Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones brings her singular blend of songwriting and storytelling to Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, on 29 May 2026. Chicago-born and shaped by the Los Angeles club scene at the end of the 70s, she folds jazz, folk, rock, R&B and soul into songs with a clear narrative line and a conversational pulse. Her self-titled debut (1979) and Pirates (1981) set out an urban, literate world; Flying Cowboys (1989, with Walter Becker) widened the frame, while Pop Pop, Traffic from Paradise and Ghostyhead explored acoustic nuance, electric textures and trip hop leanings. More recently, Pieces of Treasure (2023) returned to jazz standards with calm assurance.

On stage, Jones moves between piano and guitar, reshaping catalogue favorites and slipping in newer material without nostalgia. A phrase might hang in the air, a groove might tilt toward swing, then drift back to folk cadence; the thread is her agile voice and ear for detail. Expect a close-up performance that travels across eras and moods, guided by a songwriter who keeps form and feeling in quiet balance.