SpanJazz is delighted to have the indestructible world class tenor master Art Themen back after a three-year absence. He will be performing alongside The John Gibbon Trio at Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth, next Thursday, June 30.

Art Themen, the saxophone-playing orthopaedic surgeon who has been an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 40 years, hasn’t lost his appetite for the lateral. Originally a Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins stylist, Themen has proved himself remarkably attentive to the saxophone styles of subsequent generations.

Evan Parker’s influence is sometimes evident, alongside John Coltrane’s sheets of sound, and the full-bodied, vibrato-laden rhapsodising of long-gone swing stars such as Coleman Hawkins.

Themen is always an engaging performer who is liable to construct a solo with only passing attention to the theme or style of the original, as if he were taking a deck of cards marked Secret Love or Alone Together and subjecting it to a succession of expert variations.

The hotel will be serving meals before 8 pm.

Tickets are available from the Span Arts box office on 01834 869 323 or online at spanarts.org.uk. Music starts at 8 pm. To book your meal, call Plas Hyfryd on 01834 869 006.