THE Scarborough Jazz Festival is one of the longest-running in the UK. This year’s bill has just been published and early-bird weekend tickets are on sale (scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk and 01723 821888). Surprise booking must be festival poster-boy Nigel Kennedy.

However, it is not so surprising when it emerges that Kennedy will play with the John Etheridge Band, since Etheridge played alongside Stephane Grapelli in a Hot Club-style band.

Quickly becoming York’s most successful (and comfortable) jazz venue is Middletons Hotel, Skeldergate, and tonight’s band will be Bejazzled, with Mike Riley (01904 611570). Also tonight, just around the corner, Bob Smeaton’s One Foot In The Groove organ-led quintet will be at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane, with guest saxophonist Martin Boyd (01904 654307). Tomorrow night the University of York Jazz Orchestra will be joined by members of the Julian Arguelles Octet, one of the University’s ensembles in residence. The concert will be at 7.30pm in the Rymer Auditorium (01904 322439).

Sunday jazz in York begins at 1pm with the John Marley Trio at Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate (01904 620222). The big York jazz jam is on Wednesday night at the Phoenix Inn, George Street, fronted by trumpeter James Lancaster and pianist Chris Moore (01904 656401). The Kier Hall Trio plays at Zizzi’s Restaurant, Lendal, also on Wednesdays.

Outside of York, Wakefield Jazz will present London-based post-bop tenor saxophonist Josh Kemp’s Jazz Prophets at 8pm on Friday (01977 680542). The Boston Spa Real Ale Festival will be on Saturday with music, sponsored by the jazz club, from the Mardi Bras Jazz Quartet, 2pm to 4pm (01937 844898).

Scarborough Jazz runs every Wednesday at the Cask Inn, Cambridge Terrace, and next week’s guest will be tenor saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski (01723 500570)

 

REVIEW

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, American Adventure (Spartacus Records) *****

INTERESTING to note that England, Ireland and Wales do not have a national jazz orchestra – yet Scotland’s was founded by Tommy Smith in 1995 and is still directed by him.

The precociously talented saxophonist/composer won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, Boston, USA, aged 16. His local community of Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, organised by his music teacher, funded his studies with jumble sales and raffles, but he has certainly repaid their efforts with his activities in Scotland since then.

He has taught ceaselessly in Edinburgh and Glasgow, plus international master-classes and this latest recording was recorded in New York with a stunning roster of guests.

Album opener Splatch (Marcus Miller) sets the pace with a blazing duel between American guitarist Mike Stern and Scottish drummer Alyn Cosker. Vocalist Kurt Elling slows things down on the elegant Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love (Charles Mingus), which also features Smith’s tenor saxophone, before vibes player Joe Locke accelerates the tempo again with Yes Or No (Wayne Shorter).

Joel Frahm, Dave Liebman, Bill Evans (saxophones) and trumpeter Randy Brecker are four more guests on an outstanding album. If big bands are your bag, you won’t hear much better this year.