VIRTUOSO sax player and clarinettist John Hallam will be providing the entertainment at a Denbighshire venue early next month.

Along with the Tom Kincaid Trio, he will be a guest of the North Wales Jazz Society at the White House, Rhuallt on Wednesday, February 6 at 8pm.

On clarinet, John Hallam draws inspiration from Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Acker Bilk, while Lester Young, Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan are just a few of his saxophone influences.

Having worked alongside many of the greats, John's playing evokes the rich history of jazz and resonates strongly with audiences wherever he appears.

It was during his 21-year stint with the Smoky City Jazz Band - starting in the late 1960s - that John first started to work with some of the legends in the business, such as Humphrey Lyttelton, George Melly, Bud Freeman, Wild Bill Davison, Stephane Grappelli and John Barnes.

Becoming freelance in 1989, John has continued to work alongside many of the finest musicians from both sides of the Atlantic.

From the United States, he has played with Clark Terry, Benny Carter, Al Grey, Warren Vache, Howard Alden and

Randy Sandke, as well as the UK's Danny Moss, Roy Williams, Campbell Burnap, Mark Nightingale, Jack Emblow and Digby Fairweather.

In 2000 he formed his own 'Jazztet' to play his kind of music, going on to make three successful CDs, as well as Sideways, an album that he recorded with fellow sax man Alan Barnes and pianist Dave Newton.

John also has a long association with American pianist Jeff Barnhart, which has led to many recordings and live performances with different line-ups, including Jeff Barnhart's British Band.

More recently, he has recorded Deep Purple with the Tom Kincaid Trio, which is his first album on his own label, Jazz by Design.

On keyboards, Tom Kincaid is both a first-rate accompanist and a stand-out soloist who has become the first choice of many touring artists and band leaders.

He has performed with jazz saxophonists Art Themen and Scott Hamilton, as well as his childhood hero, rock 'n' roll legend Shakin' Stevens.

The Tom Kincaid Trio is completed by Frank Grime on double bass and Gaz Hughes on drums.

Admission is £6.50, with concessions available. For more information visit northwalesjazz.org.uk.