They rocked, they rolled, they rapped and they raved.

And Later... they made Bradford the coolest place on the musical planet for one, short, night.

Jools Holland rolled into town last night for an evening of melodic magic that left the audience calling for more.

Boogie-woogie piano man Jools opened a weekend of musical festivities by bringing the BBC show Later... With Jools Holland to Pennington's nightclub, in Manningham Lane.

The storming live show featured the hottest talent in British music including Catatonia, Toploader, and Faithless.

Before the show was beamed live to the UK, Jools took a minute to talk to the Telegraph & Argus about what it was like to be broadcasting outside London for only the second time in the show's history.

After picking at the complimentary potato-salad and adjusting his dual-piano stool, the sharp-suited, red-braced, piano maestro said he was definitely feeling up for his night of Yorkshire rhythm and blues.

He said: "I've got a great feeling about tonight. It reminds me of when we used to do the Tube because we're completely live and without a safety net!

"It's good to be out of the studio because the people are really up for it and you can tell there's real excitement building up. The people really want to be here and that give's it an edge.

"I love the crowds in Bradford. I played St George's about a year ago and they were fantastic."

Crowds of music-lovers queued outside the club brandishing tickets to get into the cultural event of the year which was organised as part of the BBC's Music Live Festival 2001.

One of the performers taking part in the live BBC2-broadcast was folk-singer Martin Carthy, who performed a number with his Mercury music award-winning daughter Eliza.

He said: "It's a fantastic event and the only show on TV that you'll get such a great mix of musical talent."

To add to the musical mix, hundreds of party-goers turned out to enjoy an evening's entertainment in Bradford's Centenary Square with Batley band The Durbervilles (pictured) and veteran rockers Lindisfarne.

And BBC 2 wasn't the only spot that Bradford could be heard around the nation last night as the corporation's Concert Orchestra joined forces with the Brighouse and Rastrick Band for Friday Night Is Music Night on Radio Two.