YOUR big diary date tonight is at 7.30pm, the University of York Lyons Concert Hall, with the university’s ensemble in residence, the Julian Arguelles Octet.

The octet gathers together some of Britain’s finest jazz musicians and was formed in 1996. The group’s three CDs have received glowing reviews and awards; details from 01904 432439.

Shortlisted for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, pianist Zoe Rahman has embarked on a British tour in support of her new CD Where Rivers Meet (Manushi) which tonight comes to Wakefield Jazz (01977 680542). In collaboration with her brother, Idris, on clarinet and flute, the music derives as much from Tyner and Coltrane as it does from Bengal.

Portishead’s rhythm section of Jim Barr (bass) and Clive Deamer (drums) are the instigators of The Blessing, winners of the BBC Jazz Awards 2008. Fronted by Pete Judge on trumpet and Jake McMurchie on saxophone “the tunes are great and the grooves make your spine tingle” (John Fordham). Always quick off the mark when booking happening jazz, The Shed’s Simon Thackray has bagged The Blessing for Hovingham Village Hall tomorrow night. Details from 01653 668494.

Vocalist Sue Kibbey has problems with bringing together her regular band, hence the billing at Jazz In The Spa tomorrow night of Sue Kibbey’s Last Minute Band (01937 842544). Sue’s featured reeds player John Hallam is a favourite at Boston Spa and the venue will be the Trustees Hall.

The Sunday jazz has finished at the Old White Swan, but there is music resembling the knees of the finest bees from Rob Lavers Quartet at Kennedys, Little Stonegate (01904 620222). Rob’s Quartet plays every Sunday from 1pm to 4pm and also has a Tuesday night jazz club at at 9pm.

Wednesdays provide a mid-week lift. John Addy’s Some Like It Hot is at Ye Olde Starre Inne, Stonegate, York, next Wednesday, with saxophonist Steve Devine. Details from 01904 623063.

Scarborough Jazz is at The Cask, Cambridge Terrace, every Wednesday and next week’s guest will be trumpeter Mark Chandler (01723 500570). Mark is a member of Rebop, a band that plays Miles Davis material from the Milestones and Kind Of Blue era.

Ken Vandermark is an influential saxophonist on the Chicago scene, yet spends half his time on the road in Europe. Ken will bring his trio, including Barry Guy (bass) and Mark Sanders (drums) to Leeds Jazz next Wednesday, at the Seven Arts Space, Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton.

The new album by e.s.t. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio), Leucocyte, was delivered to the ACT Records in May this year, one month before the death of pianist Svensson in a diving accident. The material was worked up through jam sessions and ranges from pastoral moods to all-stops-out up-tempo, often with electronic effects.

Much of the music has been described as “time, no changes”, melodies and improvisations played to rhythm, but with minimal chord changes as in the track Premonition: Earth. The band is democratic in the modern manner, bass and drums equal partners with the piano, contributing ideas with telepathic assuredness.

The muffled electronic pulses underlying Still recall internal body sounds which could have come from the soundtrack of the film Fantastic Voyage, the one where Stephen Boyd and Raquel Welch are miniaturised and injected into someone’s bloodstream. Ab Initio ventures further into futuristic electronics, piercing enough to loosen your earwax.

Such effects make it easy to understand how the band has succeeded in pop charts and appeared on MTV, as well as finding a new audience of jazz fans.

e.s.t. was the first European jazz group to make the front cover of USA’s Downbeat magazine and, love them or loathe them, the Swedish threesome took the piano trio format into daring new territory. Leucocyte is a fitting memorial to the pianist.