One of the world's top jazz clarinettist and tenor saxaphone players, Ken 'Peps' Peplowski, will be at Hanley Castle High School tonight (Friday).

Accompanying him will be John Pearce (piano), Dave Green (bass) and Martin Drew (drums), who are are well known to local audiences.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1959, Peps started playing professionally on radio and TV age nine, later joining The Tommy Dorsey Band in 1979. In 1980, he moved to New York and soon found himself playing in a variety of diverse settings including dixieland bands, avant-garde jazz ensembles and symphony orchestras.

He has since recorded extensively for the Concord Jazz label and now travels the world as a solo artiste, gathering richly deserved accolades along the way.

Peps has performed with musicians as diverse as Mel Torme, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, Leon Redbone, Jimmy McPartland, Max Kaminsky, Dick Hyman, Ruby Braff, Scott Hamilton, Howard Alden, Rosemary Clooney and Steve Allen.

He can also be seen playing in Woody Allen's film"The curse of the Jade Scorpion".

Tonight's performance, organised by the Friends of Upton Jazz Festival, starts at 8pm. Tickets are £11 (£9 for members).