Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra – Jools Holland was born Julian Miles Holland in 1958 in London. At the age of eight, he could play the piano fluently by ear, and by the time he reached his early teens he was appearing regularly in many of the pubs in South East London and the East End Docks. At the age of 15, Jools was introduced to Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. Together they formed Squeeze, and shortly afterwards they were joined by Gilson Lavis (who still drums with Jools).

In 1987, Jools formed The Jools Holland Big Band – comprising himself and Gilson Lavis. This has gradually metamorphosed into the current mesmerising 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Jools and the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra now plays an average of 100 live shows each year, touring the UK and Europe to audiences in excess of 500,000.

Jools’ career as a television presenter has run parallel to his musical career, kicking off in the early 1980s when he interviewed The Police for a documentary. His achievements were formally recognised in June 2003, when he was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. His latest album, Best of Friends, is a personal collection of his best loved and most memorable tracks from his collaborations spanning the last six albums.

www.joolsholland.com