After last Wednesday's (23rd) experience of jazz on BBC4, somehow I doubt that the music will ever enjoy a meaningful relationship with television.

If I had not bought a new telly only recently, the damn box would have been in the back alley, its face kicked in.

OK, even if TV schedulers imagine that jazz fans are insomniacs, or creatures of the night, I was willing to bite back my frustration and prop open my eyelids for the prospect of two tantalising programmes. First, Stan Tracey - The Godfather Of British Jazz (11pm-12.15am), followed by Smokey Dives (12.15-1.15am), George Melly's look at postwar jazz in Britain.

Marks out of ten for musical talent: Tracey-10. Melly-2. Marks for presentation and saleability: Tracey-2, Melly-10. And there, in that simple reversal, lies the rub, and teeth-gnashing frustration. Stan Tracey has enjoyed prestigious Arts Council commissions for his music and has been awarded an OBE, but being unskilled in coping with media attention he became a pawn in the director's plan.

The director of Stan's film, John Akomfrah, was more interested in style than content. Much of it was shot through sepia or blue camera filters, with a recurring image of London as post-nucleur holocaust - orange sky with livid acid green cityscape. Stan's interview was conducted on a camera cranked to a 45 degree angle

Melly is obviously more media-wise and his film featured more straight-to-camera, no tricks, talking heads, the people speaking for themselves, without unnecessary visual card-sharping. Personal criticism aside, Dear BBC TV, could jazz be featured at a more civilised hour?

Following requests by readers for details of jazz festivals around the country, I'm happy to tell you of one or two which are imminent.

Since its inception in 1996 the Cheltenham International Jazz festival has grown to be one of the biggest in the country. This year's festival kicks off on Wednesday and runs until May 5 and as in previous years it brings together some of the biggest names as well as providing a platform for some of the best new talent. Highlights include Michael Brecker, Jazz Jamaica All Stars, Uri Caine and Mike Gibbs Big Band.

On May 5, the Festival goes into town and the local nightclub Boom. The In The Mix event puts together Radio One DJ Gilles Peterson with Berlin-based Jazzanova and one of the biggest names in the Scandinavian jazz/club scene, the Nils Petter Molvaer group.

The event will last for about five hours, the live bands alternating with sessions by the DJs.

NP3 is the recent CD (on Emarcy) from trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer group, which is an eloquent taster of the current Scandinavian "nu-jazz" invasion. Expect an exciting mix of stylistic extremes - jazz, house, electronic and breakbeats. Thinking of Miles Davis' recordings towards the end of his life, such as Tutu, with Miles playing against pre-recorded tracks laid down by Marcus Miller, NP3 could be notionally what the Prince of Darkness would be doing if he was alive today. Details of the Cheltenham Festival from 01242 227979.

From May 3 to 5, Tom and Christine Baron's fourth Swinging Jazz Party runs at the Blackpool Hilton. It is an international mainstream affair, featuring Americans Dan Barrett, John Bunch, Marty Grosz and Dick Hyman, amongst many others. Featured Brits include Alan Barnes, Digby Fairweather, Roy Williams and Martin Litton. Details from 01253 764012.

Nearer home, that celebrated North Yorkshire venue, The Shed, has its 11th birthday party over the weekend of June 7-8. Artists appearing will include the Snake Davis Band, Billy Jenkins and the Blues Collective, Annie Whitehead Band and Hank Wangford. The whole event will take place in the open air in Malton Market Place, and it is free. For more details, call The Shed supremo Simon Thackray on 01653 668494.

Updated: 10:36 Friday, April 25, 2003