BOBBY WHITLOCK AND COCO CARMEL CELEBRATE
THE SPARKLY SHOES TOUR
~June 2017~
New York, NY (March 1, 2017) —Three of the most iconic albums in Rock ‘N Roll History – Derek & The Dominos’ Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and The Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street -- all have a common denominator… pianist/guitarist/songwriter, and co-founder of Derek & The Dominos, Bobby Whitlock.
Throughout the past decade, Bobby Whitlock has been performing and recording with his partner/wife – singer/guitarist/saxophonist CoCo Carmel. This summer, the couple will embark on “The Sparkly Shoes Tour”, kicking off on June 2 in Memphis. This very special 9-date outing is an intimate all-acoustic event, presenting Derek & The Dominos’ songs that were written / co-written by Whitlock, interspersed with his work with CoCo Carmel.
Expanding upon the experience, Whitlock and Carmel have handpicked a different local guitarist to perform with them at each show, ensuring that no two sets will be the same. Having worked with the most renowned guitarists in the world, they have carefully selected musicians who will highlight and embellish their already stellar repertoire.
To witness the music of Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel is to experience rock history in action. In 1969, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett asked Whitlock to be their first “friend” in their new group, which later incorporated Eric Clapton as a “guest friend” on their European tour, followed by George Harrison. It was during this time Whitlock was invited to perform on Harrison’s landmark album All Things Must Pass. Those sessions sparked more songs, as Whitlock and Clapton began to collaborate, crafting material that would eventually feature on 1970’s historic Derek & The Dominos’ opus Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, which he co-produced. Whitlock’s songwriting contributions are the classics “Bell Bottom Blues”, “Keep On Growing”, “I Look Away”, “Tell The Truth”, “Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad”, “Thorn Tree In The Garden”, and “Anyday”, which will be performed on tour.
Meanwhile, CoCo Carmel thrived in her own right, producing and co-producing several albums, including her own release First Fruit. Engineered and co-produced with her former husband Delaney Bramlett (who she was married to for 13 years), she unearthed this piece of her roots 20 years after its recording, after his passing. Having performed onstage with Dr. John, Phoebe Snow, Jon Bon Jovi, and Billy Preston, CoCo continues to helm the production and engineering of her work with Whitlock, including their well-received 2013 album Carnival.
This year, Bobby Whitlock has been ensconced in the studio recording an as-yet-untitled album, with musicians as varied as Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones), Charley Drayton (The Divinyls), Colin Linden (guitarist), Nick Tremulis (guitarist), Stephen Barber, and of course CoCo Carmel on vocals and sax. With several documentaries on the horizon, a new record, and the fiftieth anniversary of Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs in 2020, the next few years should be very full and interesting.
Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel are ready to get out, be with the fans and have some fun on The Sparkly Shoes Tour in 2017.
BOBBY WHITLOCK AND COCO CARMEL TOUR DATES:
June 2– Memphis, TN – The Warehouse -with guest guitarist Colin Linden (Blackie And The Rodeo Kings)
June 4- Nashville, TN – City Winery - with guest guitarist Colin Linden
June 6- Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic -with guest guitarist Moses Mo (Mother's Finest)
June 10- Shirley, MA - Bull Run -with guest guitarist Mark Newman
June 11- Pawling NY - Daryl’s House -with guest guitarist Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Byrd (formerly of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
June 13- New York NY – BB King Blues Club -with guest guitarist Ricky Byrd
June 14- Sellersville PA - Sellersville Theater -with guest guitarist Lou Maresca
June 16- Albany, NY - Swyer Theatre, Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center “The Egg” -with guest guitarist Reuben Chess
June 24- Denton,TX - Dan’s Silverleaf -with guest guitarist David Chappell
July 1- Houston, TX – McGonigels Mucky Duck - with guest guitarist Nick Michael Taylor
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