TALENTED young trombonist Alistair White has no problem counting time - he's aiming for a degree in mathematics!

Adding up his musical triumphs may prove more difficult. His latest success will be featured on a BBC Radio 2 programme at 8pm this Monday.

It will star the 18-year-old Newman College student's performing That Old Black Magic, the number which earned him the Don Lusher trombone award in this year's BBC Big Band Competition, at Pebble Mill studios last Sunday.

Previous winners of the award include Mark Nightingale and Andy Prior.

Alistair, from Eastbourne Close, Ingol, first made the headlines in September 1997, aged 16, when he became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Young Jazz Musician of the Year title.

Since then he has:

Played a week's residency at New York's Blue Note Club;

Performed two separate weeks at London's Ronnie Scott's Club;

Appeared on BBC 1's Blue Peter TV show;

Played live and been interviewed for a BBC Radio 3 jazz programme;

Performed at venues around the country;

Become a founder member of the Northern Trombone Quartet;

Featured in Manchester brass band Hydra;

Played on Andy Prior's latest album;

Performed with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra; and

Continued to play with the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Lancashire Students Jazz Orchestra.

But, despite his list of musical achievements, Alistair has chosen to follow a more academic route through university. The former Broughton High pupil, who is now studying A levels in music, maths and music technology, said: "I decided on a mixture of maths and music because I'm good at them both, but I'd love to develop my music career."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.