Review of and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and Friends - Small World Big Band Album by Jools Holland

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3. Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and Friends Small World Big Band (Album - Warner)
The cover note photos shows Jools Holland like some maniacal star stalker whos managed to grab photos of himself with all of his favourite musicians.
But, with as many friends as the cool and collected musical maestro himself, its hardly surprising hes managed to enlist as many willing subjects as he has for his new album Small World Big Band.
Input from the likes of likes of Sting, the late George Harrison, Marc Almond, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton (and the list goes on) dwarves onto insignificance all previous attempts at a celebrity album line-up.
Anyone who has ever seen the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra live will appreciate that, although they are a huge band made up expert musicians, more than anything, the show is about having the crack, about lifting the mood and, having a good old fashioned boogy.
So when Holland gets behind a microphone with Dr John to sing The Hand That Changed Its Mind, or plays the piano alongside Mica Paris and Dave Gilmore on I Put A Spell On You and Kelly Jones on the Beatles Revolution, Blues it may be, but blue it definitely doesnt make you feel.
So, what do you give to the man who has everything; the man with the most enviable job in the music business; the man with an untarnished and well-respected reputation, a man fast becoming a legend in his own right.
Listen to this and it seems Jools Holland, just got lucky again.
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