As You See Me Now

This offering from Jools Holland collaborating with José Feliciano, is certainly worth purchasing if you're a fan of either Jools or José. I agree with some of the other reviewers that José's voice is not what it used to be, and this is apparent on this recording.I bought this on vinyl, hoping to be impressed by the depth of sound and quality of pressing. Although there is nothing actually wrong with the pressing, the quality that collectors of vinyl have come to expect from modern pressings seems to missing. The album is presented in a standard card sleeve and paper inner-sleeve. The vinyl itself is reminiscent of records from the latter days of record mass-production, so feels cheap. That is not to say that either the pressing or the sound quality is poor. In fact, both the pressing and sound quality are good. The record arrived shrink-wrapped but not warped and the vinyl is quiet straight from the sleeve (ie no surface noise), which is what we have come to expect from the modern manufacturing process. An added bonus is that the spindle-hole is actually in the centre of the record, unlike many records from the 1980s and 1990s. With all this good news, why would I recommend buying the CD? Well, at £4 the CD is much better value that the LP at £20. With new record manufacturing plants opening to meet the renewed demand for vinyl, and the fact that that the vinyl version is not a 'deluxe' version, has no extras and is a single LP (not a double LP as implied in the listing on Amazon), it doesn't seem to me to be value for money. A 'heavy-weight' disc (180g vinyl), or gatefold sleeve, or even just an anti-static inner-sleeve would at least have given the appearance of a product produced for those who care about how they listen to music and would go some way to explaining the remarkable difference in price. This seems to me, at least, to be a cynical attempt by someone to cash in on the resurgence of the LP.

I am a massive fan of Jools and the orchestra having seen them live many times and bought everything they have released. I went to see them at Manchester on Saturday night, performing with Jose and if you haven't seen them before, this is the one to see. By far the best of all the tours I have seen. Why am I telling you this, because the difference was the guitar of Jose. It added a whole new dimension to the sound we have come to know and love. This album replicates that experience superbly well. My only little criticism is that Jose's voice is now very weak and he performs vocally a lot on this CD. Another brilliant release from the awesome talent that is Jools Holland

Loved it. Not a dedicated big band/jazz fan really just the occassional twiddler onto BBC jazz shows but maybe it's because I'm 50 now or simply mellowing slightly that I've really enjoyed driving to this album. I defy anyone not to be tapping the steering wheel listening to 'Hit the Road Jack' and there are some real gems on here. The muscianship is peerless. I may therefore become a bigger fan than merely watching the Hootenanny show on New Years' Eve. Thanks for the drive Jools.

It is brilliant as I expected it to be...

outer plastic case had a big crack in it but was wrapped in plastic film,inner lyric book and cd undamaged so no return needed.perfect gift for father for christmas

Jose Feliciano , someone I hadn't heard of before , he has a great voice and Jools too work well together , its a good album

Very good though not as good as some of Jools's other collaborations - I think specifically of his SUPERB album with Ruby Turner.

Fabulous.....as usual !! Top quality album from Jools and Jose. We saw them in a concert and it was a real night to remember ! A lot of the songs are on this album. Midnight special fantastic !!!! Jools produces fabulous music, always of the highest quality !