WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW – The Bacharach Songbook In Concert

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW – The Bacharach Songbook In Concert is a show dedicated to honoring the award-winning music of iconic Burt Bacharach. With a catalog that spans seventy-three U.S. and fifty-two UK Top 40 hits, six Top 40 No. 1 songs, six Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and an Emmy, there is no shortage of songs known all around the world.

Due to the vastness of the Bacharach catalog, the format and scale of the show is fluid and can be custom-scaled for specific runs of dates and large, one-off events. In addition to a core band of musicians and singers, the show often makes use of established guest artists known for their affiliation with Burt and his songs along with new, exciting artists. The show is especially well-suited for PAC performance venues and concert halls as well as large-scale venues with a number of superstar guest artists on the show.

The show is co-produced and led onstage by music director, pianist and arranger Rob (Shrock) Shirakbari who traveled the world many times over performing at the most premiere venues as keyboardist and arranger for both Bacharach and Dionne Warwick. Rob started working with Bacharach and Warwick in his late teens and continues to this day as Ms. Warwick’s music director and arranger. Much of Bacharach’s touring show since the 1990s was arranged and orchestrated by Rob, as is Ms. Warwick’s current live show.

Rob has also worked with numerous international stars onstage and in the studio including Stevie Wonder, Sting, Gladys Knight, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Frank Sinatra, Michael McDonald, Adele, and many more. With a working relationship with both Bacharach and Warwick that has spanned nearly 40 years and a uniquely personal insight into the Bacharach song catalog, Rob is the ideal musician and arranger to play and
conduct the band.

Show co-producer Angelo Bundini is also the creator and producer of the global Celebrating David Bowie concerts. Since their inception in 2016, they have performed in premiere venues to devoted Bowie fans in 17 countries on 5 continents with appearances by Sting, Gary Oldman, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Ewan McGregor, Simon LeBon and other superstar guests, choirs and orchestras. Angelo’s new show, BEAT, is very quickly selling out shows throughout the US this Fall 2024. BEAT features former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin with superstar players Steve Vai and Danny Carey from Tool performing selections from the 1980s King Crimson albums Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair.

Dionne Warwick is a six-time Grammy Award-winning music legend who has earned more than 75 charted hit songs and sold over 100 million records. She was discovered by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 1961, and went on to record 18 consecutive Top 100 singles (“Don’t Make Me Over,” Walk on By,” “Say a Little Prayer,” “A House is Not a Home,” “Alfie,” “Heartbreaker,” “Déjà Vu,” among countless others). She received her first Grammy in 1968 for “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”. Ms. Warwick became the first African-American solo female artist of her generation to win the prestigious award for Best Contemporary Female Vocalist Performance.  

In 1985, she participated in the recording of “That’s What Friends Are For,” which became a number-one hit worldwide and raised awareness and major funds for AIDS research, which she continues to support, among other causes such as The Starlight Foundation, children’s hospitals, world hunger, disaster relief, and music education for which she has been honored and has raised millions of dollars. Ms. Warwick also participated in the all-star charity single, “We Are the World” and performed at “Live Aid.” 

Ms. Warwick has been honored by AMFAR, the Desert Aids Project, and Clive Davis at his pre-Grammy party. Ms. Warwick was also inducted into The Grammy Museum where a special 50^th Anniversary career exhibit was unveiled. Most recently, Ms. Warwick released a star-studded duets album entitled, “Feels So Good,” featuring collaborations with some of today’s greatest artists. Most recently, Warwick was the recipient of the coveted and prestigious 2017 Marian Anderson Award for her career accomplishments and philanthropy. She was honored in a 2018 PBS Television Special, “Then Came You,” was named 2019 Ambassador to the Smithsonian Institute’s Year in Music and is a 2019 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Rumer is a critically acclaimed British singer songwriter, live performer and catalogue artist whose debut album Seasons of My Soul (2010) sold over a million copies worldwide. In 2012, she released Boy’s Don’t Cry, where she did justice to some of the 70’s finest songwriters. Her album Into Colour (2014) saw Rumer’s own return as a songwriter, followed by This Girl’s in Love: A Bacharach and David Songbook in 2016, Nashville Tears in 2020, Live from Lafayette (2020), B Sides and Rarities Vol 2 (2022) and most recently In Session creating a fresh, soulful take on Rumer’s much-loved hits recordings with the masterful Redtenbacher’s Funkestra. Rumer is currently writing and recording her next original studio album set for release in 2026.

 Rumer, who has been called “Heir to Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter” by Q Magazine, has earned rave reviews for her live shows across the globe.    

