CD Reviews

 

Jools Holland

Sunset Over London (Coalition Recordings / Warner Music)

It's always fascinating when established pop musicians develop and change their style into more diverse directions. Metallica recently produced their orchestral S&M collection, Elvis Costello had his collaboration with Burt Bacharach, and David Bowie went all techno with his Earthling album a few years back. Although Bowie's CD was one to forget, it at least showed a willingness and imagination to explore musical boundaries that many musos consider unassailable. Likewise Jools Holland. He was in top UK band Squeeze; one of the most original, quirky and downright fun groups of the 1980's.

The band continued after he left to go his separate way and although the remaining members kept some of the characteristic Squeeze sound, it wasn't quite the same again. Holland meanwhile followed a completely different course down the road of big-band, boogie-woogie and swing. A trip more retro than futuristic, but it's been a thoroughly entertaining trip with some lovely new angles on older styles. For this new album with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, he delivers another slab of real big band stuff.

There is a mix of original and classic tracks, even a cover of the Beatles' Lady Madonna which gets a good beating of the ivories in typical Holland manner. He works with his former Squeeze partner Chris Difford on a couple of tracks, which although it doesn't signify a band re-union, at least shows that the mutual creativity remains. Don't expect Up The Junction or Cool For Cats but this is still a cool collection, in a style that will never be out of fashion.