By Duncan Eaton For Entertainment with emailed pix pre-piece for concorde gig on Feb 28

TWO of the biggest names in the jazz world are heading towards Hampshire.

Both award winners, songstress Claire Martin and legendary saxophonist Ray Gelato will be joining forces at Eastleigh’s Concorde Club on February 28.

Billed as A Swinging Affair, they will be showcasing their new album, We’ve Got a World That Swings.

Internationally acclaimed jazz artist and BBC Radio 3 presenter Claire Martin, has established herself as a tour de force on the UK jazz scene, scooping many awards including seven times winner of the British Jazz Awards.

Thanks to jazz loving parents Claire grew up in a household full of great music.

She became a professional singer at 19 and two years later realised her dream of singing at Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club in Soho.

Claire was made an OBE in the 2011 birthday honours for her services to jazz.

Signed to Linn Records in 1991, Claire has released 17 CDs with the label, collaborating with musical luminaries including Martin Taylor, John Martyn, Stephane Grappelli, Mark Nightingale, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Jim Mullen and Nigel Hitchcock on many of the recordings.

She has performed across Europe and Asia with her trio and forged a formidable musical partnership with famous composer and jazz pianist, the late Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

As a cabaret duo they played to sell out audiences on both sides of the Pond, including the prestigious Algonquin Hotel in New York City.

Sharing top billing with Claire will be Ray Gelato who has won a string of awards, including Ronnie Scott’s best male artist and BBC jazz artist of the year.

Known as the Godfather of Swing, Ray who is no stranger to Concorde jazz aficionados, is very much part of jazz royalty

He has twice played in front of the Queen and performed at former Beatle Paul McCartney’s wedding.

A major force in the revival of swing music, Ray and his band have played to full houses across the United Kingdom, including the iconic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Europe and Japan.

They regularly pay homage to a glittering array of American big band legends including Louis Jordan, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins and Frank Sinatra.

Claire and Ray will bringing to The Concorde a sizzling selection of swing and jive classics including, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, They Can't Take That Away from Me and Can't We Be Friends.

The Observer have described their show as an “irresistible mixture of swing, jump-and-jive and sheer bonhomie.”

Claire and Ray will be joined by a glittering array of musicians including Dave Newton, wizard of the ivories and serial winner of the British best jazz pianist awards, top bass player Dave Whitford, and ace drummer Sebastiaan de Krom.

For more information ring 02380613989 or visit www.theconcordeclub.com