TV Presenter, Author and Eighties keyboards-man and Boogie- Woogie/Blues/Jazz pianist, Jools Holland plays The Olympia on October 24th and 25th
In his teens, he played professionally in pubs and clubs in South- and East-London. At the age of 15, he met Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook who were looking to put a band together. The band was called Squeeze and Jools was invited to join on keyboards.
Squeeze were a fairly big deal in their day. Though much of this success is to be attributed to the collaborative songwriting of Difford and Tilbrook, there is little doubt that had Jools Holland been a less talented pianist or Paul Gunn a less gifted drummer, they would not have made it as far as they did.
In 1980, stifled by the Difford-Tilbrook vision, Jools Holland left Squeeze, on amicable terms. He set out on his own, and put together a band called Jools Holland and his Millionaires, with the extraordinary distinction (at the time) of having no guitarist. The Millionaires' self-titled first album was also their last. It was a complete flop and the band dissolved soon after, though Holland would continue to work with the musicians involved over the years.
In 1982, Squeeze dissolved, after five years of constant touring. They reformed in 1985 however and Jools Holland was invited to come back on board and accepted. Once again, he stepped out of the limelight. He kept his own routine though, touring as a duo with Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis. It was from this collaboration that the seeds of Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra were sown.
In 1990, once again, Holland left Squeeze to pursue his own career, beginning with A World of His Own released that same year. On top of recording half a dozen albums, the following ten years would see Jools Holland catapulted from interview-friendly musician to TV personality when he was given his own music show to host: “Later with Jools Holland”.
In 1999, he was invited to play on a new album by the legendary and eccentric boogieist Dr John. He an his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra were then asked to lead the celebrations at the Millenium Dome for the new year. And June 2003, he was granted an OBE for his services to the British Empire as musician and TV presenter.
A very gifted and multi-talented musician and a great man.
Time: 8.00 pm
Tickets: €38 / €36
The Olympia
72 Dame St
Tel.: 677 1020
