The first of three American treks in support of the critically-acclaimed, chart-topping album launches tonight in Tucson, Arizona as part of the Nuevo flamenco guitarist’s 18-city October swing.
TUCSON (7 October 2015): Guitar in hand, world music artist Jesse Cook stands at the base of an ancient denuded tree in a stark black-and-white photo on the cover of his “One World” album, which received its official U.S. release on October 2 from Entertainment One Music. When his ninth album was issued internationally last April, the critically-hailed disc that he wrote and produced debuted at No. 1 in the Canadian’s homeland on both the world music and jazz charts. On the heels of a successful concert trek through British Columbia last week, Cook and his band of nomads are poised to bring his global musical message of inclusion to American audiences with the launch of an 18-city U.S. journey that opens Wednesdayevening at the Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, Arizona.
Ticket sales for the October dates, the first of three U.S. tours on the “One World” itinerary, have been robust, thanks in part to repeated airings of the
Juno Award winner and 11-time nominee’s latest
PBS special, “
Jesse Cook: Live at the Bathurst Theatre.” Other drivers include national airplay for the quixotic summer radio single, “Shake,” an infectious guitar hand-clapper, and the newly released “Taxi Brazil,” a seductive expedition of melody and rhythm demonstrative of the ethos consistently present on Cook’s intercontinental recordings. Recently he released a video for the album’s “Once,” a poignant meditation lensed in the bucolic French countryside where the artist used to summer with his family while coming of age (
http://bit.ly/1Lx0bNZ ).
Led by virtuosic guitar finger-play, the cerebral Paris-born, Toronto-raised Cook’s cross-pollinating recordings integrate flamenco, rumba, gypsy, jazz and classical motifs. During the inception of the eleven compositions that comprise “One World,” he speculated about what sounds would be heard at a modern day Constantinople. That striking and specific image of the intersection of world cultures was the impetus to his imaginative creative process on the set.
After traveling the globe extensively to follow his muse and enhance authenticity on previous recordings, Cook opted to sonically explore far-reaching lands on “One World” from his home studio while incorporating more modern technology and electronics than ever harnessed on past ventures. His alluring guitar prowess remains the focal point - expressive, poetic, evocative and emotionally stirring. His speed and dexterity astound and impress, seamlessly knitting a variety of styles and influences into a singular, distinctive voice. Buttressed by earthy drums, rustic percussion, somber horns and piercing violin that form the textured layers of instrumentation, Cook’s guitar encounters futuristic electronic sounds and rhythms during his global wanderings that stimulate a sprawling array of fresh reverberations. Along the path, Cook duets with Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel on the aptly-titled “Tommy And Me,” showcasing their remarkable fingerstyle techniques.
The start of the “One World” tour in the United States coincides with the twentieth anniversary of Cook’s solo debut, “Tempest.” After this month’s run concludes, he takes off on an extensive Canadian tour that leads into Christmas. Cook will resume touring Stateside on January 29 in Florence, Oregon with the third and final American “One World” leg kicking off in April.
Cook’s 2015 “One World” U.S. Fall Tour itinerary is as follows:
October 7 Tucson, Arizona The Fox Theatre
October 8 Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale Center For The Arts
October 9 San Diego, California Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
October 10 Temecula, California Thornton Winery
October 11 Avalon, California Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival
October 13 Albuquerque, New Mexico KiMo Theatre
October 15 Dallas, Texas The Kessler Theatre
October 16 Austin, Texas Paramount Theatre
October 17 Houston, Texas Cullen Performance Hall
October 20 Kansas City, Missouri Folly Theater
October 22 Skokie, Illinois North Shore Performing Arts Center
October 23 Burnsville, Minnesota Ames Center
October 24 Milwaukee, Wisconsin South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
October 25 Columbus, Ohio Lincoln Theatre
October 26 Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak Music Theatre
October 27 Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo State Theatre
October 29 New York, New York New York Society For Ethical Culture
October 30 Glenside, Pennsylvania Keswick Theatre
