TIM CARTER may be familiar to York jazz fans as the drummer with the Firebird Quartet and with Kate Peters at The Phoenix Inn.

He is also a fine guitarist and he’ll be joining me at The Pavilion Hotel on Fulford Road (01904 622099) tonight at 7pm to play classic standards in the bar.

Busy York pianist Karl Mullen will be playing in a piano trio format at The Red Lion Hotel in Poppleton (01905 781141) at 8.30pm this evening, where guest musicians are welcome to sit in with the band.

Wakefield Jazz (wakefieldjazz.org) always presents an excellent programme of international talent and York’s very own New York Brass Band will be playing for the club on Friday. Don’t be fooled by the name; they aren’t your traditional brass band. Expect funky arrangements of material from just about every genre imaginable.

My first review for this column was the album Resonance by piano trio Eyeshutight. The band, led by bassist Paul Baxter, has been receiving positive press from Jazzwise, The Guardian and other well respected magazines and blogs. They are touring the new album and will be in York at The Unitarian Chapel (01904 693427) on Saturday evening. Highly recommended for fans of modern piano trios such as EST and Phronesis.

If you prefer the more traditional side of jazz, then Boston Spa Jazz Club (01937 842636) is the home of Dixieland in the area. Stockport’s Old Fashioned Love Band will be playing a mix of swing and New Orleans classics at the club on Saturday evening.

Guitarist Adrian Ingram is a fine musician and a respected jazz historian. His publications include the definitive biography of jazz legend, Wes Montgomery.

He will be joining myself on bass and drummer Paul Smith at Kennedy’s Bar, Little Stonegate (01904 620222) at 1pm on Sunday. Later in the evening, York University graduate Joe Mcgrail will be playing at The Phoenix Inn (01904 656401) on George Street. This excellent venue also has a weekly jam session on a Wednesday evening where anyone is welcome to play.

Seven Jazz (sevenjazz.co.uk) has been Leeds’ most enduring jazz club in recent years and plays host to two excellent bands this week. London based quartet Partisans feature some of the UK’s most highly respected jazz musicians including saxophonist Julian Siegel. You can find them at the venue this evening and on Sunday at 1pm, the club plays host to Samadhi who play Indian influenced compositions by drummer Sam Gardner.

Sela Bar in Leeds (0113 242 9442) is the place to be on Monday night as the band Smiling Organizm has an all-star international line-up including the multi-grammy nominated drummer Eric Harland and former Joe Zawinul bassist, Linley Marthe.

This unconventional line-up which has two bass players combines contemporary beats with acoustic bop. Finally, Bob Smeaton’s excellently titled One Foot in the Groove will be playing at The Victoria Vaults (01904 654307) on Tuesday at 8.30pm with guests Ricardo Alvarez and Trevor Holroyd on sax and guitar respectively.

- John Marley