The first big-name concert of 2010 takes place next week with Elton John and percussionist Ray Cooper playing two nights at Blaisdell Arena. What was originally a one-night engagement on Wednesday sold out quickly, and a Saturday show was added. No surprise there!

Fans of the iconic piano man have seen him in concert here several times in the past decade—performing solo or with Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson—but the two-nighter with Cooper approaches his music from a different perspective. This time it's Elton's piano plus a world-class celebrity percussionist whose credits also include work with the Who, America, Wings, Eric Clapton and several members of the Rolling Stones.

John and Cooper first performed as a duo in the late '70s following the demise of the Elton John Band; by the end of the tour, Cooper was a celebrity in his own right. A second series of concerts by the pair affirmed the popular appeal of the piano-and-percussion concept in the mid-'90s. Cooper also appeared as a featured performer in a televised special, “;A Special Evening with Elton John,”; in 1994.

Now they're coming to Hawaii after critically acclaimed shows in France and Italy last fall. Hawaii has yet to see Elton John in concert with Billy Joel—the two pianists' “;Face-to-Face”; shows have been sellouts for years—but while Hawaii waits for promoter Tom Moffatt to put that deal together, this double bill should stand as one of the year's best shows.