Track Listing

1. Brick Lane
2. Newgates Knocker
3. Temple Bar
4. Canary Wharf
5. Doing The Bird Cage Walk
6. Seven Dials
7. Rotten Row Boogie
8. Wapping Steps
9. St Martin In The Fields
10. St Andrews By The Wardrobe
11. Between The Dilly And The Blue Gate Fields
12. High Street (Ken)
13. Speaker's Corner
14. Soho
15. Tranquil Passage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40579 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

A perfect example of pianist ability
If this ablum doesn't inspire you to reach out and fondle the ivories, then nothing will.

Another great CD fulla tunes from the king of the Keys, Jools Holland. Written in and about London, the music reflects Hollands impressions of his home City. Some of the tunes which stick in the memory include: "Brick Lane" featuring dialog of its residents - with an under-current of boogie; "Bird Cage Walk", "Rotten Row Boogie" and "High Street" all encourage toe-tapping and sometimes a good old frenzy!; "Tranquil Passage" and "Temple Bar" provide a more mellow atmosphere.

A fabulous show of musical ability worth any wannabe pianists attention - and for those of us who REALLY love the piano, there is a list of other pianists of a similar ilk provided within. However, I think I will stick with Jools for now.

Inventory of piano music
This instrumental album is a showcase for Jools Holland's keyboard playing and composition. A list of piano players in the sleeve notes makes a deliberate nod to the piano-playing lineage that Holland sees himself as continuing, and also to his own eclecticism: listed are boogie-woogie maestros like Jimmy Yancey, stride masters (Fats Walker, sic), rhythm & blues musicians like Billy Preston and jazz experimentalists such as Cecil Taylor. This range of influence can be heard throughout the album, where Holland is obviously keen to explore various pianistic effects while never relenquishing the boogie-woogie drive that underlies his musicianship. The presence of bassist Pino Palladino must have assisted this exploration. Holland is also accompanied by the stalwart rhythm section (Lavis, Swift & Flanagan) and a horn section (the Horns of Enormous Love) who were later core members of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. While this wholly instrumental album doesn't have (nor overtly strives for) the party atmosphere of the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra albums, it gives a fine insight into the musicianship that is behind those later albums. Its worth lies in the case that it is a musicians album, with a listeners hook provided in an evident thematic interest in the geography of central London.

A minor classic
This early Jools Holland album, whilst not as good as his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra albums, is well worth getting. The best known track on this album is "Bird Cage Walk" which is the theme to the 'Later..." TV shows.

The genesis of the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra can be heard on the 2nd track "Newgates Knocker". Boogie Piano, Hammond Organ, a big brass section and burning guitar from his regular guitarist Mark Flanagan. Indeed "High Street" is on the live Rhythm and Blues Orchestra album. Rotton Row Boogie is classic boogie Woogie given Jools distinctive flourishes with Gilson providing a rocking backing.

Inside the sleeve notes there is a reference section where Jools lists the many great Pianists that influenced the recording of this album. So once you've bought all of Jools albums you can start buying all of these great artists. As he listed another 43 Pianists this should keep you occupied for the rest of your life!