HELENSBURGH jazz fans welcome Dick Lee’s Swingtet to the Tower Digital Arts Centre on Saturday.

The group - featuring Dick Lee himself on reeds, Mike Nisbet and Marcus Ford on guitar, Owen MacDonald on double bass, Brian Kellock on piano and Alison Affleck on vocals - will play a selection of hits by Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday on a thrilling night of soul and swing in the second instalment in Helensburgh Music Society’s 2018-19 winter concert series.

Dick’s career as a performer and composer has encompassed classical, rock, jazz, traditional, and much music that does not fit easily into any particular category.

He has received commissions from all manner of organisations to write music, including the 2001 commission ‘Helensburgh Suite’.

As a performer on saxes, clarinets and recorders he has played live and on recordings with many artists and groups including the Hebrides Ensemble, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Michael Marra Band.

Dick’s own groups include Chamber Jazz, winners of the BBC Radio 2 National Big Band Competition, Dr. Lee’s Prescription and Dick Lee’s Swingtet.

In 2002, he received the prestigious Creative Scotland Award, and also won the Scottish Centres of Excellence Composers’ Competition.

The following year he received a 20 for 14 Award from Creative Scotland which led to the composition of The Games, which was performed by Dr Lee’s Prescription at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Fingerstyle guitarist Marcus Ford has performed all over Europe including at the Shetland Folk Festival, Moods Jazz Club in Zurich, Edinburgh International Jazz Festival, The Glasgow International Jazz Festival, The Berlin Centre in Germany as well as a number of live concerts for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Scotland.

Owen MacDonald has performed extensively across the UK, from London and the south coast of England to the Hebrides and the Orkney Isles, with further appearances on radio and television.

Mike Nisbet plays jazz guitar in various groups and has performed throughout Europe including at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Northern Italy International Jazz Festival, the Shetland Music Festival and the Edinburgh Jazz Festival.

Alison Affleck won Best Jazz Vocalist at the 2014 Scottish Jazz Awards and sings and swings with some of the finest musicians in Scotland and further afield.

Brian Kellock is an internationally renowned award-winning pianist, working with Herb Geller, Sheila Jordan, Art Farmer, Red Rodney, Charlie Rouse, Bill Watrous, Scott Hamilton, Stanley Turrentine, Tommy Smith and many others.

Equally at home with mainstream and contemporary jazz styles, Brian plays in the Oscar Peterson/Monty Alexander genre that is closest to his heart.

Single tickets for the night (Saturday, November 17) cost £12, £5 for students, or £1 for under-18s and are available online at www.helensburghboxoffice/live.

Tickets can also be bought at the Tower box office, in advance or on the door.

Visit helensburghmusicsociety.org.uk for more information or check out the Facebook page.