Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

The King of Boogie Woogie came to town and brought the house down with his 16 piece rhythm & blues band and special guests. Holland performed jaw dropping piano solos with seemingly effortless precision and had everyone were on their feet from the off. Beth Rowley sang an up beat version of I’m in the mood for and delighted the audience with her harmonica playing. Each band member was introduced throughout the evening by Holland and delighted us with their solo performances. Pauline Black & Arthur’Gaps’ Hendrickson took us down memory lane with songs from The Selecter including ‘too much pressure’ and the iconic ‘on my radio’. For the finale, musical royalty Ruby Turner came on to rapturous applause and belted out as only she can ‘Let the good times roll’ plus several other good time songs. The evening finished on a high with everyone joining in. Big Bands are here to stay.

The Brighton Centre, Brighton  17th December 2016

[Rating: 4/5]