SO WHAT of the two-week trip to Ghana by your Jazz Notes correspondent, an old York ham sizzling in the sub-Sahara sun?

Picture him crossing the fast-flowing White Volta River by dugout canoe, nerveless grip on PA amplifier and speakers, electric piano and full drum kit, plus his trombone, a mere two inches of waterline (Mr Plimsoll, where are you now we need you ?) separating a million gallons of river from canoe and occupants.

Bass player Eddie Jackson (Bejazzled, Ian Chalk Quartet), pianist and one-man jazz machine Karl Mullen and four musicians from Leeds shared the buttock-clenching experience, fixed grins brave as you like.

Much time was spent crammed into a mini-bus, shrouded in clouds of red dust, our driver too macho to slow down for axle-busting craters or speed bumps. Much of the rest was spent foiling nocturnal mosquitoes, while sleeping near-naked under the stars in temperatures of 40 degrees.

Travelling as Music For Freedom, for the charity And Albert, the musicians followed the old slaver routes 800 miles up to the north. We played several performances with Ghana’s leading drum/dance group, African Footprints, and made two videos with Reggae star Rocky Dawuni, dubbed the new Bob Marley in the USA.

Rocky’s first video shoot was in the open courtyard of Fort William, a 1750s-built British slaving post, a nightmare labyrinth of chambers and corridors. The second video was shot in the happier setting of the northern village of Singa for an audience 1,000 so and close to where Rocky was born.

Free of ailments over two fabulous weeks in Africa, our return to UK saw us collapse flatter than Lindow Man. A fuller report is planned soon, more info at and-albert.com and musicforfreedom.com

WAKEFIELD Jazz books nothing but the best and tonight pianist Tom Cawley uses his day off from touring with Peter Gabriel to bring his Curios Trio to the North. Last night Berlin O2, tomorrow night London O2 and in between Curios comes to Wakefield; details from 01977 680542.

Jazz In The Spa pulls out a big one tomorrow night with three world-class musicians onstage at the Trustees Hall, High Street, Boston Spa: Karen Sharp, Tommy Whittle and Roy Williams. Phone 01937 842544.

Also tomorrow night, bass player Sam Burgess, from Curios, will be travelling from the Wakefield gig to appear in a Shed presentation with the Gwyneth Herbert Band, at Hovingham Village Hall.

Gwyneth has moved sideways from her beginnings as an alleged jazz singer into more Indie-pop territory and retains quite a following; details from 01653 668494.

The Ian Chalk Quartet has settled into a popular Sunday night slot at the Phoenix, George Street (01904 656401). Eddie Jackson will have been re-inflated especially for the occasion from the above-reported Lindow state.

If you lamented York’s loss of the talented vocalist/pianist Nina Zagorski, beat a path to Harrogate Jazz Club, where Nina will appear on Tuesday at 8.30pm, at the West Park Hotel (01423 524471).

The Wednesday Yorkjazz session at the Black Swan welcomes back saxophonist Stuart MacDonald; details on 0778 853 6152.

Scarborough Jazz also runs on Wednesdays and their guest next week will be Dr Jazz of the guitar, Jim Birkett; the venue is the Cask, Cambridge Terrace (01723 500570).

Finally, thanks to Don Lodge for writing Jazz Notes during my African safari. Reading his March 12 contribution on a laptop in my one-man tent in Africa sent my head into a spin. Camping on a beach in a pitch-black night, African Footprints drum practise and pounding ocean waves made it hard for me to visualise ironing a shirt to the sound of a hi-fi. No matter, I promise to read it again in the luxury of the Jazz Notes penthouse in downtown York.

All comments to beejazz@btinternet.com