Paul Zec is an increasingly busy saxophonist with a well-connected history of jazz playing going back to his student days. One evening recently he emerged momentarily from behind a bottle of Cotes du Rhone at his home in Charlton to share a moment of candour with me. "To tell the truth, I probably spent more hours as a student running the university jazz club than I did studying."

Not that this held him back in his non-music career. Having mixed it nicely with many leading contemporary British musicians of the time, he quickly established success as a history and sociology teacher, first in secondary schools, then in universities.

He said: "I'm now at the stage of life where my university teaching is part-time and I can expand my playing career."

As he enjoys his Indian summer with the alto and soprano saxophones, Zec can also look back to earlier days when he shared the stage with international stars such as Freddy Hubbard, Philly Joe Jones and Freddie Redd a daunting thought for we local musicians lucky enough to work with him these days.

Zec is a member of what used to be called the "Cool School", yet there is passion and enthusiasm in his playing, too.

You have ample chance to hear that for yourself over the coming weeks. I'll have the pleasure of accompanying him at the Pizza Express, in West Wickham on February 6 and in Beckenham on March 5.

This Saturday night, February 1, he is at Peter de Wit's Jazz Cafe in Greenwich Church Street with his long-time sparring partner David Rees-Williams on piano, a man who has become a BBC Radio 3 favourite, helping one of his jazz-tinged recordings of classical music themes to make the HMV number 2 spot for classical album of 2002.

January 30, 2003 12:00