date tour starting off in Southend on Thursday 26th October. Highlights include two dates at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall on Friday 24th November and Saturday 25th November, along with arena shows at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Friday 15th December and finishing off the tour at Leeds’ First Direct Arena on 22nd December.
Joining Jools on stage for the 2017 Autumn / Winter UK tour will be Grammy Award winner José Feliciano, one of the most prominent stars in Latin America and revered musicians in the world. Having worked with the likes of John Lennon and Joni Mitchell in the past, his catalogue of international hits include his covers of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” and the Bee Gees’ “And the Sun Will Shine,” along with the much-loved Christmas classic, “Feliz Navidad”. Jools and José will also be recording an album together with the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, which is scheduled to be released on 27th October. With his mix of Latin and pop styles and his inimitable guitar playing, it’s no question that José will go down a storm on stage.

Jools Holland says of José Feliciano: ‘A man whose voice and guitar I’ve idolised all my life. A unique innovator whom I am immensely looking forward to working with’.

José Feliciano to Jools Holland: 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.

José Feliciano joins a long line of acclaimed recording artists that have joined Jools’ tour as special guests in the past. These include Solomon Burke, Lulu, KT Tunstall, former Spice Girl Melanie C, Yazoo singer Alison Moyet, 60s pop icon Sandie Shaw, along with most recently from Jools’ 2016 tour, ska pioneers Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson from The Selecter.

Also featuring in the shows will be fan favourites Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Beth Rowley on vocals, along with the supreme Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with original Squeeze member Gilson Lavis on drums. Master of ceremonies for the shows, Jools, will be performing tracks spanning his entire solo career along with pieces taken from his recent instrumental album Piano, released in December 2016, as well as songs from his new collaboration with José Feliciano.

With a huge collection of boogie-woogie tracks from multiple decades, a night at one of the UK’s most popular tours is for sure a memorable one!

Tickets go on sale on Friday 3rd February at 10am UK time and are available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or on 0844 844 0444. Tickets are priced from £40.00 (+ booking fee), with the Royal Albert Hall dates from £19.50 (+ booking fee).
You will also be able to pre-order the new Jools Holland and José Feliciano album on CD with your tickets. For more information please click (here) http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/artist/28630

Tickets for the Spring/Summer dates, Belfast on 13th Oct and Dublin on 14th Oct are also available. For details go to www.joolsholland.com/tourdates

Full Autumn/Winter Dates 2017

October
Thurs 26 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Fri 27 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Sat 28 Ipswich Regent Theatre
Sun 29 Cambridge Corn Exchange

November
Thurs 2 Watford Colosseum
Fri 3 York Barbican
Sat 4 Sheffield City Hall
Sun 5 Oxford New Theatre
Thurs 9 Guildford Glive
Fri 10 Reading Hexagon
Sat 11 Portsmouth Guildhall
Sun 12 Southampton Mayflower
Thurs 16 Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Fri 17 Northampton Derngate
Sat 18 Manchester O2 Apollo
Weds 22 Leicester Demontfort Hall
Thurs 23 Leicester Demontfort Hall
Fri 24 London Royal Albert Hall
Sat 25 London Royal Albert Hall
Weds 29 Newcastle City Hall
Thurs 30 Newcastle City Hall

December
Fri 1 Glasgow Sec Armadillo
Sat 2 Glasgow Sec Armadillo
Fri 8 Plymouth Pavilions
Sat 9 Bristol Colston Hall
Sun 10 Bristol Colston Hall
Weds 13 Birmingham Symphony Hall
Thurs 14 Birmingham Symphony Hall
Fri 15 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Sat 16 Brighton Centre
Weds 20 Stoke Victoria Hall
Thurs 21 Harrogate Harrogate International Centre
Fri 22 Leeds First Direct Arena