Come celebrate the innovative music of American pop legend Sam Cooke! This high-energy show features timeless classics from Cooke’s songbook that seamlessly highlight his brief musical journey from Gospel golden boy, to international pop sensation. This evening of remarkable jazz and blues interpretations stars Chicago son, Darrian Ford and his live band…and features hits like: “Cupid” and “Bring It On Home To Me.” A MUST-SEE!
“…THE COOKE BOOK starring Darrian Ford contains scorching vocals that send you searching for your soul!” (The Chicago Tribune).
THE COOKE BOOK is a celebration of Sam Cooke’s innovative but too brief career that blazed a trail for Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, and many other giants of Soul Music. The show includes 21 songs from the songbook of the legendary singer/songwriter and music business groundbreaker. They seamlessly highlight Cooke’s musical journey from Gospel golden boy, through his transition into an international Pop sensation, his remarkable Jazz and Blues interpretations from his triumphant Copacabana appearance, and his lasting legacy as an unmatched music icon.
A Chicago son, like Cooke himself, Darrian performs these timeless and classic melodies to expanded and re-invigorated arrangements that hold stylistically true to the era, while his "…scorching vocals send you searching for your soul” (The Chicago Tribune). Urban Milwaukee said, “Ford delivered faithfully throughout the night, but with “Change is Gonna Come”, he transcended. The Triangle Theatre Review said, “Ford not only turns in remarkable performances, recreating some of Cooke’s distinctive mannerisms, but captures the charisma and infectious energy of the celebrated Soul Singer pioneer.”
The Cooke Book is not just a concert, and no mere musical revue. It is a polished, razor-sharp entertainment experience in the grand tradition of the Vegas showroom.
“If Sam Cooke were to be reborn today, he couldn’t have a better vessel for the soul of his music than Darrian Ford.”
-Chicago Splash
SONGS IN THE COOKE BOOK
AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS
ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT
BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
BRING IT ON HOME TO ME
CHAIN GANG
CHANGE IS GONNA COME
CUPID
HAVING A PARTY
IF I HAD A HAMMER
LOST & LOOKIN
NOBODY KNOW’S THE TROUBLE I’VE SEEN
NOBODY WANTS YOU
NOTHING CAN CHANGE THIS LOVE
ONLY SIXTEEN
ROME
TWISTIN
WONDERFUL WORLD
YOU SEND ME
Title/Label/Release Year
SAM COOKE, Keen, 1957
ENCORE, Keen , 1958
TRIBUTE TO THE LADY, Keen , 1959
HIT KIT, Keen, 1959
I THANK GOD, Keen, 1960 (compilation)
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SAM COOKE, Keen, COOKE’S TOUR, RCA, 1960
SWING LOW, RCA, 1960
MY KIND OF BLUES, RCA, 1961
TWISTIN THE NIGHT AWAY, RCA, 1962
THE BEST OF SAM COOKE, RCA, 1962 (compilation) NIGHT BEAT, RCA, 1963
MR. SOUL, RCA, 1963
AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS, RCA, 1964
SAM COOKE AT THE COPA, RCA, 1964 SHAKE, RCA, 1965
LIVE AT THE HARLEM SQUARE CLUB, RCA, 1986