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.

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

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.

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

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.

It seems a great shame that many people have only shown interest in this album due to the contribution of the late George Harrison. Certainly there is plenty here that not all will enjoy but there is also a great amount here which surpasses Harrison's work but lack his status in the US. Both Suggs and Paul Weller(vocalists with the biggest bands of the early eighties in Britain, Madness & the Jam)produce excellent and well rounded songs that capture their own styles. Sam Brown, massively underrated everywhere creates a beautiful and touching melody that would possibly stand as the most talked about track if she had the fame of other female pop vocalists and Marc Almond of Soft Cell surpasses his original version of 'Say hello, Wave goodbye' with the help of Jools Holland.

Overall, not an album for everyone but certainly an album to be judged by the music alone and nothing else.

This is a great collection of R & B classics and original songs performed by Squeeze pianist Jools Holland and some of his famous mates. The initial interest in this CD was the performance of George Harrison singing 'Horse to Water', which was, at the time, his last recording. But, the rest of the album lives up to the hype as well.

It truly has a big band sound and feel, and, since most of the performers are British, is also brings that feeling of Britain discovering rock and roll in the 1950's. Among the famous voices on the disc, besides Harrison, are Sting, Joe Strummer, Mark Knopfler, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton. I would have to say my favorites include the bouncy, retro treatment of 'I'm in the Mood for Love' with Jamiroquai, the jump and jive of 'Mademoiselle Will Decide' with Mark Knopfler, and the soul of 'I Put a Spell on You' with Mica Paris and David Gilmour.

Still, there isn't really a bad song on the album, and it's a unique listening experience, and a rare combination of huge name talent, and old-fashioned, good time music and fun.

Jools is probably the best piano player I've ever heard. No one compares to the the way he pound out tunes--that alone is reason to buy this CD. Since Jools isn't the greatest singer, he has brought in lots of great singers--even Chirs Difford who used to sing along with Jools when they both played for Squeeze. Sting's song is especially good as is "Valentine Moon" and "Nobody but You." Although I love many of the songs, some of them sound stale in comparison. For example, I don't really like the George Harrison tune, even if it is the last song he recorded.

Over the last couple of years there has been a proliferation of "friends" CD's released by individuals and bands covering all genres. Gov't Mule, Ronnie Earl, John Mayall, Pavoratti, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, and even Sid Vicious have one. So, when I saw that Jools Holland had now released one, I wasn't immediately compelled to but it. Especially with the words "Big Band" in the title which immediately conjures up notions of 20's flapper music, 30's swing era music or worse, usually also contains the name "Daddy" in the title. Ultimately, the thought of ex-squeeze keyboardist, Jools Holland playing with the likes of Eric Clapton, Sting, George Harrison, Eric Bibb, Taj Mahal and Steve Winwood all on the same disc began to appeal to me and I gave into temptation.

Even when a member of Squeeze, Holland was never a frontman or singer and so, it made sense that he would have to bring in individuals to handle the lead chores and so, on 22 tracks, Jools brought in some remarkable talent which, in addition to the names mentioned above, include Paul Weller, Dr. John, Ruby Turner, Paul Carriack and Jamiroquai. Guitar duties are ably handled by the talented Mark Flanagan who, while somewhat overshadowed by Holland's piano and the very tight horn arrangements, does get to shine through on a couple of tracks, most notably on "It's So Blue", "It All Goes Round In Circles" or the fills behind Eric Bibb's rendition of "All That You Are". David Gilmore also puts in a stinging guitar solo on "I Put A Spell On You" . The highlights on the CD, include George Harrison's "Horse To Water", Dr. John's "The Hand That Changed It's Mind", Chris Difford's "Town and Country Rhythm and Blues" and Mark Knopfler's "Mademoiselle Will Decide".

The CD does have it's rough spots which, given the diversity of styles represented here, can be expected. Mick Hucknall of Simply Red's performance of T-Bone Shuffle seems a waste of his talent and his lackluster performance suggests he would probably agree. Other substandard performances include the loungy ska number "I'm In The Mood For Love" by Jamiroquai, John Cale's retro 30's "I Wanna Be Around" and the Stereophonics rather dismal performance of the Beatles "Revolution". Depending on your particular music taste, you will undoutedly find something to like and something to pass over. Overall, there's a lot of diversity, a lot of singers, a really big Band, and Jools Holland which makes this a worthy CD to add to your collection.

I'm one of the few here, that didn't buy the CD because of George Harrison. Yes, it was Jools Holland himself, that made me buy it. For years, Holland had the best music show in the world ("Later with JH" on the BBC), and during the shows you could find a real music lover, that happily joined his guests with his piano. So, I said to myself, what can go wrong with this album, that is full of rock mega stars? Well, I was right for 90%. The CD is good, much better than the average material that goes around, but still, part of it is not as good. Lets start with the ups: George Harrison brings us back to his best songs from the early 70's. John Cale is great as Frank Sinatra. If you were one of his fans you would hardly recognize him! Suggs, the lead singer of Madness, is great as himself, and Marc Almond sings as he did in "Soft cell". Dr John and Mark Knopfler bring us a good old rock'n'roll pieces, and that concludes more or less the best stuff. On the other hand, Eric Clapton, Sting, Steve Winwood, truely aces in general, are dissapointment. Paul Weller didn't improve anything in Billy Preston's "Will it go around in circles" and the same can be said about David Gilmour and Mica Paris in "I put a spell on you". Yet, even the bad stuff is far from being trash, so don't get me wrong -it's a good CD, that is a big achievement of Holland.