Search - Beat Route: Around the World With Jools Holland on DVD

A musical tour through six great cities

M. Bromberg | Atlanta, GA United States | 11/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This BBC series -- six half hours -- takes the Squeeze keyboard player on a musical tour around the world (well, a good portion of it anyway). Jools doesn't always seem entirely at ease in front of the camera, but that's okay: he knows all the hot spots to visit, and where the best cigars are made in Havana. Many unexpected moments and his cheeky commentary give the shows a bit of an edgy feel. Each episode is more like musical postcard than a complete travel guide, and you'll always stop at a pub for what Jools describes as a "knees up" good time and a pint or two. There's great music, too: in Dublin, Van Morrison and the Chieftains perform "Shandendoah" as a heart-breaking Irish ballad, in Havana there's a wonderful solo appearance by 79-year-old pianist, Ruben Gonzalez. There are gems in each episode.

The cities visited are Chicago, Dublin, Seville, Havana, Budapest, and Beirut. Some may be surprising choices, but all in keeping with the series' admirable goal of demonstrating music's universal appeal -- if not Jools's habit of bringing out a piano before each episode is over. He also finds some classic cars to tour in: be sure to check out that sporty, East German-built 1958 Wartburg convertible! He's obviously enjoying himself among all the pints of Guinness, Cuban cigars, and gypsy dancing. Jools gets in some history lessons, too, and makes a lot of musical connections in each show. It's an exciting, if brief, introduction to world music, and a lot of fun."