Van Dyke Parks – a man who genuinely deserves to be described as “legendary” – kicks off his European tour on May 15 in the Dublin Button Factory. Tickets priced €27 are on sale on Wednesday April 13. Support is provided by Clare And The Reasons who last month assisted Duke Special with his New York Metropolitan Museum of Art song cycle performance.
A long-time Brian Wilson collaborator who worked extensively with the Beach Boy on his no-longer lost Smile album, Parks is using the trek to launch a series of five 7” singles, each of which will feature original artwork by five of America’s top contemporary artists – the gents in question being Frank Holmes, Charles Ray, Art Spiegelman, Ed Ruscha and Billy Edd Wheeler.
There’s also a 14-track Arrangements compilation to look forward to that includes Arlo Guthrie, Little Feat, Goldie Hawn and Mojo Men among its collaborators.