 Rumer was influenced from an early age by the American Songbook, hymns and the musical tastes of her six older siblings. She spent her twenties in a succession of bands and a variety of minimum wage jobs, interrupted by a spell in a hippy commune following the death of her mother from breast cancer. After a succession of false starts, a chance meeting with a collaborator and a deal with Atlantic Records, Rumer began her rapid rise.

 The world swooned at her smoky, soothing tones, compared to those of Karen Carpenter, and the classic arrangements across her first album, SEASONS OF MY SOUL, where every song, as The Guardian put it, already sounded “like a standard”.  Richard Carpenter wrote to offer her his “congratulations” for creating something “actually musical, which has been in short supply in recent years.” Another high-profile fan, Elton John remarked that “Singers like Rumer don’t come along that often.”

Known for his literate, Baroque rock sound, Britain’s Ed Harcourt is a distinctively enigmatic presence known for his solo work and contributions to other artists’ work. Arriving in the early 2000s, Harcourt was praised for his dark-toned anthems that touched upon post-punk guitar rock, orchestral pop, and minimalist balladry. Often compared to his idol , the pianist/vocalist earned respect from the start, picking up a Mercury Prize nomination for his 2001 debut Here Be Monsters. He also charted in the Top 100 in the U.K. with albums like 2003’s From Every Sphere, 2004’s Strangers, and 2006’s The Beautiful Lie. Other albums, including 2010’s Lustre, 2013’s Back Into the Woods, and 2016’s Furnaces, further showcased his atmospheric sound, and helped to solidify his reputation as a cult favorite. Along with his own albums, he is an in-demand studio player and producer, having collaborated on projects with such varied artists as , , and . At the end of the 2010s, Harcourt took yet another new direction, recording a couple of all-instrumental albums based around piano and complex orchestral arrangements, before returning to his introspective singer/songwriter roots with 2024’s El Magnifico.

Born Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith in 1977 in Wimbledon, London, England, Harcourt grew up the son of Charles Harcourt-Smith, a Major in the British Army Life Guards, and Sabrina Harcourt-Smith, an art historian. Although he initially started taking piano lessons around age nine, he eventually rejected formal tutoring in favor of discovering music on his own terms. By his teens, he had collected an array of influences, including , , , , and , to name a few. While still in school, he co-founded the indie rock outfit Snug and recorded two albums, including 1999’s Snug, before the band broke up.

After the demise of Snug, Harcourt worked days as a chef while continuing to write songs. He debuted his solo music with the 2000 EP Maplewood, an atmospherically lo-fi production recorded at his grandmother’s rural Sussex home of Wootton Manor. Initially intended as a demo, the album was released after Harcourt signed with , then a subsidiary of . In 2001, he issued his proper full-length debut, Here Be Monsters, produced by ‘ Tim Holmes and showcasing a more fully realized studio sound. The album cracked the Top 100 of the U.K. charts and earned a Mercury Prize nomination. A year later, he returned with the -produced From Every Sphere, which hit number 39 in the U.K.

Following a tour with  and , Harcourt issued his third studio album, Strangers, in 2004. Co-produced with Jari Haapalainen and Hadrian Garrard, it peaked at number 57 in the U.K. (and reached number seven in Sweden). It also garnered more airplay in the States, and spawned the singles “Born in the ’70s,” “This One’s for You,” and “Loneliness.” He then appeared live at the 2005 Meltdown Festival in London, during which he also performed with curator and longtime influence . His fourth album, The Beautiful Lie, arrived in June 2006, and again featured co-production by Haapalainen. Also featured were contributions by members of , ‘s , and Harcourt’s wife, violinist and singer Gita Harcourt. A greatest-hits compilation, Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt, followed in 2007, closing out Harcourt’s contract with . Included were key tracks from his  albums as well as the newly penned track titled “You Put a Spell on Me.”

By the end of the decade, Harcourt had signed with New York City’s  and released the 2009 digital EP Russian Roulette. The label also helped broaden his profile in the States, reissuing The Beautiful Lie. Harcourt began to branch out during this period, composing the music for the soundtrack to the Donnie Darko sequel S. Darko, and contributing the track “Isabel” to the SOS Children’s Villages Emergency Relief Fund in Haiti. He also collaborated on tracks with other artists including , , and .

