Christopher Holland


Christopher William Holland is an English keyboard player, singer and songwriter. He is the younger brother of pianist and band-leader Jools Holland and is the twin of Richard Edward Holland, a professional drummer.

Early life and career

Holland was born in Greenwich, London, the younger brother of Jools Holland. He took up playing piano at the age of seven. Recording his first song, "It's Getting Late", when he was just twelve, he used a vintage four-track reel to reel handed down from his elder brother Jools and his then band, Squeeze. By his early teens while still at school, Holland formed his own band, B Sharp, playing mainly organ and singing. The band made their first television debut when they were spotted by Mick Robinson for a new TV show at the BBC. Holland left school at the age of 16 to tour extensively around the country for a couple of years, before being signed to Miles Copeland III's I.R.S. Records label, releasing two singles: "While The Going's Good".
In between working on his own music Holland has also played electronic organ, recorded and written for Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
1999 saw the release of his first solo album, Cosmic Harmony Companion, containing some of his earliest compositions and featuring various guest musicians. A follow-up studio album Hoopatasso was released in 2002 in a limited number, which served as a taster for Brother Sun Sister Moon, which was issued in the summer of 2003.
Continuing to tour throughout 2004 with his band Cosmic Harmony, as well as playing solo shows, he released a one-off project with ex-B sharp member Lisa Covington, using a wide range of vintage keyboards, entitled Butterfly Effect was released in.
During 2006 and 2007, Holland was in the recording studio, working on thirteen new songs featuring Edwina Hayes on vocals and Melvyn Duffy on lap–pedal steel guitar and Ash Soan on drums. The ensuing Everything You Can Imagine Is Real was released in 2007.
Between 2008 and 2012 while continuing to perform with the Rhythm and Blues orchestra Chris and sound engineer Ron Box worked on a double album released on Holland's own Cosmic Harmony Records label.

Discography

This is a list of the albums Holland has appeared on: