Don Byron, a former jazz artist of the year, is expected to be one of the highlights of the upcoming Malta Jazz Festival between July 19-21.

The influential jazz magazine 'Down Beat' had named clarinetist Byron 'Jazz Artist of The Year' in 1992 following his debut album 'Tuskegee Experiments'.

The New York Times once credited Don Byron with almost single-handedly reviving the clarinet within the jazz scene.

Byron will play on July 20, accompanied by his band, composed of Ron Miles on trumpet, Edsel Gomez on piano, Leo Traversa on bass, Milon Cardona on congas and Ben Wittman on drums.

Byron is a musician of immense talent who turns his hand to many different styles of music.

Just over a year ago he was given his own festival in Vienna. One of his three concerts featured rare chamber works by Igor Stravinsky.

Byron was born and raised in the Bronx in New York. His father was a Calypso music bass player and his mother a pianist.

His interest in music was spurred by frequent trips to classical music concerts and ballet performances with his parents. Byron also developed a liking for the music of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Machito.

Byron's formal musical education was as a classical clarinet player, graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music, but throughout his studies he also worked with a number of salsa music groups.

Thanks to these varied experiences Byron has developed an affinity with a range of different artists from Robert Schumann to Marvin Gaye to Nirvana.

For the past 10 years, Byron has been an integral part of New York's cultural community, serving as artistic director for the Brooklyn Academy of Music for four years.

He has also worked on a number of other special projects, including Broadway music for Stephen Sondheim and on the film Scar of Shame.

He is also the composer of the music on the latest Tom and Jerry cartoon series.

Tickets for the festival are on sale at the Department of Culture on tel. 21 232515 as well as all Vodafone retail outlets.