WITHOUT Chris Barber we might never have heard of The Beatles or Rolling Stones.

The jazz icon laid the tracks for the sixties blues rock explosion which paved the way for the Fab Four and the Stones.

The 83 year-old trombone player, marking his 64 th year as a bandleader and still going strong on the jazz circuit, headlined an international jazz night at The Stoneham Lane club.

And he is no stranger to Concorde audiences with his links stretching back to the fifties when the club was squeezed into the backroom of The Bassett pub in Burgess Road, Southampton.

The multi-talented Big Chris Barber Band opened the first set with their signature tune and the famous Dixieland song, Bourbon Street Parade.

They put the audience in the festive mood with classic swing numbers from the Duke Ellington song book, including Merry- Go - Round.

The 10 piece band line-up includes the first full time female member Amy Roberts who with clarinet, saxophone and flute solos sounded very much a jazz star of the future.

And Richard Exall also gave a masterclass in playing saxophone.

Barber switched effortlessly from trombone to vocals and even managed to squeeze in a sprightly solo on double bass.

He sang a moving version of the gospel song, Take My Hand, Precious Lord. Another highlight was Barber’s interpretation of Goin’ Home by British jazz legend Ken Collyer.

A New Orleans music devotee, Collyer was at one time a Barber bandmate.

And a catchy little number called Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses – a delicacy eaten by prisoners in Pennsylvania- was the cue for a rousing round of audience handclapping.

Barber has always employed a banjo player – his first was Lonnie Donegan who went on to become the king of skiffle and now the role is very ably filled by Joe Farler. Traditionally the Barber band round off the evening with the American gospel tune, When the Saints Go Marching In.

For Saints fans it might have seemed a bitter sweet note on the night their team were on the losing side.

But for Chris Barber and his band it was a triumphant ending to their latest return fixture at The Concorde.