Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in Birmingham

Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra is a British big band led by pianist and bandleader Jools Holland, who formed the ensemble in 1987 after his work with Squeeze. It plays boogie-woogie, swing, rhythm and blues and ska, and is known for the Small World Big Band albums and a long series of recordings with guest singers and musicians. The orchestra’s annual autumn and winter tours have taken it through British theatres and concert halls for decades. Those runs have included repeated performances at the Royal Albert Hall. Jools Holland leads the full ensemble from the piano, supported by a rhythm section, a horn section and featured vocalists. Long-standing performers in the show have included drummer Gilson Lavis and singers Louise Marshall and Ruby Turner.