Sir Tom Jones proved he is still a class act in a concert at Dubai's Burj Al Arab.
The celebrated Welsh crooner was the star of a lavish gala dinner on Friday featuring a red carpet, pre-show reception and a decadent meal including plates of lobster salad and Wagyu beef, mushrooms and truffle sauce. The dishes were prepared by the hotel's acclaimed chefs, including from Al Muntaha, which earned a Michelin star last year for its exquisite French-Mediterranean cuisine.
Backed by a tight band adept at playing pop, folk, jazz and blues arrangements, Sir Tom launched into a set of originals and covers spanning his near six-decade career.
His latest album, his 41st, is 2021's Surrounded by Time. It received a decent reception, with his interpretation of The Windmills of Your Mind, co-written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, a stand-out.
It was Sir Tom's enduring signature hits that elicited the biggest reactions, however, including Sex Bomb and the Les Reed cover Delilah.
The concert, organised by M Premiere, also confirmed that at 82 years of age, Sir Tom, a British national treasure, remains current.
While his career hit a lean period in the 1980s, that was revitalised thanks to his 1999 duet album Reload, featuring guest turns from contemporary artists such as Stereophonics, Robbie Williams and Portishead.
Ever since, Sir Tom has been recording and touring regularly with his Burj Al Arab gig coming off the back of an active tour last year, which had him head across Europe and the US.
Sir Tom's latest show marks his return to the UAE after he headlined the opening night of the 2017 Dubai Jazz Festival.
He took to the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre stage with a nine-piece band and performed his hits, as well as covers of blues staples such as Burning Hell by John Lee Hooker.
Sir Tom also used the occasion to pay a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Melinda Trenchard, who died in 2016.
He performed a touching rendition of Tomorrow Night, her "favourite" song from his 2015 album, Long Lost Suitcase.
