Episode 6

This week Jools introduces a stellar line-up that spans genres and decades. Performing live on the show are Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Brittany Howard, Harry Styles, Sir Tom Jones, FKA twigs and Abdullah Ibrahim.

Jools welcomes the return of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with music from the two of the EPs Noel has released this year. This Is The Place and Black Star Dancing build upon the new sounds of his first two solo records, the latter a disco single praised by Nile Rodgers which sees him step further from the guitar driven music of his former band Oasis.

Alabama Shakes singer, songwriter and guitarist Brittany Howard joins Jools in the studio with a song from her debut solo LP Jamie, a record which encompasses themes of race, religion and sexuality and was penned after the idea came to her on an American road trip. The album is named after her sister who died aged 13 after being diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer. It was Jamie who first taught Brittany to write a song.

Harry Styles makes his debut on the show with latest single Lights Up. The track, his first new music in two years, comes from his forthcoming second solo record. Harry also chats to Jools about his musical inspirations and what inspires him to write.

Musician and visual artist FKA twigs is back with a number from her much anticipated second album Magdalene, a follow-up to her 2014 debut LP1. The Gloucestershire singer recorded it between London, New York and Los Angeles, starting back in 2016 when she spent a period in solitude wearing long medieval dresses.

Completing the bill are two musical legend. Firstly South African piano virtuoso Abdullah Ibrahim, who in the late 50s became a leading figure in the Cape Jazz scene, a style which blended American Jazz with South African traditional music. He released his first album in four years, The Balance, in June, which was recorded over one day in London’s RAK studios and features his long-time septet Ekaya, who began making music with him in 1983.

Plus, in anticipation of his co-host role on Friday night’s show, Welsh icon Sir Tom Jones performs a number by one of his heroes, Jerry Lee Lewis.