IT will be an emotional return when the first lady of jazz Dame Cleo Laine heads back to The Concorde next week.

She was in Hampshire five years ago when along with her husband, the late Sir John Dankworth, to mark the 50th anniversary of what has become a jazz mecca.

The couple forged the most famous jazz partnership in the business.

Sir John who had been the mainstay of the British jazz scene for more than 60 years was part of the Dankworth jazz dynasty.

And Dame Cleo is already guaranteed a packed house.

Dame Cleo, who is 84 but still a popular draw on the concert circuit, will be at The Concorde on Wednesday.

The singer and actress is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in jazz, pop and classical categories.

Dame Cleo has played everywhere from English dance halls to London’s Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie to the Blue Note Cafe. She has appeared on stages around the world from Broadway to London’s West End.