I’ve just finished reading Jools Holland’s tremendous autobiography – Barefaced Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts. Its a brilliantly engaging book, describing his slightly unconventional childhood, through how he came to meet Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook to help form Squeeze to the development of his Jazz Orchestra and how the tremendous Later… TV series came about and is driven.

Each chapter is relatively short, and you find yourself wanting to ‘just read one more’.  Jools doesn’t dish dirt on anyone, but then I don’t think having read the book he sees dirt – but just the best of unique individuals.  That is not to say the book isn’t insightful, as he describes the life on the road with some of the hilarious adventures such as chatting to one of The Ramones while they’re given a little ‘oral relief’, and tackles some difficult times such as the tragic death of Paula Yates.

The book also communicates Jools’ immense passion for music with a perspective a bit like that of the late John Peel – that being of a huge fan.