With his trademark bowler hat and waistcoat, Acker Bilk is a legend on the jazz scene.

But the clarinittist also holds an unusual record in the annals of pop history – as the first British male artist to have a number one single on both sides of the Atlantic with the 1962 hit, Stranger on the Shore.

And as a special gift to his legion of fans he will perform the track with his Paramount Jazz Band when he returns to the Epsom Playhouse on Tuesday.

Bilk, who was born Bernard Stanley but adopted the name ‘Acker’, meaning friend or mate in his native Somerset slang, learned to play the clarinet while serving in the Royal Engineers.

He puts his instantly recognisable style of playing down to the fact he lost half a finger as a child in a sledging accident and had two teeth knocked out in a school punch-up.

The jazz revival in the 50s saw Bilk achieve musical success. He later formed the Paramount Jazz Band, which spawned the single Summer Set - the first of 11 top-50 hits.

Over the years he has recorded with other prominent jazz and rock musicians, including the late Humphrey Lyttelton, Van Morrison and the Dutch Swing College Band, and his live shows are as mesmerising now as when he first started out on the circuit.

Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band, Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, July 5, 7.30pm, £19, 01372 742555, epsomplayhouse.co.uk