Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra

Pianist and bandleader Jools Holland brings his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra to Royal & Derngate, Northampton, on 7 November 2026. A founding member of Squeeze, Holland has spent decades shaping a piano-led sound rooted in boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues and early rock’n’roll. On stage, his rolling left-hand patterns drive the band while bright brass lines, guitar breaks and a tight rhythm section push the arrangements forward.

The set moves from jump-blues and swing to New Orleans grooves, gospel-tinged shuffles and straight-ahead rockers, folding in originals alongside reworked standards. With a full horn section and the orchestra’s vocalists, numbers flip between call-and-response blasts, compact solos and catchy refrains. The focus stays on the exchange between piano and horns, the snap of the backbeat and the feel of a big ensemble playing up close. Holland’s trademark touch anchors it all: brisk phrasing, sharp dynamics and a sense of rhythm built for movement and melody, delivered by a band designed to make these styles breathe live.