Editing Jools Holland

{{Infobox
| name            = Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
| image           = <!-- Image file here -->
| caption         = 
| origin          = London, England
| genre           = {{hlist|Rhythm and blues|boogie-woogie|big band|swing|jazz|ska|blues}}
| years_active    = 1987–present
| label           = {{hlist|Warner Bros. Records|Rhino Records|Cooking Vinyl}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|[[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]]|[[Ruby Turner]]|[[Later... with Jools Holland]]}}
| website         = {{URL|joolsholland.com}}
}}

'''Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra''' (also known as '''Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra''') is an English [[rhythm and blues]] band founded and led by pianist, bandleader, and television presenter '''[[Jools Holland]]'''. Originally formed as the Jools Holland Big Band in 1987, the ensemble has grown over the decades into a large-scale touring and recording orchestra, renowned for their energetic live performances and a long-running series of collaborative albums featuring some of the biggest names in popular music.

==Background: Jools Holland==

'''Julian Miles Holland''' [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] [[Deputy Lieutenant|DL]] was born on 24 January 1958 in [[Blackheath, London]]. A self-taught pianist, Holland was playing by ear from the age of eight and was performing regularly in pubs across South East London and the East End Docks by his early teens.

At the age of 15, Holland was introduced to [[Glenn Tilbrook]] and [[Chris Difford]], and together they formed the rock band [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]], with [[Gilson Lavis]] joining shortly after on drums. Holland played keyboards on Squeeze's first three albums — ''[[Squeeze (album)|Squeeze]]'', ''[[Cool for Cats]]'', and ''[[Argybargy]]'' — before departing to pursue a solo career in 1980.

In 1983, Holland contributed a celebrated extended piano solo to [[The The]]'s recording of "[[Uncertain Smile]]" for the album ''[[Soul Mining]]'', one of the most noted session performances of his career.

Holland is also widely known as the long-running host of ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'' on [[BBC Two]], which he has presented since 1992, and as the host of the annual New Year's Eve ''[[Hootenanny]]''.

==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]].

==Members==

===Core / Long-standing members===
* '''[[Jools Holland]]''' — piano, organ, vocals (1987–present)
* '''[[Gilson Lavis]]''' — drums, percussion (1987–present; also formerly of Squeeze)
* '''[[Ruby Turner]]''' — vocals
* '''Louise Marshall''' — vocals
* '''[[Christopher Holland]]''' — organ, piano, backing vocals (Jools Holland's younger brother)
* '''Mark Flanagan''' — guitar, backing vocals
* '''Dave Swift''' — bass guitar
* '''Derek Nash''' — alto saxophone
* '''Nick Lunt''' — baritone saxophone
* '''Winston Rollins''' — trombone
* '''Rico Rodriguez''' — trombone (guest; noted reggae musician)

===Guest vocalists (selected)===
The orchestra has performed and recorded with a very wide range of guest vocalists over the years, including:
[[Van Morrison]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Steve Winwood]], [[George Harrison]], [[Norah Jones]], [[David Gilmour]], [[Bono]], [[Joe Strummer]], [[KT Tunstall]], [[Robert Plant]], [[Smokey Robinson]], [[Kylie Minogue]], [[Marc Almond]], [[Ringo Starr]], [[Peter Gabriel]], [[Solomon Burke]], [[Suggs]], [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]], [[Chrissie Hynde]], and [[Neneh Cherry]], among many others.

==Musical style==

The orchestra's sound is rooted in classic [[rhythm and blues]], [[boogie-woogie]], and [[big band]] swing, inflected with elements of [[jazz]], [[ska]], and [[blues rock]]. Holland's piano playing — characterised by rolling left-hand bass lines and exuberant right-hand runs in the tradition of [[Professor Longhair]], [[Fats Domino]], and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] — sits at the centre of the ensemble's sound.

The large brass section gives the band a powerful, full-bodied live sound capable of filling arenas and concert halls, while the presence of multiple vocalists allows the orchestra to traverse a wide range of material in a single set.

==Television and media==

Holland's role as host of ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'' (BBC Two, 1992–present) has been closely intertwined with the orchestra's public profile. The annual New Year's Eve ''Hootenanny'' special, broadcast live from [[Maidstone Studios]], regularly features the orchestra performing alongside a hand-picked selection of musical guests.

Holland regularly hosted the programme ''Jools Holland'' on [[BBC Radio 2]], a mix of live and recorded music featuring studio guests and members of his orchestra, and currently hosts ''Earlier with Jools Holland'' on [[BBC Radio 3]].

==Discography==

===Studio and collaborative albums (selected)===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Notes
|-
| 1990 || ''World of His Own'' || Early orchestra release
|-
| 1994 || ''Live Performance'' || Live album
|-
| 1996 || ''Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll'' || First Warner Bros. release
|-
| 1999 || ''Finding the Keys: The Best of Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra'' || Compilation
|-
| 2001 || ''Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'' || Features Clapton, Van Morrison, George Harrison, Sting, and others
|-
| 2002 || ''More Friends: Small World Big Band Volume 2'' ||
|-
| 2003 || ''Jack O the Green: Small World Big Band Friends 3'' ||
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Tom Jones & Jools Holland]]'' || Collaboration with [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]]
|-
| 2005 || ''Swinging the Blues Dancing the Ska'' ||
|-
| 2006 || ''Moving Out to the Country'' ||
|-
| 2008 || ''The Informer'' ||
|-
| 2010 || ''Rocking Horse'' ||
|-
| 2011 || ''Jools Holland & Friends'' ||
|-
| 2012 || ''The Golden Age of Song'' ||
|-
| 2014 || ''Sirens of Song'' ||
|-
| 2024 || ''[[Swing Fever]]'' || Collaboration with [[Rod Stewart]]; reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]]
|}

==Legacy==

Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra occupy a unique place in British popular music — simultaneously a functioning live band, a recording project, a television institution, and an informal showcase for the broader musical community. The orchestra's longevity, their consistency as a touring act, and Holland's cultivation of a vast network of fellow musicians have made them one of the most enduring ensembles in contemporary British music.

The ''Small World Big Band'' series in particular demonstrated how the orchestra could function as a kind of connective tissue between generations and genres of popular music, with Holland's position as a trusted host and collaborator enabling recordings that would have been unlikely to occur in any other context.

==See also==
* [[Jools Holland]] — main article on the bandleader
* [[Later... with Jools Holland]]
* [[Squeeze (band)]]
* [[The The]] — Holland contributed piano to their 1983 track "Uncertain Smile"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.joolsholland.com Official website]
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=jools-holland-his-rhythm-blues-orchestra-mn0000821636}}
* {{Discogs artist|Jools Holland And His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra}}

[[Category:English rhythm and blues musical groups]]
[[Category:Big band musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]
[[Category:Musical groups from London]]
[[Category:Boogie-woogie musicians]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Records artists]]