SOME Like It Hot will be swinging down Nunnery Lane tonight (23rd) to York's newest jazz joint, the Victoria Vaults. Special guest will be the sultry saxophone sound of Steve DeVine.

The Alec Dankworth Trio plays a mixture of originals and standards and features the music of Dave Brubeck and Abdullah Ibrahim. Tonight the trio is the main attraction at Wakefield Jazz and the line-up alongside Dankworth's bass is Phil Robson (guitar) and Julian Arguelles (tenor saxophone); call 01924 782339 for more details.

The original Merseysippi Jazz Band was formed in 1949 in Liverpool and the name has carried on through scores of personnel changes. The present edition of this pre-Beatles Mersey Sound will be at Jazz at the Crown, Boston Spa, tomorrow night; details from 01937 842544. Nina and Karl play Fine and Mellow for diners at the Grey Horse, Elvington on Saturday night and at the Rook and Gaskill, Lawrence Street, York on Monday.

There is an all-day feast of jazz every Sunday in York. Tim New's Trio plays for lunch at the York Hilton, Carol Addy and Finesse dip into the Great American Songbook from 2pm to 5pm at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane and the day is completed by the Black Swan jam session in Peasholme Green.

Scarborough Jazz at Scholars Bar presents vocalist Clare Foster with her Brazilian/jazz combo Claridade on Tuesday; details from 01723 379818.

By special request of readers, here is a continuation of my list of jazz festivals around the country (with thanks to Jazz UK magazine):

The Bath Weekend begins tonight and runs until Monday (details from 01225 463362) and the Salisbury Festival also begins tonight and runs until June 8.

Southport (June 19-22) has an attractive programme, including Claire Martin with BBC Big Band, Snake Davis and Jamie Cullum, details from 01704 395511. The Lichfield Real Ale and Jazz Festival (June 26-29) is a campsite and marquee affair and features Annie Whitehead, Soweto Kinch and Jim Mullen; details 01543 262223.

Birmingham International Festival (July 4-13) has taken a European turn this year, with a host of Trad and mainstream bands from Holland, France, Hungary and Lithuania; details from 0121 454 7020. Glasgow runs over the same period as Birmingham and features the big star names of George Benson and Tony Bennett alongside the usual hard jazzers, details from 0141 552 4005.

The March issue of Musician, the journal of the Musicians' Union, had an item which will be good news for many musicians. The gist of the item is that if you have ever performed on a record which has received air-play, you could be owed money. Apparently, there are unclaimed royalties on recordings made by more than 5,000 musicians.

My short browse on the site revealed that some may have to stay sadly unclaimed - Ruby Braff, Spike Robinson and Bud Flanagan, to name just three, while Campbell Burnap, Sonny Rollins, Don Weller and Joni Mitchell have some quids to collect. If you think you may be on the list, go to the website www.royaltiesreunited.co.uk/mus, or telephone 0207534 1166.

Ron Burnett

Updated: 09:55 Friday, May 23, 2003