Editing Jools Holland (section)

==History==

===Formation: The Jools Holland Big Band (1987)===

In 1987, Holland formed the Jools Holland Big Band, which initially consisted of himself and former Squeeze bandmate [[Gilson Lavis]] on drums. The ensemble was conceived as a vehicle for Holland's love of boogie-woogie piano and classic rhythm and blues, styles that had always underpinned his musical sensibility even during his years with Squeeze.

The Big Band gradually expanded in size and scope over the late 1980s, taking on additional brass players, vocalists, and a rhythm section, developing the sound and format that would define the orchestra for decades to come.

===Growth and renaming (late 1980s–1990s)===

As the ensemble grew, it was renamed '''Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra''', reflecting both its expanded instrumentation and its core musical identity. The band became known as an English rhythm and blues band led by boogie-woogie and former Squeeze pianist and television personality Jools Holland.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Holland's television career was expanding in parallel. After co-presenting ''[[The Tube (TV series)|The Tube]]'' with [[Paula Yates]] on Channel 4 (1982–1987), between 1988 and 1990 Holland performed and co-hosted along with [[David Sanborn]] during the two seasons of the music performance programme ''Sunday Night'' on NBC late-night television.

In 1996, Holland signed a recording contract with [[Warner Bros. Records]], and his records are now marketed through [[Rhino Records]].

===The ''Small World Big Band'' series (2001–2003)===

The orchestra gained its widest commercial recognition through the ''Small World Big Band'' series of collaborative albums, which leveraged Holland's unique position as the host of ''Later... with Jools Holland'' to bring together an extraordinary range of guest artists.

The first volume, ''[[Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues]]'' (2001), featured guest appearances by no fewer than 22 significant musical figures, including [[Eric Clapton]], [[Steve Winwood]], [[Van Morrison]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], and what is reputed to be the last recording by [[George Harrison]], recorded a little over a month before his death in November 2001. Harrison's contribution, "Horse to the Water" — written with his son [[Dhani Harrison]] — became a poignant coda to the album.

Subsequent volumes followed: ''More Friends: Small World Big Band Volume 2'' (2002) and ''Jack O the Green: Small World Big Band Friends 3'' (2003), each continuing the formula of pairing the orchestra with a diverse array of collaborators ranging from veterans to newer artists.

===Continued activity and touring (2004–present)===

The orchestra has remained one of the most active live acts in British music. As well as formidable live performances, Jools has maintained a prolific recording career since signing to Warner Music in 1996, which includes the multimillion-selling ''Jools Holland and Friends'' series.

On 29 November 2002, Holland was in the ensemble of musicians who performed at the [[Concert for George]], which celebrated the music of [[George Harrison]].

In January 2005, Holland and his band performed with [[Eric Clapton]] as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Cardiff.

In 2004, Holland collaborated with Welsh singer [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]] on the album ''[[Tom Jones & Jools Holland]]'', a collection of traditional R&B material that reached the upper reaches of the UK charts.

The orchestra has continued releasing albums throughout the 2010s and 2020s, including ''The Golden Age of Song'' (2012), ''Sirens of Song'' (2014), and further collaborative sets.

===Current lineup===

The current lineup is a 19-piece orchestra consisting of pianist, organist, drummer, three female vocalists, guitar, bass guitar, two tenor saxophones, two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, three trumpets, and three trombones.

The orchestra has included singers [[Louise Marshall]], [[Ruby Turner]], and Holland's daughter Mabel Ray, as well as his younger brother, singer-songwriter and keyboard player [[Christopher Holland]].