THE COOKE BOOK is a celebration of Cooke’s innovative but too brief career that blazed a trail for Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and many other icons of soul music and contemporary artists.
The show includes 22 songs from the songbook of the legendary singer/songwriter that highlight Cooke’s musical journey in Gospel, his transition into an international pop sensation, his remarkable Jazz and Blues interpretations from his Copacabana appearance, and his lasting legacy as an unmatched music icon.
Ford, the show’s creator and a Chicago son, like Sam himself, is joined on stage by a stellar band of musicians/singers. Together, they provide vocal and instrumental accompaniment to hits like “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Change is Gonna Come,” “Cupid,” “Wonderful World,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” and “You Send Me.” THE COOKE BOOK is not a musical, it's not a concert, it is a polished, razor-sharp entertainment experience in the classic tradition of the great Vegas showrooms.