THE lavish surroundings of the historic Empress Ballroom was the the perfect setting for this one-off concert being filmed for screening on BBC Four later this year.
The Empress Ballroom has hosted some pretty special nights, but few, if any, can have started with a five minute health and safety briefing!
But seeing as that included instructions not to take pictures and not to talk during the show, personally I think more gigs should begin this way.
But I digress. Once the show got underway we were treated to close to two hours of stunning musicianship.
The ever-affable Mr Holland is well known for his love of a quality British motor and his orchestra is like a supercharged Bentley - beautifully put together with only the finest components and possessing incredible power and sophistication.
The concert was part of the Beeb's look at post war Big Band music and we were treated to standards from all the greats including Count Basie, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, all given the Rhythm and Blues orchestra twist.
Jools Holland may have started out as 'the keyboard player from Squeeze' but at the head of this musical juggernaut he's in his element. He's not bad on the old ivories either holding down a steady boogie woogie rhythm with the left hand while the right is a virtual blur. It's like watching someone fly a helicopter.
The big band are all incredible musicians each getting turns in the spotlight during the show. The highlight though was a solo by Jools' sidekick of 35 years, drummer Gilson Lavis. Drum solos are usually a signal to head to the bar but this was just stunning.
Various guest vocalists were introduced during the evening including Louise Marshall, Rumer and Marc Almond who delivered a wonderfully emotional rendition of Edith Piaf's Hymn to Love.
Then just when you thought it couldn't get better Ruby Turner appeared on stage and took the whole thing up a notch further - what a voice!
If you'd choose anyone to celebrate the Big Band era, Jools and his band are the perfect choice. They have a joy about performing and that quickly transfers to the audience.
Look out for the concert on BBC Four, it'll be well worth the watch.
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