So this is different. My gig list is pretty varied, but even so, this stands out a bit. I’m also here with my parents, which is new. This was my idea though, a bit of boogie woogie blues before Christmas will be fun, right? Despite knowing Mr Holland from his long running TV show and his enthusiasm for joining his guests with some piano accompaniment, I’m not too sure what to expect. I’ve never listened to a Jools Holland record, I believe he likes a cover version, but anything else is going to be new to my ears. It’s quite an experience, with no less than 15 people on the Apollo’s vast stage, there’s always something to keep you entertained and Jools certainly doesn’t hog the limelight. In fact quite the opposite, as they knock out the tunes, every member gets a chance to solo and is named and praised as they finish. My favourite is the bloke with the baritone sax, he’s bloody brilliant. The sax is almost as big as him, but boy can he play. Jools can too of course, this is no surprise, but he’s decent with a rhythm guitar too and isn’t half bad at singing either. He can’t hold a candle to the three vocalists tonight though, Sumudu Jayatilaka, Louise Marshall and Ruby Turner, they’re all very different, but all amazing. Sumuda delivers mind boggling range, whilst barely opening her mouth. We’re two rows from the front and I’m sat slightly stunned at how she’s managing it. Jools is good with the banter as you’d expect, comfortable in front of a nearly sold out crowd, he doesn’t miss a beat whether playing or shooting the breeze between songs. Firing us up for the big numbers and cooling us down for the slower ones. Some of the best stuff comes with just a trio of the piano, drums and double bass. The cameras treating us to shots of Jools’ nimble fingers on the big screen. We get songs dedicated to Shane McGowen and a mid-set segment from Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson of The Selector. I wasn’t expecting this and some of their ska repertoire is okay, but ‘Too Much Pressure’ is stone cold cool and sounds amazing with Arthur taking the lead. There’s a lot of love on stage, they feel like a real crew, friends that go back years and have each others back. The feeling permeates the room that’s now up dancing in their seats and in the aisles, my mum included. Ruby Turner is the final guest and boy can she belt out the blues, what a voice. She gets everyone singing along to ‘Blueberry Hill’, before they all return for the encore with ‘Enjoy Yourself’ which is the clear highlight for me, everyone still singing, the brass going full tilt and one of them shaking a pineapple. Fantastic. It’s Christmas so we get a rather spine tingling ‘Silent Night’ before they hit the boogie woogie full throttle and send us back out into the night wondering what just hit us. They do this every year I’m told. I suspect we might be back.
