COURTNEY Pine will play York for the first time for three years on May 27.

East Yorkshire jazz promoter David Porter has pulled off his latest coup by signing up saxophonist Pine for a J-Night performance of his new live show, Devotion, at York Theatre Royal.

"Pine's last appearance at the Theatre Royal was the quickest concert sell-out of any jazz concert in the city," says Porter, who has set the ticket prices at £12 to £18 this time.

Devotion is the title of Pine's new album, a street-smart blend of tradition, technology and hard sax solos, and his 8pm concert in York will mix jazz improvisation with street beats, hip hop, reggae and R&B.

J-Night's new World Jazz Season begins with the York debut of the Homemade Orchestra tomorrow evening (see Page 13 for preview) and will continue with explosive American drummer Billy Cobham and his new fusion band Art Of 5 at the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, on May 8 at 8pm. Cobham will be in mighty impressive company: pianist Julian Joseph, trumpeter Guy Barker, saxophonist Donald Harrison and bass player Mark Hodgson.

Another musician to make the trip from the United States to the National Centre will be pianist and composer Jessica Williams for a 7.30pm concert on May 29. "Dave Brubeck calls her 'one of the greatest pianists I've ever heard'," says Porter. "She has spent several decades creating strikingly original, immediately identifiable, mythically beautiful music."

This spring, J-Night is to expand its wings by promoting trombonist Dennis Rollins in his new show, Griots t' Garage, at Oak House, Pocklington Civic Arts Centre, on May 28 and at the Gate Theatre, Goole, the next night, at 8pm.

"This show will chart the history of music of African origin from pre-slavery percussion to hip hop and garage via blues, soul, reggae and Tamla," says Porter. "Rollins will combine thematic soundscapes, beats and samples with his own compositions, and JazzCotech dancer Perry Louis will be performing too."

J-Night will be busy in Hull this summer, mounting the Hull Jazz Festival at Hull Truck Theatre. Dates to note are: August 2, Asere, from Havana, Cuba; August 3, Claire Martin, BBC Jazz Vocalist of the Year 2003, with Ian Shaw; August 5, French gipsy guitarist Bireli Lagrene et Le Jazz; August 6, saxophonist Denys Baptiste's international 12-piece supergroup, Let Freedom Ring, featuring Abram Wilson, from the United States, Omar Puente, from Cuba, and Jazz Jamaica leader Gary Crosby; August 7, James Taylor Quartet, the godfathers of acid jazz; August 8, jump-jive revivalist Ray Gelato's Giants of Jive. All concerts start at 8pm, except for Gelato's jive night at 7.30pm.

J-Night brochures are available from each venue or by ringing 01759 303454. For tickets, ring York Theatre Royal, tel 01904 623568; the National Centre for Early Music, 01904 658338; Pocklington, 01759 301547; Goole, 01405 763652; Hull, 01482 323638.

Updated: 08:44 Friday, March 19, 2004