In 2010, he returned with his fifth studio album, the Ryan Hadlock-produced Lustre. The first album issued on his own , it found him ruminating on themes of parenthood, fidelity, and financial woes. It reached number 12 on the U.K. Indie charts. Over the next several years, Harcourt expanded his collaborations with other performers, working on music with , , and , among others. He finally returned to solo work with 2013’s Back Into the Woods. Consisting of songs he wrote over a month-long hiatus, the album was a spare, largely acoustic affair, recorded in a one-day session with producer Pete Hutchings at the Abbey Road Studios. The EP, Time of Dust, arrived the following year.

Harcourt continued to find himself in-demand as a collaborator over the next few years, working on projects with , , and . In 2016, he released his seventh studio album, the Flood-produced Furnaces. He then contributed to ‘s The Architect, and ‘s Only in My Mind, before issuing his own Beyond the End in 2018. He also appeared alongside ‘s  on ‘s Negative Capability. Arriving in 2020, the single “Drowning in Dreams” heralded the release of Monochrome to Colour, Harcourt’s second consecutive instrumental outing which appeared in September. With 2024’s El Magnifico, he returned to his elegiac and lyrical vocal pop style. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

ROB SHIRAKBARI is a musical Renaissance Man. A true jack-of-all-trades and master of many, indeed, he is at equal ease playing Debussy on the piano or rocking a B-3 organ, orchestrating and conducting for a symphony orchestra or thrashing a Les Paul through a Marshall, programming a drum beat or grooving on an electric bass.

Behind the glass, Rob can guide an artist with the wisdom of a seasoned producer or roll up his sleeves and engineer a session alongside the best technicians. He has produced and recorded with a wide range of artists and projects.

As a producer, composer and arranger, Rob’s most recent project is “Into Colour” by Atlantic Records UK artist, RUMER. “Into Colour” debuted at #12 in the UK charts. Rob co-wrote all but one song on the record, and played many of the instruments.

Rob is also the Music Director for pop/soul icon, DIONNE WARWICK, and for years Rob was the keyboardist, arranger and music director for legendary composer, BURT BACHARACH. Rob has been closely associated with Bacharach and Warwick since the mid-1980s.

Rob’s songs have been in feature films and used for the development of new artists. Rob had an early hand in the career development of Leann Rimes (Curb Records), Mikaila (Island Def Jam) and Kristy Lee Cook (Arista). Working with young artists in need of development is one of Rob’s passions.

Rob has recorded and/or performed with such legendary artists as Duffy, Adele, Elvis Costello, Leann Rimes, Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Whitney Houston, Chrissie Hynde, Ray Charles, Faith Hill, Sir Cliff Richard, Wynonna, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Alexandra Burke, Chris Botti, Rufus Wainwright, Joe McElderry, Garth Brooks, Jamie Cullum, Michael Bublé, Peabo Bryson, ‘N Sync, Clay Aiken, Rubben Studdard, Kristy Lee Cook, Boy George, Caro Emerald, Ivan Lins, Gladys Knight, Frank Sinatra, Queen Latifah, David Foster, Gloria Estefan, Barry Manilow, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Ben Folds, Olivia Newton-John, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Jeffrey Osborne, David Sanborn, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, George Duke, Ronald Isley and a host of others.

Rob served as one of three Musical Directors for the 72nd Academy Awards© (along with Don Was and Burt Bacharach). Rob wrote the arrangements and conducted the pit orchestra for the four-hour awards show. As well, Rob played keyboards in the on-camera band that featured Ray Charles, Garth Brooks, Queen Latifah, Faith Hill, Dionne Warwick and Isaac Hayes in a tribute to Oscar-winning songs.

Jana Varga is a genre-defying sophisticated songbird and multi-instrumentalist in the classic traditions. Her folk/roots and gospel influenced debut album ‘Foreigner Face’ (2022) was co-produced by Fred Molin (Jimmy Webb’s 10 Easy Pieces) and it was described as ‘Fascinating mixture of styles and very original’ by Paul Sexton (BBC, Billboard) and ‘Amazingly beautiful’ by songwriting legend Janis Ian.The album was nominated in the emerging artists category at the British Blues Awards, a testimony to its cross-genre appeal. Jana’s subsequent headline tour introduced her music to a wider UK audience and saw her first international collaboration with Varga Quartett Wien, a noted Austrian classical string quartet based in Vienna led by her brother Pavol. Moreover, Jana is making a regular guest appearance on the critically acclaimed ‘Joni Reimagined’ show (homage to songs of Joni Mitchell) where she has recorded and performed internationally with platinum selling artist Rumer, alongside other elite vocalists. Indeed, in late 2023 she also performed at the O2 Indigo as a member of Rumer’s band, in addition to being the opening act.

Woody Mankowski is a distinguished jazz musician renowned for his exceptional talent as a saxophonist and vocalist. With a career spanning several decades, Woody has captivated audiences worldwide with his dynamic performances and versatile musicality.

