AS the festivities draw to a close and life returns to normal, we can all look forward to a year of great live jazz events in the region.

If you’ve overspent through the holiday season and are nursing a damaged bank account, you can be thankful that much of the live jazz in the city is free to see.

The Phoenix Inn in George Street hosts a great deal of the city’s jazz music and this week is no different. The Firebird Quartet began life at the venue a year ago and have built a strong repertoire of contemporary jazz material which incorporates traditional swing, funk grooves and Latin American rhythms. The band, fronted by Ian Chalk on trumpet, will be at the pub on Sunday at 8pm.

The following day, popular vocalist Kate Peters will be joined by a rhythm section bursting with talent including guitar virtuoso Nik Svarc.

On Wednesday night, the pub hosts its regular and popular jam, where players of all abilities are made to feel welcome. Music starts at 8.30pm on Monday and Wednesday . The Phoenix Inn has just won CAMRA pub of the season due to its excellent real ales and live entertainment.

Another stronghold of jazz in York is Kennedy’s Bar on Little Stonegate which has hosted a trio on a Sunday afternoon for many years. Guitarist Derrick Harris joins Paul Baxter on bass and Paul Smith on drums this week from 1pm. Later on Sunday evening, Karl Mullen will be joined by a selection of mystery guests at the Rook & Gaskill on Lawrence Street from 8pm.

Jon Taylor will be known to many Yorkshire jazz fans as an excellent saxophonist, flautist and entertainer. His band, the ‘Blues Dudes’ will be playing at The Inkwell in the Chapel Allerton area of Leeds on Sunday at 1pm. Another fine saxophonist, Matt Smith, will be joining the Mike Gorgon Trio at the Cask Inn, Scarborough on Wednesday at 8.45pm. Based in Hull, Matt is an excellent performer.

Without getting into that much discussed topic of ‘what is jazz?’, I would recommend heading to the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane on Tuesday evening to see Encouraging the Loony. An appropriate name for this unique piano and drum duo, the band’s repertoire ranges from Scott Joplin to Led Zeppelin and you’ll be left wondering what is coming next. If you want to be entertained while watching some talented musicians then this gig is sure to deliver.

Bassist Christian Topman has been hosting a fortnightly gypsy jazz jam session at the Volunteer Arms in Watson Street over the past few months and the night will spring back in to life this Wednesday from 8.30pm. The jam is aimed at acoustic instruments which are traditional in this form of jazz popularised by guitarist Django Reinhardt in the 1930s. Of the gigs mentioned above, only two charge an entry fee and those are only a few pounds, so you can recover from financial surgery with some excellent music.