Jazz at the Spa has settled into its new venue, the Trustees Hall, High Street, Boston Spa, and tomorrow night (10th) the music strays beyond the club's usual Trad diet to present Tommy Whittle and Barbara Jay.

Vocalist Barbara is also Mrs Whittle and together they have devised and performed themed shows such as the Ella Fitzgerald Songbook and Ladies Of Jazz, which toured the country. A veteran of many outstanding British big bands, Tommy is equally at home in this small group setting and on Easter Saturday he is backed by the tasty Billy Harper Trio. Details from 01937 842544.

On Easter Sunday there are no less than three helpings of jazz in York. Tim New and friends return to the York Hilton Hotel to add a festive feeling to Sunday lunch. Then from 3pm to 6pm Carol Addy and Finesse will be swinging down Nunnery Lane at the Victoria Vaults, with selections from the Great American Songbook.

Round off your jazz Sunday with the celebrated jam session at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, led by James Lancaster and friends.

In recent months there has been the heartening sight of teenage musicians joining the regulars on stage - perhaps our jazz stars of the future.

Also on Sunday, Nina and Karl will be in duet at the Harrogate Brasserie and on Monday they return to the York Brewery's Rook and Gaskill, Lawrence Street, York.

On Tuesday (13th), Scarborough Jazz at Scholars Bar has one of their favourite hot saxophone players, Stuart McDonald. Details from 01723 379818.

Karl Mullen returns to the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, next Wednesday (14th), for the second popular jam session of the week and the opportunity once again for anyone to get up and perform in public.

Jazz at the Old White Swan celebrated a tenth anniversary in January and Thursday's (15th) band will be the subtly swinging Don Lodge/Tim New Band.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is the eldest son of the renowned Marsalis family and his new CD, The Steep Anthology (Columbia/Legacy), is a "best of" collection from his albums of the past 20 years. Six of the ten tracks are originals, with Bernstein's Maria a delicate duet with his father, Ellis, from the 1986 album Loved Ones.

Sidney In Da House is a tribute to Sidney Bechet and is the only lapse of taste on the album, as the opening and closing ensembles fall into corny psuedo-Dixieland mode. Happily, Branford's soprano solo cracks back to the virtuoso Marsalis norm, with brother Wynton displaying his grasp of the mainstream with a series of half-valve effects and lip buzzes.

On the classic, Royal Garden Blues, Branford leaves out the jokey stuff to provide a nimble, ensemble statement of the tune which would not be out of place on a John Kirby or Andy Kirk record from the late 1930s, before the individual soloists take off.

Pianist Larry Willis drops out from time to time, to leave a spare bass and drums backing for the horn solos. The closing track is from 1989's Trio Jeepy album, a joyful duet with veteran bass player Milt Hinton. Branford's finger-busting tenor solo is followed by Milt's slap bass solo for a rousing, good-natured finish to the album.

Branford's staggering technique must place him as a serious contender to Michael Brecker, who is generally regarded as top of the saxophone tree.

Having interviewed Branford Marsalis myself, at Leeds Jazz in the 1990s, I can only agree with the CD booklet description.

Branford is "highly intelligent and endlessly curious, keenly humorous, but never less than serious about his music."

Updated: 09:00 Friday, April 09, 2004