Hopping between two festivals in North Yorkshire this weekend, the sound you hear is your writer catching his breath.

The seventh Scarborough Jazz Festival begins today at 12.30pm with a free afternoon of jazz courtesy of Jazz Services Promoter’s Choice bands.

Pianist John Turville has worked with Gilad Atzmon and Jacqui Dankworth and his trio will open proceedings, followed at 2.15pm by innovative Leeds band If Destroyed Still True. This may be jazz without a seatbelt, but the musicians are competent drivers. Trumpeter Ryan Quigley brings his quartet to the festival at 4pm.

The evening programme opens at 7pm with the Kyle Eastwood Band. Kyle is the bass-playing eldest son of Clint. Mike Janisch is also a bass player and his Anglo-American Quintet follows at 8.45pm. Dave O’Higgins 7 and the Jazzcotech Dancers wind up an exciting night.

Andy Panayi’s Big Band plays two sessions tomorrow, the first at 4.15pm featuring Alan Barnes on baritone saxophone. At 10.30pm, Jazz: The British Story is collaboration between Andy and Alan, in which the 17-piece band explores British jazz through Club 11 bebop, calypso and Indo-jazz fusions.

No Scarborough Jazz Festival is complete without Liane Carroll and the pianist/vocalist plays on Sunday at 7pm, after which the closers will be Ken Peplowski and Alan Barnes, with the David Newton Trio. Full details of all events from 01723 357869.

The Scarborough Jazz at the Cask will continue on Wednesday with saxophonist Joel Purnell.

Unfortunate planning has the infant Richmond Jazz Festival running at the same time as Scarborough’s. Tina May’s Trio, with Stan Sulzman and Nikki Iles will play tonight at 7.30pm, followed by the John Law Trio (Saturday) and Alec Dankworth’s Spanish Accents (Sunday). All concerts are at the Georgian Theatre Royal (01748 825252).

Wakefield Jazz has a tempting alternative to the festivals tonight, when Gilad Atzmon brings to the club his tribute to the Charlie Parker With Strings album of 1950. Gilad’s quartet will be augmented by the Sigamos String Quartet (01977 680542).

Tomorrow night, Jazz In The Spa will present Amy Roberts and the Gentlemen of Jazz, with Richard Leach on trombone (01937 842544). The venue is the Trustees Hall, Boston Spa, and it is unlicensed.

Sunday jazz in York is with the Rob Lavers Quartet at Kennedys Café Bar, Little Stonegate, from 1pm to 4pm (01904 620222). Rob is now taking bookings for his Late Learners’ Jazz Workshop Autumn Season at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM 01904 658338). The late learners will be cushioned comfortably in a jazz weekend which features Zoe and Idris Rahman (November 20), the Swing Jive of Blue Harlem (November 21) and a solo recital by award-winning pianist Gwilym Simcock (November 22).

The weekend winds up with Farrago, with members of the University of York Jazz Orchestra.

Take special note of this one, because thanks to the reputation of distinguished faculty members John Taylor and Julian Arguelles, York’s music department is attracting students from around the world. Trumpeter Matt Postle comes from the USA and Brazilian pianist Zezo Olimpio is wowing York audiences.

Zezo is a graduate of the Berklee College and is heard variously with Andy Hillier’s Trio at the Dean Court Hotel sessions and Paul Baxter’s 5 Pieces of Silver at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green. The 5 Pieces will also feature at the Scarborough festival.

The Farrago concert at the NCEM is an inspired piece of programming, an opportunity to spot some promising young jazz musicians who will be making waves in the near future – see them in York first.