The BEST episodes of Later... with Jools Holland season 45

#1 - Alt-J, Ryan Adams, Jungle, FKA twigs, The O'Jays, Vance Joy

Season 45 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/2014

#2 - Mary J Blige, Marianne Faithfull, Band of Skulls, Hozier, First Aid Kit

Season 45 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/26/2014

#3 - Future Islands, Ali Campbell, Chastity Brown, Gorgon City, Damien RIce, Jamie T

Season 45 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/3/2014

Joining Jools on the third show of the series is south London's Jamie T, who is back after a five-year absence with his third LP Carry on the Grudge, blending urgent rockers like Zombie and ballads like They Told Me It Rained with the old urgency and a new maturity. From Birmingham, legendary voice of iconic UK reggae outfit UB40, Ali Campbell, who has reunited with original fellow band members Astro and Micky on new album Silhouette, which is a mix of new songs and reggaefied versions of classics by the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Chi-Lites. Also on the show are north London producers Kye 'Foamo' Gibbon and Matt 'RackNRuin' Robson-Scott, also known as Gorgon City. They perform their chart smash Ready for Your Love, which features the exciting new voice of MNEK, along with another floor-filler from their upcoming Sirens album. Best-selling Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice returns solo after eight years away. He debuts songs from his much-anticipated third album My Favourite Faded Fantasy. Baltimore based synth pop group Future Islands play a couple of tracks from their fourth album Singles. Also from the US and based in Minneapolis, singer songwriter Chastity Brown who critics have dubbed a 'rocking and rolling encyclopaedia of roots music'.

#4 - Manic Street Preachers, Jessie Ware, Ben Howard

Season 45 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/2014

Joining Jools on the show are Blackwood's own rock gods Manic Street Preachers, who this year not only released their European-infused twelfth album Futurology but are also marking the 20th anniversary of their third LP The Holy Bible, which was the final work completed with guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards. They perform a couple of tracks from Futurology, including Europa Geht Durch Mich, which features vocals by German actress Nina Hoss, along with a classic from The Holy Bible. Also in the studio is south London electro soul singer Jessie Ware, who is returning after her hugely successful 2012 debut with songs from her upcoming Tough Love album. Devonian singer-songwriter Ben Howard had huge success with his 2011 debut and returns to perform tracks from his new LP I Forget Where We Were. Robert Randolph and the Family Band are a funk and soul outfit led by Robert on the pedal steel, they return to the show after their debut ten years ago to perform a couple of tracks from their Lickety Split album. Two artists making their UK debuts on the show are New Orleans-based Benjamin Booker, who has recorded his debut in an analogue studio in Nashville and has been described as 'a raw brand of blues/boogie/soul', and Belgian Melanie De Biasio, a classically trained flautist who has been heralded as a new voice in jazz.

#5 - Sinead O'Connor, Rumer, Labrinth, Rival Sons, Ibeyi, Adam Cohen, Holly Johnson

Season 45 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/17/2014

Joining Jools in the studio are Sinead O'Connor, Rumer, Labrinth, Rival Sons, Ibeyi, Adam Cohen and Holly Johnson. This programme is not broadcast live. Joining Jools is Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor, who performs a couple of songs from her recent tenth full-length album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss. Also in the studio is Sarah Joyce, a Pakistani-born British singer-songwriter better known by her stage name Rumer. She is returning to the show to perform tracks from her upcoming third studio album Into Colour, including new song Dangerous. He made his debut on the show with fellow Londoner Tinie Tempah, but now Labrinth performs on the show in his own right, debuting tracks from his upcoming second album Take Me to the Truth, which sees him take a more soulful 1970s sound. From Long Beach, California, comes the blues-rock of Rival Sons, who make their UK television debut with tracks from their fourth album Great Western Valkyrie, which takes its inspiration from the original blues/psychedelic rockers of the classic rock era. There is also a performance from Ibeyi who are the French/Cuban twin daughters of famed Cuban percussionist Anga Díaz, who was a member of Buena Vista Social Club. On his death, the twins, then age 11 years old, learned to play his signature instrument the Cajón and studied the folks songs of Yoruba. Now aged 19, they have started recording their debut album. And from Canada, singer songwriter Adam Cohen the son of Leonard. He performs a track from his fifth album We Go Home. Former lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood Holly Johnson chats to Jools about his first new album in 15 years and 30 years since the release of Welcome To The Pleasuredome.

#6 - U2, Sam Smith, Interpol, Zola Jesus, Dave and Phil Alvin, Slaves

Season 45 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/24/2014

#7 - Robert Plant, Counting Crows, tUnE-yArDs

Season 45 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/2014

#8 - Bryan Ferry, Paul Rodgers, The War on Drugs, Seinabo Sey, Laura Doggett

Season 45 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/7/2014

Joining Jools in the studio we have English singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry performing tracks from his fourteenth solo album, Avonmore. English rock musician Paul Rodgers, famed frontman of Free and Bad Company, plays numbers from The Royal Sessions, his recent Memphis soul album which was recorded at Willie Mitchell's revered Royal Studios. From Philadelphia, we welcome to the studio indie rock outfit The War on Drugs with tracks from their third album, Lost in a Dream. From south London, the infectious afrobeat sounds of Fuse ODG performs a couple of numbers from his upcoming debut album, T.I.N.A. Swedish newcomer Seinabo Sey, debuts her unique soulful electro pop to the Later studio and also making her debut is hotly-tipped Bath singer-songwriter Laura Doggett. Plus Jools chats to Pink Floyd's David Gilmour about the inspiration behind their much anticipated forthcoming and final album, The Endless River.