Jazz notes

The advertised special guest Louis Stewart is unable to play because of ill-health, but the replacement, Julian Arguelles, is more than adequate. Star saxophonist Arguelles is musician in residence at the University of York and his octet is ensemble in residence.

Argulles first came to attention via the iconoclastic Loose Tubes big band, but has since worked with many international stars around the world and has won several BBC jazz awards.

Frank Harrison studied in the USA and returned to Britain to join Gilad Atzmon's Band. He soon came to the attention of the late Ronnie Scott and is much in demand by the likes of Peter King and Don Weller. Get your skates on and book for tonight on 01904 658338.

If the NCEM is sold out, try Wakefield Jazz tonight for the Ballantine/Shaw Band (01977 680542). Ian Balantine played vibrantly virtuoso vibraphone around York during his training at Leeds College of Music, before taking his multiple talents to London. Co-leader is guitarist Kenny Shaw, plus the thoroughbred rhythms of Roy Babbington and Trevor Tomkins.

Friday night acoustic piano jazz continues tonight at the Jacobean Lodge, Plainville Lane, Wigginton (01904 762749).

Tomorrow night, Jazz In The Spa has Martin Bennett's Old Green River Band, featuring New Orleans to rhythm and blues. The venue is the Trustees hall, High Street, Boston Spa (01937 842544).

Sunday jazz in York comes from the mellifluous saxophone and flute of Tim New and the infectious rhythm guitar of Don Lodge.

The venue is the Revolution Bar, next to the City Screen, Coney Street, and music to chill by will be from 1pm to 4pm.

Newcomer Abram Wilson's Delta Blues Project turned out to be one of the big hits at the Dune Jazz festival in York last July. The New Orleans-born trumpeter/vocalist returns north again on Sunday a J Night at the Hull Truck Theatre (01482 323638).

The Wednesday jam sessions at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, have stepped up a notch with the monthly booking of a star guest. This week it was saxophonist Joel Purnell. The weekly sessions continue as usual on Wednesday, but watch this space for the next guest.

Scarborough Jazz has a change of venue to The Cask pub and a change of night to Wednesdays.

The Cask is on Cambridge Terrace at the south end of the bridge, but being one-way, you will have to find Grosvenor Road to approach it. On Wednesday, the Heavy Horns Band will be a fitting first night launch, with three of the region's best saxophonists, Stuart MacDonald, Rod Mason and Jim Corrie. Expect a powerfully pulsating performance of bop, ballads and funky jazz. Details from Marian and Mike on 01723 379818.

Tony Scott and Buddy DeFranco were practically the only two musicians who took the clarinet into post-bebop modern jazz. Scott died in March and he has a fitting memorial in one of the most surprising and rewarding CD releases this year, with a bonus 30-minute DVD of the session included.

Tony Scott, A Jazz Life (Kind Of Blue Records) is a programme of standards which sounds a little like what Pee Wee Russell would be doing if he had survived as long as Scott.

His astonishing armoury of slurs, wobbles and whinnies give a new sheen to old favourites such as Come Sunday, Round Midnight and Body And Soul, which he lovingly deconstructs out of tempo.

Night In Tunisia is as much Bulgarian wedding band as bebop, with the clarinet pushed to soprano saxophone power and idiosyncratic forays into unexpected harmonic territory. Highlight track is a Latin version of You Don't Know What Love Is, which has Scott giving a lovingly smeared reading of the melody.

The bonus DVD shows the gifted young musicians from Ravi Coltrane's group totally sympathetic to the white-bearded, patriarchal Scott. The CD closes with Scott's return to one of his favourites, Strayhorn's Lush Life, on which he speaks the lyric like your granddad with ill-fitting teeth. Kind Of Blue should be proud to have recorded this performance for posterity.