A touch of Van Morrison is coming to the Frankston Arts Centre.

On March 9, for one show only, Australian jazz legend Vince Jones and The Astral Orchestra will pay homage to the rock music icon with an interpretation of two of his albums ‘Astral Weeks’ and ‘Moondance’. It’s called ‘Van Morrison's Masterpieces’.

It’s a chance to return to a golden era - a time when The Beatles stopped touring and progressed to psychedelic rock; Dylan left folk and went electric; and Van Morrison hired New York’s finest jazz musicians and recorded ‘Astral Weeks’ and ‘Moondance’.

They were classic albums that inspired musicians and singers around the world, including Vince Jones.  “I grew up listening to those albums as a teenager,” he explains during an interview with Frankly Frankston. “Astral was one of the first albums I ever bought.”

This much-loved entertainer, who is widely considered Australia’s leading jazz vocalist,

says ‘Van Morrison's Masterpieces’ is something he’s always wanted to do. Jones, by the way, is from the NSW south coast and has a strong following on the Mornington Peninsula, where he performs at least once a year. “Astral Weeks and ‘Moondance’ were iconic records for my generation, and important records, and that’s why I was drawn to this project,” he says.

The Astral Orchestra, led by music director Matt McMahon, is an ensemble of some of Australia’s finest jazz/rock musicians and ‘Van Morrison's Masterpieces’ performed to sold–out concerts at the 2016 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Jones describes the production as a respectful interpretation of the original albums and “a full earful of music” for the audience.

‘Van Morrison's Masterpieces’ is at the Frankston Arts Centre on Thursday, March 9, 8pm. Tickets: artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au