A rare album
I listened to this album - circa 2006 - with mixed emotions but without disappointment. Some of the big names have altered their normal styles, but each piece is above average and many are just great interpretations totally in synchrony with the big band and blues sound. It has the last original from Harrison, a Knoffler, Cale and Clapton you wouldn't expect but which pleasantly surprises, a superb Taj Mahal and an amazing Jamiroquai interpretation of 'I'm in the mood for love'. Yes there are the big names, but what most people haven't commented on is the great music from the Jools Holland Band itself. They have taken the big band and blues sounds to the next level and every song in this album has gained because of it. The experiment has worked really well and I don't think there are many like it. This is fortunately NOT your standard 'tribute album with friends'. A very creative album that I enjoy.

Jools Holland - Big Band Rhythm and Blues
If you are a hard core R&B junkie, you might find this a pretty good CD. Otherwise, there is little imagination in the production and arrangement of this CD. While the who's who of R&B play with Jools, the feel of this CD doesn't get past the hellos and the goodbyes. However, George Harrison's "Horse to the Water," second song, is his last recording and makes the CD worth the price. Eric Clapton and Sam Brown do great jobs on their selections. 3 *** stars

AMAZING music
When I got this for my birthday I'll admit it just sat on the desk for ages in its wrapping before I finally listened to it. But when I did, it just BLEW ME AWAY! The Sting number, "Seventh Son", Eric Bibb's "All that you are" and the tracks "It's so blue" and "I wanna be around" are the best, with some fantastic big band style and god knows what. This is real "feel good" music and not just that but I think the variety of style is very great, unlike some other commenters's views. You have to really listen to it lots to understand that, and get the real feel of it. This album is a winner and better than all the other Jools Holland discs. What an amazing performance. I think all the artists did a great job but Jool's Holland's piano arrangement in track 15 is so skillful and complex. I can't understand how anyone could not like most of these tracks. Fantastic work.

Fuera de este mundo
Lo mejor que escuché en años. Para todos los gustos, con excelentes performances. Altísimamente recomendable.

NEW DISCOVERIES FOR ME.
I purchased this CD for one reason. I had seen the DVD
Concert for George and loved it. Among the best offerings on
the DVD was the Sam Brown/Jools HOlland rendition of Horse to
Water by George. Except for the words, I would never have
guessed that it was a Harrison song. It was too R&B. So I was
curious to see how he handled it. Well, he does not have the
powerhouse voice of Sam Brown, but I was in fact really
surprised at how well he did, helped greatly by the
superb backup band. I would not have recognized his voice.
I am sure his throat cancer was behind that. Another
reviewer suggested that Eric Clapton helped him out on the
guitar. I couldn't say, but the credits do say that his son
Dhani was involved with the recording and I assume that he was
a guitarist. Sam Brown is clearly recognizable as the back
up vocalist. And Jools' piano is rockin', as it is all over this
CD.

Except for Sting, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and
Steve Winwood, I had never heard of any of the other performers
before and that goes for Sam Brown and Jools himself before
the Concert for George DVD. But I am listening to it now as I
am writing and I find that it is really growing on me. The
piano is uniformly marvelous; my favorite performances so far are
Horse to Water, Valentine Moon, I'm Ready, I Put a Spell on You,
and Mark Knopfler sounding like Elvis on Mademoiselle Will
Decide. I am sure that after listening to it a few more
times, others will be added to the list. As I said, it grows
on you.