Jazz greats play the stage (From Stroud News and Journal)

Jazz greats play the stage

TWO stars of the jazz scene - legendary trumpeter Keith 'Mr Hefty Jazz' Smith and the incomparable vocalist Georgie Fame - share the stage at Stroud's Subscription Rooms for a night of popular jazz this weekend;.

Keith Smith is a British-born musician who is better known abroad that in his native land as he has spent most of his career playing around the world.

In 1971, following the death of Louis Armstrong, Smith spent four years touring with The Louis Armstrong All Stars, the same band that featured in the classic Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly movie High Society, as a replacement for the irreplacable Armstrong.

Smith is the only non-American ever to have worked with Satchmo's band. Georgie Fame has over 20 albums and 14 hit singles to his name, including the classic number 1s Yeh Yeh, Getaway and The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde.

His reputation continues to gather strength thanks to his fortuitous choice of collaborators; he has worked with mumerous other greats, including Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and Count Basie.

The show, From Basin Street to Broadway, takes the audience on a journey from Louis Armstrong's original 1920s tune Basin Street Blues through the music of Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Louis Jordan, Ella Fitgerald and the show tunes of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.

From Basin Street to Broadway takes place on Saturday, February 12 at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £15.50 or £14.50 concessions, are available from the box office.