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Preview: Jools Holland
Paul R Taylor9/12/2005
MORE than a million people have paid to see Julian Miles Holland
OBE.
The pianist, bandleader, presenter and His Rhythm & Blues
Orchestra have been popular for the past ten years.
Several thousand more will have the chance to enjoy music from the
man with the magical left hand and his 18-piece when they play the
Manchester Apollo this weekend.
Jools and his orchestra recently released Swinging the Blues,
Dancing the Ska - which is, not surprisingly, an eclectic mix of 21
tracks including great standards such as Count Basie's Mr Robert's
Roost and some Jools originals.
Music from the album, his tenth for Warner Music, will dominate the
gig, so expect great solos from reggae legends Rico Rodriguez and
Michael "Bammi" Rose, Sam Brown singing Juicehead Blues and a
jazzed-up version of Dylan's Blowin in the Wind from Ruby Turner.
Anyone with functioning ears will have a good time.
Born in 1958, Jools could play the piano fluently by ear by the age
of eight.
By his early teens he was proficient enough to be appearing
regularly in many of the pubs in south east London and the East End
docks.
He was introduced to Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford aged 15 and
together they formed Squeeze.
Gilson Lavis joined the band soon after and still drums with Jools
today.
Squeeze released Up The Junction and Cool For Cats, toured America
and played Madison Square Garden before Jools left in 1980 and
began co-presenting Newcastle-based TV music show The Tube with
Paula Yates.
He achieved notoriety and was sacked after swearing but returned to
our screens in 1992 with the Later with Jools Holland - the perfect
vehicle for Jools' eclectic (a word he could copyright)
tastes.
He set up the orchestra with Lavis in the early 90s and it is now
one of the only full time big bands recording and touring and the
only one that plays both blues and ska.
Support act The Fields, fronted by Jools' guitarist Mark Flanagan,
are worth arriving early to hear.
Jool Holland plays Manchester Apollo on Friday and
Saturday.
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