Carl Palmer, among the most renowned drummers in rock history and a founding member of both ELP and Asia, is returning to the United States and Canada for a tour he has decided to name: The 2016 Remembering Keith And The Music Of Emerson Lake & Palmer tour. Originally designed to be a celebration of Palmer’s 50th year in music, the focus and name of the tour was changed in light of the tragic death of Keith Emerson on March 11th.

“I will deeply miss Keith and I want you all to know I will carry on flying the ELP banner and playing the great music with my band for many years to come,” said Palmer, in a statement. “We have lost a very talented and gifted musician but this great music will continue for a long, long time.”

To honor his late friend and former band mate, Palmer, in association with Audio One, will present a special show: Pictures At An Exhibition- A Tribute To Keith Emerson which will feature music by Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy band with special guests, cinematic images, and performances by The Center For Contemporary Dance, who will interpret the music of Emerson Lake & Palmer in contemporary dance segments combined with backing from Palmer and his band. The tribute show, which will also include other guest musicians yet to be announced, will be staged one night only, Friday, June 24th, 2016 at Miami, Florida’s historic and intimate Olympia Theater. Tickets are available at the Olympia Theater.

Adds Palmer: “I hope this is something all fans of ELP and Keith Emerson will all want to come along and see to help celebrate his music. I had wanted to marry the music of ELP with a contemporary dance interpretation for quite a while. Originally, this event had been scheduled to be a celebration of my 50th year in music and I had invited Keith to come and participate in this and other special events that had been planned in 2016. He told us he was interested, but sadly, fate intercepted these plans. I felt it was imperative that we turn this event into a tribute to him and the music we made together.”          

The Remembering Keith tour features his popular ELP Legacy band and will also highlight his collection of fine art, recently done in conjunction with California’s Scene Four Art Studios.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy returns after a successful run of shows this past June, November and December. Palmer will present bold, new arrangements of the best-loved instrumental music of ELP, and other composers. A multi-media experience combining music and video projection, the show promises to be among the most musically compelling tours of the year. Carl Palmer ELP Legacy is a red-hot power trio that features Palmer on drums and percussion; guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick.

“Since 2001, I have been playing with my own power trio, replacing the keyboards with electric guitar,” says Palmer. “I felt that was the only honest way to approach the music of ELP. I didn’t want to have a singer trying to sound like Greg Lake. ELP did so much instrumental music, this format made sense to me. The idea was to re-invent the music; there will be several new classic ELP tunes this time around.”

The tour will also include special art events designed to benefit regional charities which will exhibit and sell canvases from Palmer’s two acclaimed collections: The Rhythm of Light (2014) and A Twist Of The Wrist (2013). The images in these collections are the result of collaboration between Palmer and the acclaimed Los Angeles Art Team, Scene Four and feature a series of signed and numbered prints of stunning visual images constructed by capturing rhythm. The images combine motion, color, and lighting into some of the most compelling fine art visuals ever created. These very limited Palmer art collections are available at Carl Palmer Art.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy will play nearly two hours and drum enthusiasts can expect an evening of compelling percussive skills, from the man who brought the drum set to the forefront of rock ‘n’ roll music.

Tour dates:

June
2 – New York, NY – BB King Blues Club
3 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre 1894
5 – Londonderry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
6 – Wilmington, DE – World Café
7 – Arlington, MA – Regent Theatre
8 – Hamilton, ON – Studio 
9 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penns Peak
10 – Bay Shore, NY – YMCA Boulton Performing Arts Center
11 – Syracuse, NY – Benefit for Crouse Health Foundation – Palace Theater
12 – Ferndale, MN – The Magic Bag
15 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
16 – Peekskill, NY – Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
17 – Lexington, MI – Lexington Village Theater
24 – Miami, FL – Olympia Theater (A tribute to Keith Emerson)

July
8 – Agoura Hills, CA – Canyon Club
9 – Indio, CA – The Rock Yard Casion
12 – Dallas, TX – Poor David’s