HERTS Jazz patron, Stan Tracey, makes his seasonal appearance at the club this Sunday, January 27, with his quartet which has now been together for five years.

Stan, who lives in St Albans, is an outstanding figure in the jazz world with a distinguished career which has spanned six decades of creativity.

He has been a highly influential and stimulating musical voice, not only to his peers but also to each successive generation of musicians with whom he has worked.

His piano playing combines the percussive melody of Thelonious Monk with the robust lyricism of Ellington in a highly idiosyncratic style. In 2012, he was awarded the first-ever Ivor Novello Jazz Award.

This year Stan celebrates his 70th year as a professional musician, arguably a unique record in British jazz. At the club which meets at Campus West, Welwyn Garden City, he will be performing compositions from Senior Moment and also from his latest suite, soon to be recorded.

Joining Stan will be Simon Allen, saxes, Andrew Cleyndert, bass, and Clark Tracey, drums.

Tickets are £13 in advance from http://www.hawthornetheatre.co.uk/whatsonstage.html, £16 at the door and £5 for students and under 21s.