AZUL, alias Renaissance man JC Christie and hypnotherapist Neil Wallace, play their fusion of jazz, blues and Afro-Latin percussive rhythms in the Basement Bar of City Screen, York on Tuesday night.

Christie, vocalist and guitarist, describes himself as an old blues bunny who has earned a living doing some very strange things over the years, writing books and astrology columns, reading palms and tarot cards and promoting his guru, Stephen Holbrook.

"In search of some 'music therapy' early in 2004, I teamed up with Neil Wallace, from Harrogate, who by night has played drums for a variety of bands and by day has been a hypnotherapist specialising in past life regression," recalls Christie.

A fun session at the Pig Hut recording studio led to an impromptu CD, recorded mostly in Spanish, with the title Negro y Azul, Spanish for black and blue. The record was launched to a full house at City Screen in late September, prompting next week's return.

"I love what we're playing: deep blues, with all the power and the emotion of the black spiritual songs of the 19th and 20th century, combined with really aggressive up-tempo Latin rhythms and jazz chords that make the whole thing sound so incredibly modern."

Tickets for Tuesday's 8.30pm show cost £5 on the door or on 01904 541144. On Sunday, Azul play the Frazer Theatre, Knaresborough, at 8pm; tickets £5.

Updated: 09:41 Friday, December 03, 2004