Raised in a musically rich environment, Woody’s passion for jazz was ignited at a young age. He honed his craft at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he refined his technical skills and deepened his understanding of jazz theory and improvisation. His dedication to the art form is evident in his fluid saxophone solos and soulful vocal interpretations.

Throughout his career, Woody has collaborated with an array of acclaimed artists and ensembles, showcasing his adaptability and broad musical range. He has performed alongside jazz legends such as Clark Terry, Bobby McFerrin, and Doc Severinsen, and has been a featured soloist with prominent orchestras and big bands.

Woody’s discography includes a mix of original compositions and jazz standards, reflecting his deep respect for the genre’s traditions while infusing his unique creative voice. His recordings have received critical acclaim for their artistry and emotional depth, earning him a loyal following among jazz enthusiasts.

In addition to his performance career, Woody is a dedicated educator, sharing his knowledge and passion for jazz with students of all ages. He has conducted masterclasses and workshops at various institutions, inspiring the next generation of musicians to explore and embrace the world of jazz.

Woody Mankowski’s contributions to jazz continue to resonate, solidifying his reputation as a consummate artist and an influential figure in the contemporary jazz scene. Whether on stage or in the studio, his performances are marked by a profound musicality and a genuine connection with his audience.

Throughout his career, Kenny Dickenson has built a reputation for being one of the industry’s more innovative and versatile talents known for his ability to cross artistic boundaries. Born in Manchester UK, his creative playing style takes in classic pop and rock to neoclassical, improvisation, soundtrack undertones, and electronic textures that can be heard on recordings from the Grammy nominated album Eye To The Telescope by KT Tunstall to the soundtrack of the Oscar winning As Good As It Gets and multiple award winning TV series Black Mirror.

As well as being an accomplished keyboard player, MD and multi instrumentalist, his credits extend to string and horn arranging and he has recorded and performed with artists such as Todd Rundgren, Macy Gray, Dave Stewart, Natalie Imbruglia, KT Tunstall, Billy Bragg, Aim, The Cinematic Orchestra, Paul Heaton, Jack Savoretti, Lisa Knapp, Du Blonde, Darren Hayes, Noel Langley, Tanita Tikaram and many others.

Relocating from London to Los Angeles he has also established himself as an acclaimed solo artist switching seamlessly between neoclassical and electronic worlds. He has released 2 LPs, the original motion picture soundtrack to Mai Hua’s film Les Rivieres and Infinite Journey for Neogarde/ BMG Records.

New projects for 2026 include an E.P. for Universal Cave records in Philadelphia, recording his 3rd solo album for BeWith records in the UK and appearing with Dionne Warwick at the Royal Albert Hall London in July as part of the What The World Needs Now tour celebrating the work of Burt Bacharach which will continue to tour through the fall.

Kenny is proudly endorsed by Nord Keyboards and Arturia

Ash Soan is an award-winning UK session drummer known for versatility across many genres. He has contributed to multiple pop, rock, prog, fusion, reggae and indie recordings for artists including Adele, Rod Stewart, Cher, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys, Seal, Dua Lipa, Bob Marley & The Chineke Orchestra, Julian Lennon, Paloma Faith, Take That, Snow Patrol, Tori Amos, Tate McRae, Robbie Williams, Rumer/Dionne Warwick and Billy Idol.

MOVIES & TV  

His recording work also spans movie and TV soundtracks including Terminator Genisys, Kung Fu Panda 3, Pennyworth (Series) and three Mission Impossible films with Lorne Balfe.

The Radleys Movie & Eric (Netfix series with Benedict Cumberbatch) for Keefus CiancIa.

Dr Who Christmas special 2018 for Segun Akinola. 

The FIFA World Cup Theme, Boss Baby 2 (Hans Zimmer & Steve Mazzaro) and the 2019 Lion King for Hans Zimmer.

Ash is currently working on The Cat In The Hat 2026 due in November and most recently Ash has worked on the New Young Sherlock series for Amazon Prime with Composer Chris Benstead Due March 2026. 

LIVE WORK 

Ash’s live work includes full tours with Sinead O’Connor, Squeeze, Marianne Faithfull, Del Amitri, Faithless, The Waterboys, Will Young, Belinda Carlilse, Lisa Stansfield, Rick Wakeman, Tom Robinson, Joss Stone, Terry Reid, Tom McRae, Vex Red, MJ Cole, Natasha Bedingfield, Lewis Taylor, Tori Amos and most recently Snow Patrol. 

