When asked to pay tribute to Jools Holland, the legendary BB King said: "I didn't think anybody could play like that. Jools has got that left hand that never stops".

But seeing Holland play live, you soon realise it is not just his left hand which is always on the move.

Even when he is sitting behind the piano shaking a tambourine, he radiates the kind of energy usually reserved for marathon runners.

Accompanied by his 18 piece Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, the singer-songwriter ushered in the Christmas season for a packed house at the Brighton Centre.

Three tunes into the set and the crowd were scrambling to their feet like fans at a Westlife concert, rushing to the front for a closer look at the band.

And this orchestra really was as central to the performance as Holland himself, with the vocalists, guitarists and every member of the horn section adding an essential ingredient to the sound.

Each musician stepped forward to perform breathtaking solos, applauded by a crowd who were unable to stop themselves from tapping their feet, nodding their heads and clapping their hands in appreciation.

It was impossible to sit still as Holland swept through a host of musical genres, from boogie'woogie to reggae and gospel.

At one point he even managed to work the crowd into such a frenzy that he found himself face-to-face with two fans determined to dance on the stage next to him.

But the crowd were expected to do a lot more than simply dance in the aisles and the band joined in with the audience as Holland launched into a "knees-up and sing-along" to see in the festive season.

This musician's reputation has seen him fill venues as diverse as the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, muddy tents at Glastonbury and London's Albert Hall.

The television and radio shows have won over younger audiences, while duets with some of the biggest acts from the past three decades have kept Holland's own sounds truly appealing.

Legend has it he learnt to play boogie-woogie piano at the tender age of eight, under the watchful eye of his uncle.

This familiar tale of the child prodigy, who was forming bands by his early teens, is only fitting for a musician who continues to live up to all the hype.

A Sunday night jam with Jools really is the only way to count down to Christmas.