ILMINSTER Arts Centre is seeing February out in style with a performance by one of the UK’s most dynamic jazz quintets.

Saxophonist Simon Spillett and trumpeter Henry Lowther join the Dave Newton Trio to present an evening of top modern jazz.

All the players are multi-award winners. Simon Spillett has been described as “a fiery saxophonist in the mould of the late Tubby Hayes,” sharing Hayes’ fondness for fast tempo, no holds barred jazz.

In 2007 Spillett won the BBC Jazz Award for Rising Star and his “uncompromising Hard Bop style” (Jazz Review) has ensured a meteoric rise.

He has worked with a veritable who’s who of British jazz, including Sir John Dankworth and Bobby Wellins.

Henry Lowther’s first experience was on cornet in a Salvation Army band. He studied violin briefly but returned to the trumpet by 1960. A versatile trumpeter, over the decades he has worked with everyone from Bing Crosby to Paul McCartney. He has also played extensively in big bands, including the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and the London Jazz Orchestra.

Dave Newton (pictured) graduated from Leeds College of Music before establishing himself on the Scottish jazz scene.Amove to London followed, where he became a sought after pianist, teaming up with Alan Barnes, Martin Taylor and Don Weller. As an accompanist, Newton has worked with Carol Kidd, Tina May and Stacey Kent while his own compositions feature on many television productions.

In 2003, after a 20-year gap, he was reunited with playwright Alan Aykbourn to write the music for two new productions, having been involved with eight world premieres in Scarborough and London in the early eighties. David Newton was voted best Jazz Pianist in the British Jazz awards for the 13th time in 2014.

The Jazz Fireworks performance is on Friday, February 27, at 8pm.

Tickets are £18 and a pre-show supper is available for £12 at 7pm but must be booked in advance. Call 014600-54973 to book.