JACKIE Dankworth and Friends are bringing their incomparable jazz back to Chipping Sodbury this autumn.

This new incarnation of “Shakespeare and all That Jazz” will feature the incomparable Jacqui Dankworth on vocals, accompanied by her “Friends” Charlie Wood, singer/songwriter and keyboardist, Julian Siegel saxophone and Oli Hayhurst bass. Award-winning US ex-pat Charlie Wood is a talented and versatile musician whose eclectic musical style incorporates elements of popular music, jazz, blues and traditional rhythm and blues. Julian Siegel is the tenor saxophonist playing the very best in modern jazz, who won the John Dankworth Award for talent deserving of wider recognition in the 2002 Hamlet British Jazz Awards. He has worked with many eminent musicians including Kenny Wheeler, Jason Rebello, Cleo Laine and Andy Shepherd. Oli Hayhurst has been one of the busiest bass players on the London jazz scene since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2000. He is involved in a wide range of music, playing with stars of jazz, classical and world music. He has been featured on over 60 albums and has toured extensively.

As this year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death Jacqui thought it would be most appropriate, to visit the musical settings of Shakespeare’s poetry inspired by, and taken from, the seminal 1964 album “Shakespeare and all That Jazz” composed by her late father, Sir John Dankworth, for her mother, Dame Cleo Laine. The ground-breaking arrangements include settings such as “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”, “O Mistress Mine”, “Fear No More the Heat O’ the Sun”, the story of “Macbeth” and a comical setting of Shakespeare’s complete works! The time is “right” for Jacqui to revisit the material she grew up with and to sing these poems that are embedded in her DNA!

Jacqui is a highly regarded performer and successful touring artist and with this very important anniversary she feels it would be complete madness not to bring to life these wonderful settings - in a different reincarnation. Both the settings and her father's music are very much loved, and are amongst Jacqui's favourite recordings made during her parents’ long recording careers.

Almost four years to the day since her last, highly acclaimed visit to Chipping Sodbury, Jacqui will be making a very welcome return. The brilliance of the music, the genius of Shakespeare’s poetry and the world-class musicians, combined with Jacqui’s emotional and virtuosic voice, will make for a very special concert.

JACKIE Dankworth and Friends are coming to Chipping Sodbury on Friday 30 September. They will be performing in the Town Hall at 7.30 pm (doors open from 6.30 pm) and tickets are still available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/csmusicsociety/ or the Box Office on 01454 315741.

on Friday 30 September. They will be performing in the Town Hall at 7.30 pm (doors open from 6.30 pm) and tickets are still available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/csmusicsociety/ or the Box Office on 01454 315741.