Music maestro Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra are just one of a whole host of world class acts gracing the stage at this year's Hampton Court Palace Festival, which marks the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII's ascension to the throne. SIBA MATTI spoke to him about being a child prodigy, working with hero George Harrison and performing for ghosts...

FEW musicians can claim to have worked with the likes of Tom Jones, Eric Clapton and former Beatle George Harrison - but Jools Holland has no plans to stop there.

The prolific pianist and television presenter is once again standing shoulder to shoulder with music royalty including opera tenor José Carreras, when he performs at this summer's Hampton Court Palace Festival alongside his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

But Jools, 51, who hails from Blackheath, south-east London, is remarkably reserved about his achievements and credits much of his success to his family. He explained: "I think you probably could call me a child prodigy as I picked things up from a very early age and I was playing boogie woogie when I was eight years old – but just like Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis, I had an uncle who taught me to play in his front room.

"My father was very encouraging and I remember when I was 15, he took us to Paris for a business trip – the first time I ever went abroad. We went to a jazz club and my father got me to go on stage with a pianist working there. The pianist said 'this boy should be working in music' and my father took him at his word – he said to me, 'don't try to do anything else, just play music all the time as it's something you are so talented at'.

"I never thought that talent could be genetic but now I think it is a mixture of nature and nurture – my mother and both my grandmothers played piano, so I think that definitely had an influence."

And that pianist was right to predict Jools' potential – at just 15, he co-founded 1970s New Wave band, Squeeze, which achieved meteoric success on both sides of the Atlantic with hits including Cool For Cats, Up The Junction and Tempted.

"Like most young people I was full of self confidence but I really just fell into the band," Jools admits. "It was almost involuntary – I couldn't even imagine doing anything else for a living, although when I was a boy I initially thought being an air traffic controller or an MI5 agent would be fun.

"Music has always had a magical effect on me – it made me want to jump up and down and dance, and it still does now."

The musician's talents caught the attention of television producers at the BBC, and Later...with Jools Holland, now in its 34th series, was born.

"I have been lucky to work with so many fantastic artists but my favourite has to be George Harrison," Jools explains.

"He has always been one of my personal heroes and working with him meant a great deal to me."

And Jools is equally excited about performing at Hampton Court Palace Festival: "It's such a beautiful venue and a really magical place, not to mention one of the most haunted stately homes in the country. I'm especially looking forward to performing in front of all ghosts residing there!

"It is also an honour to play alongside so many talented artists, as well as performing with the band again.

"Our passion for music is really the glue that holds us all together and its such a thrill to work with people like Ruby Turner, one of the most talented singers of her age, and Dave Edmunds and Louise Marshall. And of course, I have been working with drummer Gilson Lavis since the old Squeeze days.

"Our diversity and collective vision is what excites me – music is an art form which really affects the way you feel – it's infectious and hopefully that's what will excite audiences, too."

As for the future, with an OBE under his belt, what's left for the music maestro to achieve?

"I have been playing with the band for more than 15 years which is a fantastic feat, and would have been more so in the 1940s. The OBE was brilliant but I just want to continue bringing new music to people and evolve as an artist – what I do isn't really work, I love it and have no plans to stop yet."

* Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra featuring Gilson Lavis and special guest Dave Edmunds and guest vocalists Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall perform at the Hampton Court Palace Festival on Wednesday, June 3 and Friday, June 12. The show starts at 9pm and tickets cost from £42.50. For further information and to book, visit www.hamptoncourtfestival.com or call 0844 8110050.