All That Jazz

As Patron of Music since 2011, Jools presents the very best in jazz, blues and soul and rock'n'roll. He has hosted and been centre stage of many sensational events at Boisdale, plenty of which have seen big-name stars including Melanie C, Courtney Pine, Shala Arna, Horace Andy, Gabrielle, KT Tunstall and Scouting For Girls grace the stage. Though unbeknown to some, his particular passion is boogie woogie piano and that love for the style formed the basis for the spectacular annual Boogie Woogie Dinner at Boisdale Canary Wharf, which he programmes and hosts, which celebrates the classic jazz music of the era by some of the biggest names in the business.

He first learnt boogie woogie when he was eight or nine, when he heard his Uncle David on the piano.

"I went to my grandmother's one day and heard him playing this and I thought 'what is this?' It's so fantastic; you had the left hand contrasting with the right all at once and all the rhythms in it... it really was as if the chaos of the universe became ordered at that moment and I thought this is just the best thing I have ever heard. It made you want to jump around and dance," he recalled.

Today that joyful passion well and truly shines on the Bois dale stage, where the usual magic of the finest British produce, exquisite drinks and impeccable service all combine with up close and personal performances from global recording artists to create a heady concoction of a wondrous night of live music.

You can see Jools in action when he hosts September's Boisdale Music Awards 2022, which sees a cross section of genre-defining performances. When you get there, we can toast the exciting future of our highly dedicated and beloved Patron of Music.