“THERE is no greater sound on earth, than Joe Temperley on a horn,” so said Wynton Marsalis.

And Joe is on his old stomping ground, Lochgelly Centre, on 7th March.

Joe Temperley and his baritone sax have travelled a long way from his Lochgelly area roots via the Humphrey Lyttleton Band, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for 25 years anchoring the leading Big Band in the world, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Now aged 85, and a legend on the New York scene, his golden sound and beautiful interpretation of classic tunes, are a delight especially in the company of the ever exciting, ever dynamic, Brian Kellock.

Joe first achieved prominence in the United Kingdom as a member of Humphrey Lyttelton’s band from 1958-1965.

In 1965, he moved to New York City where he performed and/or recorded with Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Joe Henderson, Duke Pearson, the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra; and Clark Terry, among many others.

In October 1974, he toured and recorded with the Duke Ellington Orchestra as a replacement for Harry Carney.

Joe played in the Broadway show, Sophisticated Ladies, in the 1980s, and his film soundtrack credits include Cotton Club, Biloxi Blues, Brighton Beach Memoirs, When Harry Met Sally, and Tune In Tomorrow, composed by Wynton Marsalis.

He is a guest mentor of the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra also known as FYJO programme, co-founded by former Beath High School principal teacher of music, Richard Michael and Dr Colin Thompson, which now enrolls 30 young musicians ages 7 to 18.

Joe has released several albums as a leader, including Nightingale (1991), Sunbeam and Thundercloud with pianist Dave McKenna (1996), With Every Breath (1998) and Double Duke (1999) with several fellow Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members.

He is an original member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School for Jazz Studies.