More Friends

Jools Holland | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 27, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino Records
• ASIN: B0000996FI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,058 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #34 in Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Boogie-Woogie

Track Listings

1. Together We Are Strong

2. In the Dark

3. Snowflake Boogie

4. Only Face

5. What Goes Around

6. Don't You Kiss My Cheek

7. Out of This World

8. Rock Me

9. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

10. Fly Me to the Moon

11. Can Is Open

12. Yours Truly, Confused N10

13. Tuxedo Junction [Instrumental]

14. Let the Boogie Woogie Roll

15. Drown in My Own Tears [Instrumental]

16. Count Me In

17. You Got to Serve Somebody

18. Anglegrinder Blues

19. Change Is Gonna Come

20. Teardrops from My Eyes

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

In More Friends Jools Holland (and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra) return with a growing motley crew of musicians that have appeared on his eclectic music show Later With Jools Holland. Again, the focus is on what Holland calls "big band blues"--there's a rock & roll big-band extravaganza with Tom Jones, a boogie woogie piano jam for Robert Plant and a classic cover from Dionne Warwick to mention but a few of the performances from the great and good that appear here. But Jools' show has always been about championing new and cult artists too, and female jazz vocalist of the moment Norah Jones just had to put in an appearance with her cover of the Nina Simone classic "In The Dark", along with indie regular Badly Drawn Boy. In fact his offering, "The Can Is Open" in particular shines given the Jools treatment with all the big easy listening Bacharach trumpets and playful piano melodies giving it the simple but epic sound so characteristic of his recent album. Likewise the ever charismatic Huey from the Fun Lovin' Criminals is perfect for a good old croon with the band on the old Sinatra standard "Fly Me To The Moon". Sounding like a late night music fan's fantasy jam session, (just listen to Huey joking "hey is there anything left in that bottle?"), More Friends is essential for fans of that big band sound--young or old. --Caroline Butler

Product Description

More Friends by HOLLAND, JOOLS & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another fine mess you've gotten me into..., August 3, 2003

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: More Friends (Audio CD)

A terrific follow up to Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues, More Friends boasts an impressive array of guest singers from Bryan Ferry to Chrissie Hynde. All the usual suspects are back of course; Sam Brown does a nice turn dueting with Sam Moore on Together We Are Strong. Bono's remake of the U2 track If You Wear That Velvet Dress is actually sharper and superior to the band's version of that track. Holland and his band bring a sophistication to the tune that was totally lacking before.

Holland's collaboration with Robert Plant is a wonder; Plant hasn't sounded this invigorated in years. The same could be said for the MIA Ray Davies. He hasn't recorded an solo album or with his band The Kinks in years. His performances seem to have taken over his life at the moment so it's nice and refreshing to hear him again particularly on such a great tune as Yours Truly, Confused. Badly Drawn Boy makes an appearence on a self penned tune which fits in neatly with Holland's style (not a surprise given Holland's past membership in Squeeze). Holland also continues working with a roster of talented he admires but that has been overlooked by mainstream radio including Jimmy Cliff, Tom Jones, Marianne Faithful (performing Dylan's You Gotta Serve Somebody), George Benson (!), Dionne Warwick, Edwin Starr and more popular contemporary talents such as Stereophonics, Huey (from Fun Lovin' Criminals), the ever popular Robert Plant and the obscure but great Blind Boys of Alabama.

It's clear on all the tracks that this was a labor of love for Holland and that the performers got caught up in the spirit of the recordings. If you're concerned that Holland has forgotten any of the major talents of the 60's and 70's, Jeff Beck drops in for a searing performance of Drown in My Own Tears. There are a couple of omissions--I'm surprised not to hear Holland work with Glenn Tilbrook, Elvis Costello or Paul McCartney on this follow up. I also think that Tom Petty, Roger McGuinn and Peter Green would make interesting collaborators for future installments (should there be any).

While More Friends won't benefited from any high profile deaths a la George Harrison and Joe Strummer from the last CD, perhaps it'll win sales and airplay on merit alone; it's every bit the equal of the previous album although it lacks the extra guest star power that a former Beatle and member of The Clash brought to Big Band. More Friends is a step forward and back; the collaborations and performers gathered on this collection are more diverse and, arguably, some of the songs are better as well. Again, there isn't anything that quite matches the stand out track on the last album (Harrison's searing Horse to the Water)but the overall quality is higher. The step back? Well, it doesn't have anything that jumps out at you as being radio ready (meaning crap I suppose)material. Kudos to Rhino for putting this out and to Jools for continuing to do the music and stuff he loves best.

5.0 out of 5 stars What a joy!, December 22, 2008

By 

M. Lenoire (GELEEN, Limburg Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Friends (Audio CD)

What a joy listening to this great orchestra of Jools with those fantastic artists like Norah Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Stereophonics, Bono ect. And the way old tunes come to live again in a sparkling new arangement. A joy for the ear!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good listen & I'm not a Big Band fan., March 26, 2003

By 

Barrie Lynds "Halifax Privateer" (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Friends: Small World Big Band 2 (Audio CD)

Saw a few names with JH on the "friends 1" installment, that I passed on because of the Big Band thing (will likely pick it up after listening to "More Friends" CD). It starts off with a rollicking tune by Sam Moore & Sam Brown (one of my favorite female vocalists) cooled off by a nice cover by Norah Jones. Then turn up the volume, Edwin Starr rocks through "Snowflake Boogie". Above average tunes with Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones (never thought I would ever be listening to Tom Jones!), Chrissie Hynde, Blind Boys, Marianne Faithfull, Beverley Knight & Jimmie Cliff. One of the highlights for me is the haunting cover of "First Time Ever I Saw you Face" with the Stereophonics. Overall a very good CD (it was worth the price just for the first 9 tunes!), good enough to make me go back and buy Vol I. Cheers!