About

A mainstay of the live scene before the Covid-19 pandemic, Jools and his Orchestra would regularly tour the country with some of music's biggest and best names in tow. Now, they're back on the boogie woogie stage, with a 31-date autumn tour of the UK - including a show at Portsmouth Guildhall.

What's more, Jools has partnered with The Trussell Trust on this tour, to raise funds and help the food banks, which face their hardest winter yet.

This autumn's show will feature special guests Marc Almond and Toby Lee, as well as some of Jools' long-standing and much-loved collaborators.

From his years in the internationally acclaimed duo Soft Cell to the successful solo career that followed, Marc Almond has sold over 30 million records worldwide. His list of hit songs includes ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, ‘Touch’ and, of course, ‘Tainted Love’. Marc has been awarded the Ivor Novello Inspiration Award and the Icon Award by Attitude Magazine. His collaborators include the likes of Gene Pitney, Tony Visconti and Burt Bacharach, as well as Jools, who Marc previously toured with in 2018.

Audiences will also be treated to the supreme talent of blues guitar prodigy and social media sensation, Toby Lee. Described by Joe Bonamassa as “a future superstar of the blues”, Toby first came to public attention at 10 years old when he posted a get well soon jam for BB King which went viral with 5 million views in a week. Since then, he has gone on to perform in West End productions, winning Olivier and UK Blues Awards and showcasing his skills on TV and live performances around the world. Now joining Jools for every stop of the tour, Toby will give audiences a chance to see one of the world’s most promising blues guitarists in the flesh.

Fans will be thrilled to hear that the shows will once again feature the incredible Ruby Turner and the outstanding vocals of Louise Marshall, and Sumudu Jayatilaka. Together with the skilful musicianship of the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra (which features drums from original Squeeze member Gilson Lavis) Jools Holland will be performing tracks spanning his entire solo career. With a catalogue of boogie woogie classics to choose from, the show is sure to have fans of both Jools and Marc Almond on their feet!