Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra

Jools Holland brings his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra to Royal Albert Hall, London, on 27 November 2026. Pianist, bandleader and founding member of Squeeze, Holland has spent decades honing a sound rooted in rhythm and blues and boogie-woogie, with the piano driving arrangements that lean on swing, jump-blues and early rock’n’roll. At the head of a large ensemble built like a modern big band, he sets the pace with brisk phrasing while the horn section answers in tight, punchy lines. The set moves easily between shuffling grooves, gospel-tinged turns and brass-led workouts, leaving room for soloists to stretch as the rhythm section keeps it steady. His long-running Later… with Jools Holland has fed a taste for live interplay and sharp song choices, and that instinct anchors the show here: standards, reworked classics and originals stitched together by left-hand boogie, call-and-response hooks and an easy, road-tested cohesion. A night grounded in blues and swing, led from the piano.