CLARE Teal has established herself as one of Britain’s leading vocalists and her jocularity has made her a favourite presenter of the BBC Big Band on Radio 2.

Not surprisingly, she has been described as a cross between Ella Fitzgerald and Victoria Wood, who is likely to claim that Duke Ellington was a caravan salesman from Tadcaster and Count Basie was a plumber from Huddersfield.

The enterprising J Night organisation will bring Clare and her musicians to York Theatre Royal next Thursday at 7.30pm (01904 623568).

Brassjaw is an acclaimed a capella horn foursome (brass instruments without a rhythm section) which opened the Glasgow Jazz Festival this year. The three saxophones and trumpet of Ryan Quigley come to Wakefield Jazz tonight (01977 680542).

Even more acclaimed is the Alan Barnes/Bruce Adams Quintet, a high-pressure bundle of fun which steams into Howden Live tomorrow night. The venue will be the Shire Hall, Market Place, Howden (01430 431535).

Also tomorrow night, Jazz In The Spa presents the traditional sounds of George Huxley’s Jazz Band from the Midlands (01937 842544).

Having spent 15 years playing around the world and at jazz festivals such as Chicago and New Orleans, Rob Lavers has returned to York, lucky for us. He is responsible for one of York’s longest-running jazz sessions in one of the city’s smartest venues, Kennedys Café Bar, Little Stonegate (01904 620222). The session is every Sunday from 1pm to 4pm, and on Wednesday Rob brings his latest quartet to Yorkjazz at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green.

For people who are returning to playing music, or who have started later in life, check whether Rob has any places left on his Late Learners Jazz Workshop. The workshop is a successful feature of the annual Autumn Jazz Weekend at the National Centre for Early Music (01904 658338).

Scarborough Jazz runs on Wednesdays at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace (01723 500570) and next week’s guest will be trumpeter Mark Chandler, who has played with John Dankworth and Elvin Jones.

Although the audience for jazz tends to have a grey and wrinkly aspect, the ranks of players continues to be replenished by young guns, Yorkjazz at the Black Swan being a case in point.

Many are products of formal jazz education courses and Jim Hart’s quartet Gemini fits the modern profile. Leader/vibraphone player Hart and drummer Dave Smith are graduates of the Guildhall School of music and alto saxophonist Ivo Neame attended the Royal Academy.

Hart also plays drums and piano and saxophonist Ivo Neame doubles on piano. However, on Narrada, the new CD from Jim Hart’s Gemini (Loop Records) Hart sticks to vibes and marimba and Neame plays alto saxophone.

Four Little Words demonstrates the quartet’s leaning towards oblique melodies anchored by recurring riffs, tossed in four-part conversation between the instruments. As with most contemporary European jazz, the bass and drums contribute to the development of each piece, the rhythm being implied by all instruments rather than tied to ding-ding-a-ding rhythm. All instruments enjoy solo space.

The return to acoustic double bass is welcomed by purists and Jasper Hoiby’s distinctively woody sound is faithfully recorded in his solos. Hart employs a violin bow on the vibes keys to introduce Dark Moon and also uses marimba from time to time. The title track refers to an ancient settlement on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, a meditative vibes intro moving to Latin rhythm and one of the album’s tunes nearest to a recognisable song form.

Crunchy Country is a tribute to Hart’s admiration for the similarly quirky tunesmith Bill Frisell.

The album serves as a useful touchstone of youthful, modern British jazz, ranging from thoughtfully melodic to elements of free improvisation and straight ahead swing.