IT'S not every musician who plays for wedding receptions, birthdays and members of the royal family.

But then not every musician is king of swing Ray Gelato, pictured above.

And the wedding in question was Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills's star-studded reception while the birthday party was that of Bryan Adams, who he played for after opening Robbie Williams's Swing While You're Winning concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ray has also played for the Queen at the Ritz Hotel, so audience members who catch his show at the Concorde Club in Eastleigh next week will definitely be in good company.

Ray lists his influences as Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and Louis Prima.

He combines a powerful voice with vibrant tenor saxophone playing and always puts on a flamboyant show.

Ray has been playing the tenor sax since 1979 and ever since then his star has been on the rise.

He played in his first professional band the following year, appeared in and sang in the film Scandal in 1988, and went on to gain international notoriety when he was featured in an advert for Levis' Dockers, performing Tu Vuo' Far L'Americano.

He is becoming increasingly popular internationally as well as in the UK, playing a ten-day residency at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy last year and continuing to develop his fan base in the USA.

He and his band swing into the Concorde Club on Wednesday, September 22 as part of the venue's season of international jazz nights.

Forthcoming international jazz nights also include Georgie Fame on September 29, the Humphrey Lyttelton Band on October 6 and Harlemania on November 3.

Tickets for Ray Gelato are priced £10 for members and £12 for guests.

For more information, call 023 8061 3989.