ALTO SAXOPHONIST Matt Wates has played with everyone from Humph to Peter King. Tonight he brings his Sextet to Wakefield Jazz (01977 680542).

Also tonight, Helmsley Arts Centre presents a recreation of the swinging sounds the Hot Club of France, with Djangology. Details from 01439 771109.

Jazz In The Spa welcomes the return of Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz tomorrow. The band specialises in Trad and the venue is Trustees Hall, High Street, Boston Spa (01937 842544).

There are two options for jazz in York on Sunday afternoon: the Rob Lavers Quartet continues a successful residency at Kennedys, Little Stonegate, from 1-4pm (01904 620222); a new venue is the Tanglewood Restaurant, Malton Road, York, with the Karl Mullen Trio from 12.30pm to 3.30pm (01904 468611).

The First Tuesday Jazz Suppers at the Dean Court Hotel (01904 625082) usually sell out, thanks to the ebullient trombonist/vocalist Andy Hillier, who leads the trio from 8pm. Try your luck on Tuesday and note Andy’s new pianist, Brazilian Zazo Olimpio, who is studying in York.

The historic Black Swan, Peasholme Green, has reopened after the recent hiccup and the Wednesday jam session is back in place (01904 686910). Yorkjazz organisers Paul Baxter and James Lancaster send a big thank-you to the Victoria Vaults for hosting the Wednesday jazz over the hiatus.

Scarborough Jazz at the Cask also runs on Wednesday and the season continues with Thom Whitworth (01723 379818). Thom plays trumpet and guitar and is equally impressive on both.

Saxophonist Joshua Redman’s 2007 album Back East had a direct line back to Way Out West (1957) by his hero Sonny Rollins. Following Sonny’s format of piano-less trio, with saxophone, bass and drums, Back East was much acclaimed.

For his new album, Compass (Nonesuch Records), Redman takes the concept a step further, with an unusual double trio. Six tunes are by the standard sax/ bass/drums trio and the others combine Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers (basses) and Greg Hutchinson and Brian Blade (drums). The result is not an easy listen, with one main melody emerging, track eight’s Moonlight, based on Beethoven’s Sonata.

However, close study of this album will be much rewarded.

More accessible for modern jazz fans, and containing more tuneful pieces, is Finally Beginnings (Fuzzy Moon Records), a nine-piece band recording by Canadian-born York resident John Warren.

Composer/bandleader Warren is primarily admired as a writer for big band, as in the Voice Of The North Project, and for major international collaborations with John Surman since the 1970s.

The unfussy, muscular ensembles form an impressive, ever-changing back-drop to a stellar cast of soloists.

The opener, Lopsided, features Stan Sulzman (tenor saxophone) and Jim Hart (vibes). Conversation has cracking solos from Mark Nightingale (trombone), Hart again, Julian Siegel (saxophone) and Gerard Presencer (trumpet). Gwilym Simcock (piano) and Christian Brewer (alto saxophone) add to a remarkable roster of soloists over eight terrific tracks. The second album recorded by this band around the same time will be eagerly awaited.

NB: Joshua Redman Trio and John Warren’s Splinter Group will play the Gateshead Jazz Festival, March 20-22 (0191 443 4661).

•YORK DIARY DATE No 1: Pianist Kit Downes (Empirical) will lead the London-based Troyka at the Basement, City Screen on February 9. Support is from guitarist Alex Munk’s Trio (01904 541144).

•YORK DIARY DATE No 2: The Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio, Saturday March, at 7.30pm at the National Centre for Early Music (01904 658338). The Spring Jazz Weekend at the NCEM is from Friday May 8 to Sunday May 10, with the Simon Spillett Quartet, Snake Davis and Julian Joseph.