READ JOE'S GUEST COLUMN IN SPIKED
Why should pop music have to be rebellious?
HOW 20 DEEP JOE JACKSON CUTS BECAME THE SOUNDTRACK TO 'HEY BARTENDER'
RECENT INTERVIEWS
On NPR's All Things Considered
In November issue of Sound + Vision
THE DUKE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN EUROPE
Joe Jackson's brand new masterpiece "The Duke" has been released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You can order your copy directly at Amazon.de.
THE DUKE NOW AVAILABLE
We are happy to announce that Joe Jackson’s new album, The Duke, is now available through the Joe Jackson store at Merch Now in two configurations, CD alone, or CD/T-shirt bundle.
CD ($12):
The Duke, the new album from Joe Jackson. Order this bundle now to receive the following:
- The Duke CD.
- A 12x12 hand-numbered, album artwork lithograph
- A digital copy of the album.
CD/T-Shirt Bundle ($25):
The Duke, the new album from Joe Jackson. Order this bundle now to receive the following:
- The Duke CD.
- A 12x12 hand-numbered, album artwork lithograph
- A The Duke T-Shirt (size of your choice)
- A digital copy of the album.
DUKE ELLINGTON TRIBUTE ALBUM, THE DUKE, - out now
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 featuring Steve Vai and Berlin electronic musician Kris Ingram Lanzaro, 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. Two album tracks (PERDIDO and IT DON'T MEAN A THING) were recorded in collaboration with Zuco 103 at their studio in Amsterdam. The remaining tracks were recorded, and the whole album mixed, in New York by legendary producer/engineer 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 is available on Razor & Tie in the U.S. and Edel everywhere else.
Read Joe's interview in Billboard