THE sun shone on the Latin Festival last weekend in The Quarter, the area bounded by Little Stonegate, Swinegate and Back Swinegate.

The lively bars and restaurants spilled into the streets. There was great live music, with impromptu salsa dancing in the crowds. A fabulous addition to York; more please.

Boston Spa Trustees Hall hosts two sessions this week, tonight with Jeff and Anne Barnhart and tomorrow night with Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers. From Mystic, Connecticut, USA, the Barnharts concert will be in aid of WISE (Wetherby In Support of the Elderly, contact Mike Bowers on 01937 844181) and the Saturday night session sees the first visit to Bozza by Carrick’s New Orleans fundamentalists, inspired by the George Lewis band (01937 842544).

In York on Saturday afternoon, Acomb Green will be the scene for jazz by the Mardi Gras Band from approximately 1pm to 4pm. The Band continues its 16-year residency at the Old White Swan, Goodramgate, on Thursday (01904 540911).

Sunday jazz in York begins in the afore-mentioned Quarter, when Zezo Olimpio’s Trio plays at Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate, from 1pm. Two more Sunday sessions will set the seal on a day of terrific jazz. Karl Mullen (piano) and Jen Lowe (vocals) play at the Spread Eagle, Walmgate, from 7pm until 10pm, usually with one or two guest players dropping in. In a frustrating overlap of timing, two or three minute’s walk away the Phoenix Inn, George Street, welcomes superb vocalist Kate Peters and her Quartet, standing in for the usual Ian Chalk Band from around 9-11pm.

In justification of the Jazz Pub of the Year Award from Jazz Yorkshire, the Phoenix has no fewer than three more top-class gigs. Monday night will be a one-off, a farewell from drummer Dave Smyth’s Quartet, before the talented sticksman moves to London.

The celebrated Wednesday night jam session at the Phoenix will continue and the fourth gig of the week is on Thursday with Paul Baxter’s 5 Pieces of Silver. Full details from 01904 656401.

Thursday night in York becomes a bit of a jazz log jam, because in addition to the 5 Pieces at the Phoenix and the Mardi Gras Band at the Old White Swan, Keith Jackman and Jazz @ Jerome’s will be at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane (01904 654307).

There can be no other city, outside of London, which can boast so much live jazz. Switch off the telly and get on your bopping shoes.

Scarborough Jazz runs every Wednesday at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace, and next week’s guest will be Tina Featherstone (01723 500570). A graduate of the Leeds College of Music, Tina plays flute, clarinet and tenor saxophone.

• SPECIAL DIARY DATE: Sunday, September 4, 4pm at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane. The Blueflies will be in their usual slot, but augmented by Frank Mizen, original trombone player with Zoot And The Roots. The best band to come out of York in the 1980s, the Zoots included Snake Davis and multi-instrumentalist Mizen.

Criminally under-appreciated by major record companies, an internet search reveals that the band’s records fetch premium prices today. If you have a copy of The Bee Jives Out (Indiscreet Records), put it in a bank vault.

Frank Mizen’s appearance with bass player Gavin and frontman/guitarist Miles Gilderdale will be a reunion of three original Zoots.

Postscript: At least the Gilderdale talents have more than matched fellow Zoot Snake Davis in international acclaim. Miles returns to the Vicky Vaults from three headline gigs this week in Los Angeles with Acoustic Alchemy, a British band which has sold in more than seven million albums in the USA and is renowned at major venues across the world. Miles is composer/producer/ arranger for the Alchemy.