It would be nice to think that we’ve come a long way from the days when kids would hate each other for their music taste, when Sharpies and Mods would fight in the streets of Melbourne.
While it may not be entirely true, Jools Holland would like to think it is, and he and his orchestra say so very loudly with this release.
A different guest vocalist on each track occupies most of the spotlight in each of these 17 well-known songs.
Amy Winehouse’s rich soul wail is only four tracks from Paolo Nutini’s spirit possessed shout.
The energy is high for most of the collection, with enough dalliances into slower tracks to keep you interested.
Holland has been called a gatekeeper of musical taste in the UK, launching some stellar careers as a TV host. This is readily apparent in this diverse collection. Even the most omnivorous listener will likely find a new star or musical style.
Holland’s piano is equally diverse, flitting between trills that suggest burlesque dancers waving their hats, syncopated chords like a charging freight train and bass passages that walk like a lucky gambler.
The piano carries some of the collection’s more saccharine moments, dragging banana split into whiskey soaked late afternoon bar.
The orchestra and its arrangements are sharp, tightly coordinating buzzing, shiny, dive-bombing brass with massed, honey smooth saxophones. It’s an irresistible force, playfully trading solos and bouncing the spotlight around like a volleyball.
All told, there’s more than enough to get even the most genre-bound toes tapping.
