JAZZ is always the music of choice at New Year parties and Pizza Express, Museum Street, and York’s foremost jazz pub, the Phoenix, George Street, both rang in 2011 with a swing.

Greg Wadman (trumpet), Pat McCarthy (guitar) and Warren Jolly (bass) were the classy trio to accompany a festive menu at Pizza Express, while the youthful Ben Beattie and the Jazz Age rocked the packed audience at the Phoenix to a happy midnight countdown.

Barely missing a beat, the Phoenix hits 2011 with renewed enthusiasm for live jazz with the Ian Chalk Quartet on Sunday and the celebrated Jazz Jam on Wednesday, with James Lancaster and Chris Moore.

“Songs at the piano don’t get much sharper than this... whether he is performing his own material or reshaping an old favourite,” so wrote Dave Gelly in the Observer about Joe Stilgoe. Son of Richard, Joe brings his trio to Wakefield Jazz tonight (01977 680542).

Blue Saloon is a new blues band making its debut at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane, York, tonight (01904 654307). Pete Hull, John Hall (guitars) and Dave Smith (bass) are joined by drummer Dave Cook standing in for regular sticksman Keith Jackman.

Voted Jazz Venue of the Year 2010, Jazz In The Spa welcomes old favourites the Savannah Jazz Band tomorrow night for a cracking Trad start to the New Year (01937 842544). The Trustees Hall, Boston Spa is not licensed, so take your own tipple.

Zezo Olimpio will be back at his regular Sunday lunchtime gig with his trio at Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate, on Sunday (01904 620222).

Star saxophonist Alan Barnes is a great friend of Scarborough Jazz and he will co-lead a sextet celebrating the music of Miles Davis next Wednesday at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace (01723 500570). Joint leader Terry Seabrook is on piano and Spike Wells on drums.

The Old White Swan, Goodramgate, chalks up 17 years of live jazz in 2011 with Bejazzled plus Mike Riley and the Mardi Gras Band alternating every Thursday, with Bejazzled taking the honours on Thursday, featuring the superlative guitar of Mike Riley (01904 540911).

Special Note for jazz fans No.1: The Press Pub Awards 2011 nominations are now open, so place your vote for your favourite entertainment pub by email to gavin.aitchison@thepress.co.uk – include your name and contact details, the name of the pub you are nominating and your reasons. Or you can use the Entry Form in The Press. The closing date for entries will be January 31.

No.2: Every serious jazz fan is aware of the famous 1958 photograph of 57 American jazz stars, A Great Day In Harlem. They will be fascinated by the discovery of a lost British version by photographer Terence Donovan in the current edition of Jazzwise magazine. Donovan’s title was Cats Among The Pigeons and shows 39 jazzers “eyes blinking in the unaccustomed daylight... . made Trafalgar Square seem a little less square...” Bruce Turner, Al Fairweather, Dudley Moore, Tubby Hayes and Sandy Brown are among those no longer with us, but at last count Don Rendell, Laurie Morgan, Gordon Beck and Peter King are still active.