JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA

Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll (PWL)

IN THE unlikely event of yours truly ever attaining superstardom and being offered the prestigious Mad Hatter’s Box in this august journal, I’d have no hesitation in naming Jools Holland as the first person I’d invite along to my birthday party.

Not only would he carry out his party-piece in style, but you’d never know who he might bring along with him. As viewers of his compelling Later With . . . series will confirm, Holland is not only a brilliant master of ceremonies and an astute interviewer, but is also remarkably adept at drawing together some of the most unlikely collaborators you could imagine.

Not surprisingly, Holland approaches his own albums in the same slap-happy manner. In addition to his 12-piece rhythm & blues orchestra, Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll features numerous guest vocalists – which is probably just as well. Let’s just say that as a singer, he’s a very good piano player!

Among his guests are the sublime Eddi Reader, who lends her tonsils to ‘The Waiting Game’, a tune very much in the style of Sam Brown’s ‘Stop’. Brit soulster Ruby Turner joins him on the ska-like ‘Able Mabel’, – with the trombone riffs supplied by the legendary Rico Rodriguez, while another UK soul diva, Mica Paris, turns up on a couple of tracks including the African sounding ‘I, Is All I Ever Hear’ and the dancey ‘Count To Ten’. Squeeze’s Chris Difford supplies vocals and songwriting assistance on half a dozen tracks, the most successful of these being, ‘Scorpio Rising’.

A great party album – and if you’re reading this, Jools, my birthday is on February 3rd!

Colm O’Hare