WHEN it comes to jazz Digby Fairweather is a walking encyclopaedia and, along with The Half Dozen, he returns to Eastleigh's Concorde Club on Wednesday.

He has penned a series of books on this musical genre, including Jazz the Rough Guide and in 1988 he launched the National Jazz Archive - Britain’s primary research centre for jazz music.

So perhaps it is no surprise that in his former life, before jazz took over his every waking hour, he was a librarian.

Before he became a full time jazzman in 1977 he worked night by exhausting night in everything from local soul and dance bands to avant-garde jazz ensembles in Southend and all over his home county of Essex.

Opening a new chapter in his life he moved up the jazz ladder and has chalked up more than 40 years as a professional jazz musician.

The Half Dozen recorded their first album in 1998, played regular South Bank concerts, and in January 2003 began national touring alongside blues legend George Melly.

The group won the British Jazz Award for Top Small Group for a record breaking ten times in 11 years.

During their 20th Anniversary tour in 2015 they played nine jazz festivals, including Bude and Brecon, more than 30 theatres and a record-breaking number of jazz clubs.

After George Melly’s final performance in 2007 Digby forged a new musical partnership with Hampshire born pop legend Paul Jones for the jazz-and-blues show called Rocking in Rhythm, a successful collaboration that continues today.

The Half Dozen sell out Ronnie Scott’s with every appearance, and also play solo concerts for clubs and jazz festivals countrywide.