THOUSANDS of people hear the music of Tony Coe on television every day without knowing his name. He's the tenor saxophonist featured on the instantly-recognisable theme tune of the Pink Panther movies.

To British jazz fans, though, Coe has long been recognised as a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist with a unique style.

The bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton, with whom he played for five years early in his career, called him "one of the most remarkable and brilliant musicians in the world".

The American bandleader Count Basie thought so too, inviting him to join his sax section at the age of just 31, an offer Coe found himself unable to take up because of US immigration red tape.

Over almost five decades he has performed in almost every jazz style, from Dixieland to avant-garde.

One critic said: "If my life depended on a jazz ballad, I think I'd get Tony Coe to play it."

Find out why when he takes to the stage at Southampton Jazz Club on Tuesday, May 25, accompanied by John Horler on piano and Sam Burgess on bass. Performance: 8.30pm, the Arlott Bar, University of Southampton Campus. Tickets on the door: £9, student members: £5.