by Keith Hunt

Top musician Mornington Lockett will be serving up some sizzling sax as the featured guest at the 144 Club at The Roffen in Rochester on Wednesday February 8.

He is London-born but grew up on the Isle of Wight, where he started his jazz career. He played clarinet in The Isle Of Wight Symphony Orchestra.

Mornington studied jazz saxophone with Bobby Wellins, classical clarinet with Lorna Lowe and the North Indian Sitar with Armanath Misra.

He became the first person in the UK to gain a degree qualification for jazz saxophone, graduating with first class honours in 1983. He moved to London in 1984 to study at the Guildhall and has lived and worked there ever since.

He played at the famous Ronnie Scott's club and was invited to join the band there. He toured with Ronnie round the world for five years.

More recently, Mornington worked and recorded with New Jazz Couriers, a tribute to Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes' famous band from the 1950s. The band released four critically acclaimed albums and won the 2002 British Jazz Award for Best Small Group.

Mornington has worked regularly with pianist Stan Tracey and in 2009 appeared at the BBC Proms at The Royal Albert Hall.

He now works at Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex, and the Royal College of Music in London teaching jazz and saxophone.

Mornington will be backed by professional house musicians at the 144 Club led by Roan Kearsey-Lawson on drums and vibes.

The main performance will be at 8.15pm. Tickets £12 or £22 with food. Visitwww.144club.co.uk or call 01634 365453.