Other Live Shows include

Other Live shows include Laura Mvula and the London Symphony Orchestra, Sheryl Crow, Roachford, Chris Difford, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison (Albert Hall), Mark Ronson, Jeff Lorber, Trevor Horn shows with guests including Stewart Copeland, Seal, Ronnie Wood, Imelda May, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, Will Young, Shaznay Lewis, Gary Kemp, Tony Hadley, Sophie Ellis Bexstor, Simon Le Bon, Mel C and Roger Daltrey. Shows with Hamish Stuart, Dionne Warwick,  Feastival with Alex James and Jamie Oliver. Woodstock 94 with Del Amitri and the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony with Mike Oldfield.

Flo Moore has performed with many established artists, such as Jordan Rakei, Jason Rebello (Sting), Keaton Henson, Richard Spaven, Judi Jackson, Hugh Harris (the Kooks), Drew MacFarlane (Glass Animals), Pete King, Perico Sambeat, Bobby Watson, John Altman, Henry Lowther, Paul Clarvis, Paul Booth, Emma Rawicz and David McAlmont. She has played at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sage Gateshead and the National Concert Hall Dublin. She has recorded on tracks featuring Frank Gambale (Chick Corea), Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth) and Barry Finnerty (Miles Davis, Brecker Brothers), and worked with Grammy award winning producer Jason Miles (Chaka Khan, Miles Davis) on two albums.

Flo’s current live projects include Jordan Rakei, Quinn Oulton, Lokki (Drew MacFarlane), The Lovers of Invention, Sam Leak’s Looking Glass, the Tom Ridout Quintet, Tomorrow’s New Quartet and Jeremy Sassoon’s MOJO. She was previously a member of award winning bands Ezra Collective and Nerija.

Considered by many to be the “Ultimate Rock Cult Hero”, Todd Rundgren has maintained a legion of fans through four decades, rivaled only by Grateful Dead. Todd was raised in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) area, and his first professional bands, Money and Woddy’s Truckstop, achieved much regional success. It was in the late 1960s, however, that Todd’s searing guitar work reached a nationwide audience, in his role as lead guitarist for the blues-psychedelic band Nazz. he wrote and arranged almost all of the work that went into the three albums the group produced. Their music ranged from Southern blues to hard rock to heavily orchestrated symphonies. Nazz broke up in the early 1970s and Todd released two solo albums under the name of Runt. His first big solo success was in 1971 with “We Gotta Get You a Woman” and in 1973 from the double album “Something/Anything?” he scored big on the charts with “I Saw the Light” and a revision of a Nazz song, “Hello, It’s Me.” Perhaps the superstardom that seemed imminent at this time eluded Rundgren due to his reluctance to be pigeonholed into any single type of music. He still released albums with great love ballads, but they were also laced with heavy guitar rock, and occasionally mini rock operas. Rundgren has scored huge as a music producer, most notably on Meat Loaf‘s “Bat Out of Hell” opus. In the late 1970s and through the 1980s Todd formed the group Utopia, each member an accomplished musician and vocalist. In recent years Rundgren has become a computer enthusiast, marketing many new innovations, some in conjunction with his music.

The Voice positioned Moten as a lead singer and gained her millions of new fans. It also allowed her to showcase the numerous genres that she can effortlessly explore, from R&B and pop to country and jazz.

One of six siblings raised by her minister father and encouraging mother, she performed her first solo in her father’s Memphis church at age eight. She was immersed in the city’s musical landscape, from Elvis and Isaac Hayes to Sam & Dave and numerous blues artists.

She met Santos, a bass player, nearly 30 years ago, when they were both a member of an all-star band that included musical icons Billy Preston and Randy Bachman. When Santos decided to relocate from New York to Nashville, she joined him in 1996. “In Memphis, we all grew together, so you knew who the movers and shakers were. I had to start completely over in Nashville.”

News of her talent spread quickly in Music City and her powerful vocals soon became the stuff of legend. Indeed, she even earned the nickname “The Voice.” Now that her impeccable reputation has spread nationally, she’s working with producers including Paul Worley (Martina McBride, Lady A) and eager to showcase all that she can do.

“This time of my life, I am very sure of the moves I am making and want to make,” she says. “I have no doubt in my mind of my purpose from this moment on. I’ve been fortunate in that I have always had a gift and amazing opportunities. I don’t remember not working or traveling; all I remember are rehearsals.

“What is different about me now is there is no guesswork, which is a great relief, especially the older you get in the music business and you are trying to find your place. My place is where I make it. I believe that if you build it, they will come.”