Tour news: Neneh Cherry; John Legend, How to Dress Well

Neneh Cherry will be backed by "the skeletal drums and brooding synths" of RocketNumberNine who were associated with her latest album, Blank Project.

Next year's Auckland Arts festival has a Cherry on top. Neneh Cherry, the Swedish-born star who broke out of the late 80s/early 90s British trip-hop scene is included in the event's programme of performers announced today.

The now 50-year-old Cherry had a run of hits starting with 1988 Buffalo Stance and Manchild through to 1996's 7 Seconds, her duet with Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour.

She stopped making solo albums but concentrated on motherhood and a variety of musical projects, some with producer husband Cameron McVey, some - like cirKus - involving their two daughters, and one influenced by Cherry's stepfather, jazz trumpeter Don Cherry.

She's playing the tented Festival Club on Wednesday, March 4,

Cherry will be backed by "the skeletal drums and brooding synths" of RocketNumberNine who were associated with her latest album, Blank Project, produced by Keiren Hebden of Four Tet and released to wide acclaim earlier this year.

Cherry isn't the only high-profile import among the festival's eclectic contemporary music programme at the Festival Club.

Cherry will also be playing in Wellington at the James Cabaret on Tuesday March 3.

And continuing on in our punsome way with concert news, here's the return of a real musical Legend - piano-tickling neo-soul guy John Legend, who was last here supporting Alicia Keys at Vector Arena late last year.

He's playing there again as a headliner with band and string section on December 10. Tickets go on sale via various pre-sales from Tuesday next week and general sales on Friday.

Finally, R&B pop crooner and producer Tom Krell, more widely known as How To Dress Well, is coming to New Zealand for one show in January.

He'll perform on January 21 at Auckland's King's Arms on the back of his latest album, Where Is This Heart?

Tickets are on sale through Dash Tickets from Tuesday, October 28.

- TimeOut