Following the newly released album by earMUSIC, Mr. Joe Jackson presents: Max Champion in 'What A Racket!' – reviving the songs of enigmatic early 20th-century English Music Hall artist Max Champion – renowned musician and producer Joe Jackson announces “The Two Rounds Of Racket Tour".
“The Two Rounds Of Racket Tour” promises to be festive, fun, and unlike anything else music fans will see next (or any other) year. The show will be in two parts: a solo set by Joe Jackson of his original songs, and a set based on the album What A Racket! – the first performance in more than 100 years of the songs of forgotten Music Hall genius Max Champion, with Joe and a nine-piece band.
Max Champion was born in 1882 in London's East End and is thought to have been related to the great Victorian entertainer Harry Champion. As an up-and-coming performer he shared the stage with big stars such as Gus Ellen and Vesta Tilley, but his career (much like the Music Hall era itself) was cut short by the First World War, and his songs faded into obscurity. That is, until 2014, when Max Champion sheet music started to surface: first in Malta, then in England, and, intriguingly, in Belgium, where Max probably met his end in the trenches. By 2019, enough songs had been recovered for Joe Jackson to resurrect them with a 12-piece orchestra.
