Later with Jools Holland

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Later with Jools Holland is a contemporary music show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running constantly since 1992 and is a part of BBC2's late-night line-up, usually around 11PM. It regularly features a healthy mix of both established and new musical artists, from solo performers to bands and larger ensembles.

It is notable for its musical diversity and adventurism, as it draws from a large palette of both popular and World music, and each show features around five bands with a variety of styles performing for each other and a small studio audience. Jools Holland introduces the show and interviews one or more of the performers. A unique feature is the short jam session that begins each show, involving all of his invited guests, along with Holland on piano. This beginning jam session also best shows the unusual layout of the set – all the bands are arrayed in a circle with the audience filling in the gaps between them. Holland often also accompanies his guests' performances.

Occasional special editions of the show have been made to showcase a major artist under the "Later ..." banner, titled "Later presents...", artists featured in these shows have included R.E.M. (see Later with Jools Holland (R.E.M.)) in 1998, Oasis in 2000 and Radiohead in 2001. The band in question play for the duration of the hour-long show. Despite the different name, the show is still introduced by Jools Holland, and takes place in a similarly set-up studio.

Special editions broadcast on New Year's Eve each year are referred to as Jools Holland's Hootenanny. Repeated excerpts from the show have been broadcast under the title A Little Later.

Because of Holland's relaxed and confident presentation and the diversity of musical styles the series is seen by many as a fitting successor to the Old Grey Whistle Test.

[edit] DVD releases

Later with Jools Holland- 10 Years Later (2002) (Region 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Hootenanny (2003) (Region 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Later...Louder (2003) (Region 1 and 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Giants (2003) (Region 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Cool Britannia (2004) (Region 1 and 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Hip Hop Soul (2004) (Region 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Cool Britannia 2 (2005) (Region 2)
Later with Jools Holland- Even Louder (2005) (Region 2)

Several individual artists have released one or more performances on their own DVD releases, including Björk's compilation of appearances on the show, Björk - Later, and the companion DVD to Moby's Play album.