Blues & Ballads: An Evening with Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, and Freddie White

Belfast International Arts Festival presents a very special concert with blues legends Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, the incomparable Irish singer-songwriter Freddie White, and special guests the Ulster Orchestra.

Paul Jones and Dave Kelly are two of the UK’s most revered and respected blues musicians. Founders and lead vocalists of The Blues Band, the duo have played alongside the greats, including Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Paul Jones first came to prominence as the original singer with Manfred Mann and most recently made a guest appearance on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve. He is a thrilling singer and harmonica maestro while Dave Kelly‘s superb vocals and guitar virtuosity has elevated him into the highest echelon of international blues performers.

Freddie White is a masterful guitar player, singer-songwriter and interpreter of classic songs who has captivated audiences during a career spanning five decades. A founding member of Scullion and The Fake, Freddie’s career skyrocketed touring alongside Eric Clapton. With timeless albums like Live on Tour and Do You Do, Freddie’s eclectic repertoire and the magnetic energy of his live shows resonates with fans old and new.

Special guests the Ulster Orchestra add an extra layer of depth and richness to the evening as they join Paul Jones and Dave Kelly to perform specially commissioned new arrangements of jazz and blues classics including George Gershwin’s “Summertime”, Duke Ellington and Don George’s “I Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues”, Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell’s “Georgia On My Mind” and Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin’s “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square”.