HIS wizardry on the ivories has provided the musical backdrop to a host of TV movies on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jazz piano star David Newton, serial winner of British Jazz Awards, will be bringing the Big Screen to the Talking Heads tonight when he headlines a Southampton Jazz Club gig.

The Big Screen trio also includes top double bass player Tom Farmer and drummer Matt Skelton who has accompanied many leading internationally known jazz figures.

In the first five years of the nineties Newton’s reputation as an exquisite accompanist for singers spread like wildfire.

The Glaswegian musician was working regularly with Carol Kidd, Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross and Claire Martin.

Newton spent ten years recording and travelling around the globe with Grammy nominated American jazz singer Stacey Kent.

His music can be heard on many television productions, especially in the United States where more than 20 movies benefit from his haunting themes.

In 2014 Newton was for the 13th time voted the best jazz pianist in the prestigious British Jazz Awards. He was made a Fellow of Leeds College of Music in 2003 where he now teaches jazz piano.

He is among a glittering array of jazz musicians which bookings manager Andy Iles has lined up over the coming months at one of the oldest continuously running jazz clubs in the South of England.

They include the Denis Rollins Velocity Trio (March 21) and on April 11 The Steve Waterman Sextet featuring the Young Musician of The Year and popular trumpet player Alexandra Ridout.

The Southampton Youth Orchestra are the headliners on May 16 with their Legacy Orchestra and The Jazz Workshop Orchestra.

Special guests are Julia Arquelles and pianist Jason Rebello who leads a tribute to Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters Album.

Also in the pipeline are Zoe Schwarz and her six piece Blue Commotion (June 20) The Manusa Project Gypsy Swing with Mike Piggott on violin (July 18) and The Leon Greening Quartet (August 15)

On September 19 The Belgarum Big Band will be checking into the Southampton Jazz Club with drummer/leader Ted Carasco playing some sensational charts from the Buddy Rich Big Band. Special guest is highly acclaimed saxophonist Alan Barnes.

The Dave O’Higgins Quartet are at the club on October 17. See southamptonjazzclub.org