LIONEL LOUEKE ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES

IN SUPPORT OF HIS NEW ALBUM MWALIKO,

TO BE RELEASED BY BLUE NOTE ON FEB. 9

  MWALIKO FEATURES A SERIES OF DUETS WITH

ANGELIQUE KIDJO, ESPERANZA SPALDING,

RICHARD BONA & MARCUS GILMORE

Lionel Loueke has announced a first run of tour dates in support of Mwaliko, his sophomore album for Blue Note Records which will be released on February 9, 2010. Mwaliko (pronounced mwah-LEE-koh) is Swahili for “invitation,” and the album comprises a series of searching, innovative, intimate duets with special guests vocalist Angelique Kidjo, vocalist/bassist Esperanza Spalding, vocalist/bassist Richard Bona and drummer Marcus Gilmore, as well as three new tracks featuring his longtime trio with Massimo Biolcati on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums.

Originally from the small West African nation of Benin, Loueke—who was recently awarded a 2009 USA Fellowship—has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past several years. Praised by his mentor Herbie Hancock as “a musical painter,” he has appeared on numerous standout recordings such as Hancock’s Grammy-winning River: The Joni Letters (2008) and Terence Blanchard’s Grammy-nominated Flow (2005). Loueke’s 2007 Blue Note debut, Karibu, established him as a one of the brightest new stars on the scene, and prompted The New York Times to declare him “a startlingly original voice” and “one of the most striking jazz artists to emerge is some time.”

LIONEL LOUEKE – 2010 TOUR DATES

Feb. 18-21 – Jazz Showcase – Chicago, IL

Feb. 25-28 – Jazz Standard – New York, NY

Mar. 8 – Blues Alley – Washington DC

Mar. 11 – Regattabar – Boston, MA

Mar. 13 – Kennesaw State University – Atlanta, GA

Mar. 25 – Kohler Arts Center – Sheboygan, WI

Mar. 26 – Manchester Craftsman Guild – Pittsburgh, PA

Apr. 6 – Capilano College – Vancouver, BC