Jools has audience dancing on the lawns

HE'S been tinkling those ivories for most of his life and has wowed audiences with his mix of jazz and modern boogie-woogie at world-renowned festivals, including Glastonbury.

And at the weekend it was Devon's turn to dance to the rhythm of musical prodigy Jools Holland as he and his 18-piece band performed at Killerton House, near Broadclyst.

Thousands of people packed the grounds of the National Trust property for the picnic-style event and the weather even held up, too.

The acclaimed musician, who is in his 29th series of his Later... With Jools Holland TV show on BBC2, played to a huge audience of about 5,000 for more than two hours.

Denise Melhuish, from Killerton House, said: “The concert was brilliant. Jools put on a really great performance and the crowd adored him.

“There were about 4,500 to 5,000 people there, so it was a fantastic turn-out.

“And what was great about the evening was that we had great weather, even if it did get a bit cooler later on in the evening.

“But everyone went home very happy and clearly had a fantastic time.”

She added: “He is a very professional performer and he got the crowd singing and dancing. It was fantastic.”

First in the queue were John and Shirley Ware, from Teignmouth, and their friends Judy and Tony Rudd.

After the concert, Mr Ware said: “It was phenomenal. I have seen Jools Holland before but this was the first time I have seen him in the open air and I thought he was even better.

“The band were so enthusiastic and it was a party atmosphere on the stage, which was so infectious so it made the whole place have a party.”

Mr Ware said guest performances from Soft Cell's Marc Almond and the underrated singer Ruby Turner also helped make a great event.

He added: “Killerton did its bit too. The organisers pulled out all the stops. It was a magical evening and the fireworks display at the end was great.

“There was a great atmosphere among the people and there was a great range of ages, too. There were babies to people over 70. It was a great melting pot.”

Jools and his band have been performing and touring since 1987 and play to audiences in excess of 500,000 per year.

As well as his formidable touring record, Jools has maintained a prolific recording career since 1996, which includes the multi-million selling Jools and Friends series.

He was awarded an OBE in 2003, and his long-awaited autobiography, Barefaced Lies and Boogie-Woogie Boasts, was published last year.