SOMEWHERE in France the mobile phone of French classical jazz legend Jacques Loussier starts ringing.

"Allo," answers the Frenchman.

"Er, Monsieur Loussier? C'est Le Worcester Evening News l'appreil," I gabble, sounding like the policeman from 'Allo 'Allo.

For a moment he is silent and suddenly the only French I can recall is how to ask for a second class train ticket to La Rochelle.

But Jacques Loussier isn't an expert on the French railways, he is the man who sold six million albums by mixing classical music with jazz improvisation.

Mr Loussier first came to notoriety in the 60s with the Play Bach Trio and now, 40 years on, he is still touring his unique show, which is now coming to Worcester.

"The audience will listen to the music of Bach in the first half, then we will play some Vivaldi and also some Debussy and Satie and then we will finish with Ravel," he says, in flawless English.

In the late 1950s Mr Loussier auditioned for a Decca Record music executive playing both classical and jazz pieces, but when he combined the two he was immediately signed up to record the album Play Bach.

"The first record I launched was in 1959 and I was a bit shy but I had the simple hope to make music.

"That was Bach and I have the greatest respect for Bach. All the success came after the first record."

After touring the world for more than 10 years the original Play Bach Trio disbanded in 1978.

Throughout the 1980s Loussier semi-retired from performing and wrote a trumpet concerto, a violin concerto, a symphony and a ballet called Three Colours performed at the Ballet of the Paris Opera.

In 1985, Lousier was persuaded to re-form the trio to celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Bach.

During the 1990s, the group became the Jack Loussier Trio and began using the work of other great composers, including Debussy, Satie and Ravel, releasing five top-selling albums.

The Trio also includes Andre Arpino, one of Europe's finest drummers, who has backed the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gilespie and Stan Getz.

Bassist Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac joined the trio when the original bassist Vincent Charbonnier suffered a cerebral haemorrhage.

"We have been playing together for three years now and there is still a lot of improvisation but we keep some things the same.

"We love to take the ferry over to England and we get lunch and then play. We like that very much."

n Jacques Loussier Trio, Huntingdon Hall, 8pm, Friday, May 24. All tickets £19.50 from the box office on 01905 611 427.