Joe Jackson + Band – Hope And Fury Tour 2026

Joe Jackson was born on August 11, 1954 in Burton-on-Trent, England, and grew up in Portsmouth. At 16 he played his first paying gig as a pianist in a pub; he followed this with other pub gigs and accompanying a bouzouki player in a Greek restaurant. At 18 he won a scholarship to study Composition, Piano, and Percussion at London’s Royal Academy of Music.

By 1978 Joe was in London with an album-length demo and his band (Graham Maby, bass; Dave Houghton, drums; Gary Sanford, guitar). That demo, already called Look Sharp, reached American producer David Kershenbaum and led to a signing with A&M Records. Look Sharp was re-recorded in August 1978 and released in January 1979.

Joe Jackson’s early years are more fully and hilariously recounted in his book A CURE FOR GRAVITY. Look Sharp was followed by I’m The Man and the darker, reggae-influenced Beat Crazy. In 1981 he recorded Jumpin’ Jive, a ‘musical vacation’ paying tribute to swing and jump blues artists such as Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway.

Spending much of 1982 in New York produced Night and Day, a more keyboard- and Latin-percussion-based record that became his biggest US success. During that period he also wrote his first film score for James Bridges’ Mike’s Murder and later composed scores including Francis Ford Coppola’s Tucker (1988).

Body and Soul (1984) continued in the Night and Day vein but added a horn section. For Big World (1986) he recorded live to a 2-track master with a four-piece band. Blaze of Glory (1989) featured an 11-piece band; Laughter and Lust (1991) leaned more mainstream. The workaholic phase that included film scores, a live album (Live 1980–86), an instrumental album (Will Power, 1987), guest appearances, and extensive touring eventually wound down.

The 1990s brought Night Music (1994), the song-cycle Heaven and Hell (1997) based on the Seven Deadly Sins, and Night and Day II (2000), which Joe considers his best and most underrated. Around 2000 he won a Grammy (Best Pop Instrumental Album for Symphony No. 1) and published A Cure For Gravity.

In 2003 Joe re-formed the original Joe Jackson Band for Volume 4 and a lengthy tour; the reunion also produced the live album Afterlife (2004). He returned to solo work and collaborations, received a Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Portsmouth.

In 2006 he did a short trio tour with Graham Maby and Dave Houghton, then moved to Berlin and recorded Rain (2007) with a trio sound of voices, piano, bass and drums. The trio toured for the next three years; Live Music was released in 2011.

In 2012 he released The Duke, a tribute to Duke Ellington that reinterprets fifteen Ellington classics into ten tracks and features guests including Iggy Pop, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and members of The Roots, Sharon Jones, Steve Vai, and Regina Carter. Regina Carter joined Joe on the subsequent tour.

In 2015 Joe announced a follow-up to The Duke titled Fast Forward. On January 18, 2019 he released the album Fool. About the album he wrote: “One of my inspirations for this album was the band I’ve been touring with on and off for the last 3 years. I’ve had many different line-ups but this one is special.” Joe and the band performed “Fabulously Absolute” on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show on January 21, 2019. Fool debuted in the top 20 album charts in Holland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland; in the US it debuted at No. 25 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart and entered the UK Indie Albums Chart at No. 13.

After a COVID-induced layoff, Joe toured the US and Europe in 2022 with the “Sing, You Sinners!” tour, featuring his band Graham Maby (bass), Teddy Kumpel (guitar) and Doug Yowell (drums).

On November 24, 2023 he released Mr Joe Jackson Presents “What A Racket”: The Music Of Max Champion, a collection of songs by Music Hall performer Max Champion. In 2024 he toured the US and Europe with a two-part set: solo performances from his catalog followed by songs from What A Racket performed with a nine-piece band.

April 2026 will see the release of a new album, Hope and Fury, followed by extensive US and Europe touring with a full band.

Joe Jackson splits his time between New York, Portsmouth (UK) and Berlin.

Ticketing and accessibility
- Preferable way to purchase tickets is in person at the Bardavon or Ulster Performing Arts Center box office.
- You may also buy online at Ticketmaster.com (Ticketmaster fees will apply). Bardavon member benefits and special discounts are not available through Ticketmaster.
- Be aware of secondary outlets selling tickets at inflated prices and other scams; the Bardavon/UPAC box offices and Ticketmaster are the only official sources for tickets for these events.

Accessibility: There is no elevator at either theater. Call or email the box office to arrange ADA seating.