Gig review: Jools Holland

Published on Sunday 6 December 2009 21:53

JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS RHYTHM AND BLUES ORCHESTRA *** CLYDE AUDITORIUM, GLASGOW

FRIDAY night with Jools Holland is something of a British institution – at least in so far as his long-running BBC2 programme Later… has consistently been the best music show on the box its 18-year life. There was, consequently, something comfortingly familiar about beginning the weekend with the former Squeeze man, as he hosted the first of two nights at the Clyde Auditorium with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

A dynamic unit of 18 musicians on drums, guitar, bass, keys and a phalanx of horns, they cut a diverse path through a century of blues, swing, jazz and boogie-woogie history, from Jelly Roll Morton through to Cole Porter and Billy Preston. As well as playing the piano, Holland acted as bandleader and host, in his bumbling, easy-going way.

Holland's voice has never been anything like the match of his virtuoso key skills, so various guest vocalists were inevitably rolled out.

Welsh guitarist and singer Dave Edmunds skirted the fringes of pub rock with his finger-shredding solos and unfortunate grey mullet. Eddi Reader injected some glamour into proceedings, sweeping around the stage in an evening gown, performing songs recorded recently with Holland for the soundtrack to the film Me and Orson Welles. "Queen of boogie-woogie" Ruby Turner lustily belted out a string of soulful numbers, including a misty-eyed You Are So Beautiful.

A party atmosphere prevailed for the most part, and Holland's largely silver-haired faithful were on their feet practically to a fault by the final encore, for a very gentle skank to Enjoy Yourself.