LATER...with Jools Holland (04/04/2008 - Series 32, Show 1)

After a few weeks break, Jools is back with series 32 and a new format and two shows - a live preview show on Tuesday night and the main show on Friday. I’m not sure the extra half hour on Tuesday adds a great deal as it plays out like a ‘best of’ after watching the Friday show, with a couple of special additions. I have decided to review both shows together as one with main focus on the Friday line-up.

Tuesday live set

• Estelle (ft. Kano) - American Boy
• Adele - Chasing Pavements
• James Taylor (Chat with JH)
• The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet
• James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
• Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You
• Adele and Jools - Make You Feel My Love
• Estelle - No Substitute Love

Friday set

• Estelle (ft. Kano) - American Boy
• The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another PlanetAdele - Right As Rain
• James Taylor (Chat with JH)
• Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You
• James Taylor - Copperline
• Estelle - No Substitute Love
• Adele (Chat With JH)
• The Neil Cowley Trio - His Nibs
• Adele - Hometown Glory
• The Only Ones - Black Operations
• James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
• Black Kids - Hurricane Jane
• Estelle - Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)

A very weak show this week for a number of reasons. Estelle, standing in for Gnarls Barkley, looked very uneasy and clunky rattling through recent hit American Boy. No Kanye West (surprise) but instead Kano who added a limp rap to what should have been a great performance. All the smiles and softness of the original song are not present here which is a great shame. The other problem with the ‘live’ arrangement from Estelle and her band was the constant use of scratching from the DJ. It’s annoying and adds nothing useful. This is evident on the dull No Substitute Love and closer Wait A Minute (Just A Touch), the latter looking even more awkward than the opener.

Much better was new British singer Adele, like Duffy in the last series adding much needed quality. She got the best of Tuesday live show performing two songs not included on Friday: Chasing Pavements and with Jools for Make You Feel My Love. Excellent performances on Friday and a great interview, cutting past the Kate Nash sound and demeanour telling JH about her inspiring Brit School upbringing and future aspirations to produce and write and promote new musicians. Anyone who thinks Adele is just another Winehouse is very much mistaken - she is level headed and talented.

The Only Ones, who probably should have given up a long time ago, gave a spirited rendition of the classic Another Girl, Another Planet while looking older than The Rolling Stones. Their second attempt, Black Operations was shaky and boring. The ‘new music’ was provided by Black Kids - a great new shambles of a group from Florida with two female keyboard players who also sing backing vocals. They look great and sound terrible - just what you need to offset the blandness. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You gets a bit shouty and Hurricane Jane is just a bit dull.

More quality was added by veteran singer and guitarist James Taylor. A couple of interviews with the slightly uncomfortable interviewee on each show and couple of country feeling songs: the statesmanlike Springsteen-eque Copperline and Sweet Baby James. As always it is the unknown artists who seem to make an impact and this week it was the turn of The Neil Cowley Trio, lead by the ex-Zero 7 keyboardist. They stomped through His Nibs, a jazz piano instrumental which got a bit repetitive even with the drum solo and messy ending.

A weak line-up with Adele and James Taylor lifting the standard. Black Kids were ok but Estele and The Only Ones let things down. I would have liked more from The Neil Cowley Trio. Having watching both shows, I’m still not convinced that the format works. If Tuesday was completely different from Friday in terms of the performances - keep the same artists obviously - then it might be better.