Rod Stewart and Jools Holland Catch 'Swing Fever' With New Album

02-25-2024

(Warner) Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have released the exquisite Swing Fever - a 13-track sparkling salute to the timeless songs of the big band years, reignited by two true giants of their craft.

For the first time, Britain's new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as "Ain't Misbehavin," "Almost Like Being In Love," "Pennies From Heaven" and "Lullaby Of Broadway."

Swing Fever is the realization of conversations between Rod and Jools that began in the pandemic years, and of Rod's dream of making an album of the songs that were, in many ways, the rock 'n' roll of their day. Sitting down together, Jools recounts: "I was just packing up to go away for Christmas, and you rang me. We hadn't really spoken at any length before. I thought 'I love Rod, how exciting,' and you said 'I want to do a record.' I'd been a fan of Rod forever but we realized with the old music that we liked a lot of the same things."

Over roughly a dozen collective sessions, the intimacy of the recording space combined with the enduring brilliance of the songbook created a sound that's infectious and irresistible - and it sounds live because that's what it was.

Rod Stewart is one of the best-selling artists, with over 250 million albums sold worldwide. His signature voice, style and songwriting have transcended all genres of popular music, from rock, folk, soul, R&B, and even the Great American Songbook; making him one of the few stars to enjoy chart-topping albums throughout every decade of his career. He's earned countless of the industry's highest awards, among them, two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting, New York Times bestselling author, Grammy™ Living Legend, and in 2016 he officially became "Sir Rod Stewart" after being knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity.

Some of his major hits include "Gasoline Alley," "Every Picture Tells a Story," "Mandolin Wind," "You Wear It Well," "The Killing of Georgie," "Tonight's the Night," "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," "Young Turks," "Forever Young," "Hot Legs," "Infatuation," the unforgettable "Maggie May," and many more.

Jools sums up the spontaneous charm of Swing Fever; "The effect that this music has on me, and whenever I put it on where people are, they feel this thing, they want to move. Music is an expression of a lot of different things, and joy is an important part of what it does. You can feel the joy in this music, and it's unashamed joy as well."

Swing Fever Tracklisting
1. Lullaby Of Broadway
2. Oh Marie
3. Sentimental Journey
4. Pennies From Heaven
5. Night Train
6. Love Is The Sweetest Thing
7. Them There Eyes
8. Good Rockin' Tonight
9. Ain't Misbehavin'
10. Frankie And Johnny
11. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
12. Almost Like Being In Love
13. Tennessee Waltz