British TV Host, Pianist & Bandleader Jools Holland Headed to The Blue Note

World-class rhythm and blues/ boogie-woogie pianist Jools Holland has become a British institution over the last 25 plus years, having achieved worldwide acclaim as host of the immensely popular Later....With Jools Holland on BBC Two Television since its debut in 1992. Holland will now perform live in New York City, his first U.S. performance in more than 15 years, at the legendary Blue Note.

Jools Holland's "Piano, Vocals and Drum Frenzy at the Blue Note" is set for February 1st through February 4th, playing two shows each night.

As leader of the hugely successful 19-piece Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, who continue to dazzle audiences across the UK and Europe with their exuberant live performances, he'll now present "Piano, Vocals and Drum Frenzy at the Blue Note" as the orchestra in its original form.....piano, drums and vocals. This more intimate performance will feature drummer extraordinaire and co-founding member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Gilson Lavis with vocalists Ruby Turner, Mabel Ray and Louise Marshall.

Holland's praise from critics says it all. Trade paper Music Week in the UK recently claimed "Jools Holland holds a unique place in British music. The pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and TV presenter is one of its most enduring figures on stage and screen" and The Mail on Sunday stated "The post-punk enfant terrible with the foul mouth has slowly become an institution, almost as well loved as the Queen!"

The Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra plays to audiences in excess of 300,000 each year, touring continuously in the UK with regular shows in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria as well as shows in other parts of the globe like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan. On his almost constant touring schedule, Jools comments... "I'll take the Duke Ellington view, once you start you tour for life. You don't really stop until you drop dead."

His musicianship and highly-tuned talent are unsurpassed in all genres; pop, rock, rhythm & blues, boogie-woogie, jazz and everything in between. One of his idols, B.B. King, once said "I didn't think anybody could play like that. Jools has that left hand that never stop." And, Britain's iPaper Magazine exclaimed "Jools Holland is the beloved uncle of British rock and pop. He is the musician's musician. The Brilliantined bandleader with the enviable address book who has played with everyone from musical titans to newcomers alike."

As most people know, Jools Hooland was also a founding member of the hugely popular British band Squeeze, along with Chris Difford, Glenn Tilbrook and Gilson Lavis, with early hits such as Cool For Cats, Up The Junction, Pulling Mussels from The Shell and Take Me I'm Yours.

Later...With Jools Holland on BBC Two Television, which debuted in 1992 and is still going strong more than two decades later, with millions of loyal fans around the world, has made him a household name in the U.K. The iconic show has served as a showcase for both established and emerging musical talent for many years now, like its legendary television predecessors Tops of the Pops and The Tube, which Holland co-hosted with Paula Yates. The Tube achieved almost immediate cult status and discovered a whole new generation of musicians and comedians between 1981 and 1986.

The list of hundreds of guest performers on Later....With Jools Holland over the years reads like a Who's Who of music spanning decades.....Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Amy Winehouse, Blondie, BB King, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Al Green, Gladys Knight, Tom Jones, Bono, Sting, The Police, Paul Weller, Fats Domino, Robert Plant, Coldplay, Pete Townsend, Aerosmith, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Smokey Robinson, Chrissie Hynde, Annie Lennox, Roger Daltrey, Ronnie Wood, Macy Gray, Cee Lo Green, Bryan Ferry, Joe Strummer, Adele, Rita Ora, Aaron Neville, Beck, Boy George, Depeche Mode, and so many more. Jools' hugely popular annual New Year's Eve "Hootenanny" television specials have also become a yearly tradition in Great Britain, earning him recognition as a kind of "British Dick Clark".

Jools and the show have always enjoyed high acclaim from their audiences and the media alike. The Observer called it "Britain's greatest live music show ever" while The Daily Mail said "He's the credible face of music on television!" and The Mail on Sunday raved "Never mind Big Ben, it wouldn't be New Years Eve without his annual Hootenanny. He's gone from punk rock to National Treasure" Even Sir Paul McCartney exclaimed "Jools' television show is one of the best in the world for introducing new talent and diverse music acts to us, the eager public."

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. Notable 'friends' have included Sting, Chrissie Hynde, George Harrison, Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Bono, Joe Strummer, KT Tunstall, Robert Plant, Smokey Robinson, Sugababes, Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel, Solomon Burke, and many more. In 2005, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B music, which entered the UK Album Charts at Number 5.

Collaborative works such as Golden Age Of Song, Sirens Of Song, and Jools & Ruby followed, whilst 2016 saw Holland pay tribute to his lifelong friend, the piano, with the release of his instrumental album Piano, featuring eight of his own compositions and ten carefully selected pieces interpreting the work of the piano artists and composers he loves.

Just this past year, Jools and his orchestra have been touring extensively in the UK and Europe. Joining them for the 2017 Autumn/Winter UK tour is Grammy Award winner José Feliciano, one of the most prominent stars in Latin America and revered musicians in the world. The pair also just recorded an album together, As You See Me Now, just released in November 2017.

In addition, Jools and the orchestra came together for a very special night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on September 1st, 2017 - The Sound of Soul: Stax Records. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stax/Volt Revue's first tour of the UK, Booker T. Jones and Sam Moore, both of whom were part of the 1967 tour, joined Stax artists William Bell, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, and special guests Sir Tom Jones, Beverley Knight, James Morrison and Ruby Turner in a concert underpinned by Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Don't miss Jools Holland "Piano, Vocals and Drum Frenzy at the Blue Note" February 1st through February 4th at the Blue Note Jazz Club New York at 131 West 3rd Street in Manhattan. Shows each night are at 8pm and 10:30pm. For tickets, visit www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=16022. For more on Jools, go to www.joolsholland.com.

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