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Private Notes
Jools Holland and his magic fingers unite a unique cast in a single room for one night only, new and older artists playing completely live! Who'd have thought it?
Seven years after their last album and 20 years on from their debut, the anthemic Snow Patrol are back in business with songs from their seventh studio album Wildness, that finds frontman and songwriter Gary Lightbody wrestling with the light and the dark with edge, drama and that familiar melodic flair. Step forward south London's Shame, hot after a national tour which is surely pushing them towards becoming the most exciting British guitar band since the emergence of Arctic Monkeys and they perform songs from their debut album Songs of Praise, released in January, including the rabble rousing One Rizla.
No one sounds quite like veteran Detroit-raised soul singer Bettye Lavette - she made her debut as a 16-year-old in the early 60s. She performs a Bob Dylan song from her album of Dylan covers Things Have Changed, accompanied by Jools. Plan B or Ben Drew performs songs from his fourth album since his debut back in 2006, Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose, that mixes soul and ragga influences in a vital stew. Now in their 50th year on the road, step forward the Bay Area's mighty Tower of Power, who finally make their BBC TV debut with their soul-funk brass attack mixing 70s classics and songs from a new album, Soul Side of Town. Introducing teenage British singer-songwriter Jade Bird from Hexham, Northumberland, who captured hearts and minds at music industry festival SXSW earlier this year and makes her TV debut performing solo.
Performing totally live in the circle of dreams for one night only, Jools brings the magic.
Approaching their 30th anniversary are Manic Street Preachers, who come to the show with numbers from their new album Resistance is Futile. This new set sees them hark back to two of their most iconic albums, Everything Must Go and Generation Terrorists, for an ever vital and passionate collection.
Also adding to the Welsh flavour of proceedings is the TV debut of Cardiff four piece Boy Azooga, led by Davey Newington, whose influences include Black Sabbath and William Onyeabor. They showcase songs from their upcoming 1, 2 Kung Fu album. Also from Cardiff and making her TV debut is singer-songwriter Gwenno, who sits on the descriptive scale as a cross between Jane Birkin and Boards of Canada. Her new album Le Kov sees her singing in Cornish, which she was inspired to record due to a decision by the British government to cut funding towards the Cornish language in 2016.
Another debutante comes in the form of Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist of Haitian descent Melissa Laveaux, whose music has been described as a mix of roots, folk, and blues using her signature percussive finger-style guitar and soulful vocal stylings. New Hampshire singer-songwriter Ray Lamontagne, whose bluesin' folk/soul blend tenor has seen him compared to both Otis Redding and
The Band, performs a number from his brand new, seventh album Part of the Light.
Devon-based chart-topping singer-songwriter Ben Howard completes the bill, with selections from his first album in four years, Noonday Dream, which was recorded in both England and France.
Jools welcomes Bjork to his circle of dreams for her first TV appearance in eight years, with a line-up including seven flautists to perform songs from her ninth studio album, Utopia, whose blissed-out soundscapes find the Icelandic queen bouncing back from the heartbroken tones of her last album.
Enter The Breeders, lead by sisters Kim and Kelley Deal, the band that Kim first formed back in 1989 as an offshoot from her full-time band The Pixies. The Breeders recently released their fifth album of splintered American indie, All Nerve.
Les Amazones D'Afrique are something of a female supergroup from west Africa, signed to Peter Gabriel's Real World, and features three lead singers - Rokia Kone, Awa Sangho and Mamani Keita - in their touring party. Here, they perform songs from their acclaimed Republique Amazone debut.
Introducing Deva Mahal, daughter of Taj, who has just released her debut album on Motema, featuring some neo-soul in the vein of British soul queens Adele and Amy Winehouse. Also introducing Parisian-based American neo-jazz chanteuse Hailey Tuck, whose debut album Junk combines her charming and intimate delivery with a contemporary songbook that draws on Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies and Pulp.
Jools Holland hosts another musical melange in his theatre of dreams, aka Maidstone Studios, featuring Florence + The Machine, Femi Kuti, Lily Allen, Lady Leshurr, Young Fathers and Starcrawler.
Florence Welch comes to the studio some three years after conquering the world, breaking her foot and headlining Glastonbury, with the fourth Florence + The Machine album High As Hope, which finds her in typically expansive form on new songs including Hunger and Sky Full of Song. Femi Kuti brings his afrobeat band The Positive Force live and direct from Lagos with massed brass, energetic dancers and uplifting anthems from his latest album One People One World, which maintains and honours the political consciousness and danceability of his legendary father Fela Kuti's vision.
Lily Allen pops up with the poignant Three from her fourth album No Shame, a ballad looking at life through her young daughter's perspective, accompanied by Jools. Step up Birmingham's Lady Leshurr with her latest freestyle Black Panther, and perhaps a track from her forthcoming major label debut. Edinburgh's Young Fathers finally make it to the studio with songs from their brilliantly charged third album Cocoa Sugar, hot from touring the UK and the rest of the world.
Introducing LA's Starcrawler - a primal teenage garage band from the West Coast performing songs from their Ryan Adams-produced and self-titled album which finds lead singer Arrow de Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash kicking up a classic rock n roll storm that's a canny blend of rock classicism and bratty teenage attitude.
Stepping back into the spotlight in Jools's cercle de reves is the queen of fancy footwork and French pop powerhouse Heloise Letissier, aka Christine & The Queens, to perform her new single Girlfriend, an 80s-inspired funk jam from her much-anticipated second album.
Making his debut on the show is jazz saxophonist and band leader Kamasi Washington, who has played with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Herbie Hancock and whose thrilling melodic take on funk, hip-hop and even movie soundtracks with an early 70s vibe is the talk of the town. Kamasi previews tracks from his upcoming double album Heaven & Earth. Grammy Award-winning Texan multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, follows up the piano-led preview of her fifth studio album Masseduction by strapping on her guitar, summoning her band and rocking out on the title track and Slow Disco.
And make way for a double debut of Daniels this week as we welcome Canadian Grammy nominated R&B soul singer Daniel Caesar with his debut album Freudian, featuring Californian singer HER, who joins him for their track Best Part, and British singer-songwriter Daniel Blumberg, a veteran of Cajun Dance Party and Yuck, whose combination of melodic songwriting in an improvised setting has grown out of sessions in East London's Cafe Oto, and who performs at the piano accompanied by violin and double bass on a couple of songs from his acclaimed debut album Minus.
Joining Jools on the last show of the series and finally making their debut on the show are funk and disco legends Nile Rodgers and Chic, who are joined by contemporary British artists such as Cosha, aka Bonzai, and producer and songwriter Mura Masa.
Denver-based old-school soul combo Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats come to the show with a song or two from their second album Tearing at the Seams, which sees them revisit their take on the golden years of Stax, complete with vibrant and integral horns, a steadily funky rhythm section and a bearded vocalist who takes it to the bridge every time. Making his UK TV debut is native South African Nakhane, where he is already an LGBTQ trailblazer with a startling voice. Now based in east London, he has recently released his second album You Will Not Die, which features songs full of strutting glam and electro flourishes.
Former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes makes his solo debut on the show with songs from his very well reviewed third solo album World's Strongest Man, which is his reflection on what it means to be a strong man in 2018. London four-piece, signed to Rough Trade, Goat Girl perform tracks from their self-assured debut, which sees them rage against modern Britain from public transport to mental health.
Finally, and completing the line-up are London legends Chas & Dave with a track from their first album in 30 years to feature new songs from the much loved cockney duo, A Little Bit of Us.
