Having seen Ruby Turner many times as part of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Band, I was unsure if she would be able to hold an audience with her own music.

How wrong I was!

Often referred by Holland as the Queen of Boogie Woogie, Turner was more soul than blues when she performed to an appreciative audience at the Kings Hall, Ilkley.

Backed by her four piece band it took Turner the first few songs before she really got into her stride. Won’t Give You My Heart To Break, a track off her new album sounded like it could have come from a Paloma Faith record with a fine balance of pop and contemporary soul.

With Ilkley recently being voted the best place to live in the country, Turner joked that perhaps she should move to the appealing spa town.

That’s My Desire was an unexpected surprise as I never knew that Turner was in Andy Hay’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire which showcased another side to her character.

Her warm and personal storytelling between the songs gave the audience a chance to discover more of this underrated artist. Sharing the loss of her dad during Lockdown, she dedicated her song Masterplan to him.

She described the time that she met one of her heroes - Etta James as she introduced I’d Rather Go Blind. When Turner delivered her version of the classic, it was presented as emotional and unique as the bass, then guitar, keyboards and drums faded away individually leaving only Turner’s voice to reach the song’s climax. Even Etta James would have been impressed.

As someone shouted out Jools Holland’s name, she referred to Holland as her boss and thanked him for giving her a chance to sing alongside his orchestra; at times it felt like she was the underdog though I believe Turner stands proudly alongside artists such as Macy Gray or Jill Scott.

On a night of discovery, Turner had shown a different style to her character. As she gave a final wave to leave the stage you could feel the wave of appreciation from both the stage and the audience.