You would be hard pressed to find another
individual that has been such a massive force in
Britain’s musical climate as the eclectic,
wonderfully talented and endlessly charismatic Jools
Holland. In his seemingly inexhaustible appetite for
music, this man has soldiered a thousand different
styles to the British public through his TV show,
and has been privy to many of them in his own
personal musical career. Tickets to a Jools Holland
show let you unearth this exceptional talent as you
see him rocket across the piano in his own
enchanting way.
Holland began his career as the keyboard player in
Squeeze, the cult English New Wave band of which
Holland was a founding member. The band were a
phenomenon in this scene, mixing traditional 80’s
sounds with elements of jazz and blues, along with a
droll, matter-of-fact East London vocal. They have a
wealth of classic albums such as Cool for Cats,
Argybargy, East Side Story and Sweets from a
Stranger. From these they had a number of hit
singles, the highest charting being Cool for Cats
and Up the Junction. Holland’s keyboards were an
essential element of the bands success, lending
atmosphere and musical surprises: the band would
surely have not been such a distinctive project
without him.
Following his departure from Squeeze, Holland has a
long and prosperous solo career, in which he
eventually created the Jools Holland Big Band with
another member from Squeeze, through which he
experimented with his beloved R n’ B. Indeed, since
it’s beginnings it has now transformed into the
exceptional Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, an 18
piece funk-extravaganza fronted by Holland’s
dazzling keyboards.
But Holland is best known for his appearances on the
seminal television show Later…with Jools Holland.
Unlike anything else on the box, the programme sees
Holland select and introduce artists from all styles
and countries around the world: it’s innate charm
lies in it being the only place on TV you will see
massive platinum rock bands play alongside
completely unknown Rajasthani folk masters. Holland,
of course, is the show’s other main endearing
quality, with his laid-back interviewing style that
conceals a burning passion for music, and his
frequent off-the-cuff duets with his guests.
Jools Holland is a exceptional one-man musical
workforce, and deserves your time and energy for his
long standing contributions to contemporary music.
Make sure you get his concert tickets and do justice
to this fantastic musician while you still can. More
info can be found on his site:
www.joolsholland.com