THE November Jazz Weekend welcomes Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance for their debut appearance at the National Centre for Early Music in York.

Launched at Ronnie Scott’s London club in 2004, the line-up of Arnie Somogyi, bass, Paul Booth, saxophone, Tim Lapthorn, piano, and Chris Dagley, drums, open the Jazz Weekend with a 7.30pm concert on November 19.

They are followed by clarinet and sax player Julian Marc Stringle and The Dream Band on November 20; and the Late Learners’ Jazz Workshop with saxophonist Rob Lavers on November 21.

BBC Radio 3 broadcaster and vocalist Claire Martin performs songs from her latest Linn release, A Modern Art, in an intimate duo setting with pianist Gareth Williams that afternoon at 4pm, and the weekend ends with an 8pm gig by Farrago.

Further jazz concerts include Christine Tobin and pianist Liam Noble’s Tapestry Unravelled, a “deferential exploration” of Carole King’s 1971 album, Tapestry, on October 15. “It will be a ‘love it or hate it’ show,” predicts Delam Tomlin, the NCEM’s director.

Eduardo Niebla, the flamenco-jazz guitar virtuoso who has made Yorkshire his home, will be accompanied by fellow guitarist Carl Herring on October 8, while the Rosie Brown Quartet play original compositions from their Bicycles And Dreams album, with Jamil Sheriff on piano on November 6.

Gipsy guitarist and composer Lulo Reinhardt, grand-nephew of jazz legend Django, visits York on November 30.

The partnership with the Black Swan Folk Club continues with harpist Maire Ni Chathasaigh and guitarist Chris Newman’s Irish dance music on October 11, and Scottish folk band Malinky’s reinvigoration of centuries-old ballads and tunes on October 27.

KAN play furious jigs and reels on November 9. Vin Garbutt returns on December 1 with his moving songs and humorous patter.

In addition to the Black Swan link-up, the NCEM will be hosting two more folk nights, kicking off with June Tabor playing with two musicians from her Apples album, accordion player Andy Cutting and pianist Mark Emerson, on September 25. “June is such an amazing creator of a story through song, and we’re lucky too that we now have a lovely piano to accompany her,” says Delma.

The Alistair Anderson Band celebrates the reissue of this English concertina player and Northumb-rian piper’s 1982 album Steel Skies in concert on November 26.

Look out too for Sara Watkins, singer-songwriter and fiddle player. On November 12, she will be performing with her brother, Sean, playing songs from her self-titled solo album produced by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.

Dance has not been a regular bedfellow of the NCEM, but now comes a NewWorlds/imove initiative with the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, National Media Museum, Bradford Council, Museums and Galleries, Harewood House and Leeds agency Alchemy.

The New Worlds project looks at the “extraordinary mix that is modern-day Yorkshire”, linking visual arts, music, dance, film and new media together.

Movement & Marriage, at the NCEM on November 18, involves students from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance joining with contemporary composers from the University of York.

Based on the theme of music and Tickets for the NCEM autumn season can be booked on 01904 658338. All shows start at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated.