THE MUSICIAN, the journal of the Musicans’ Union, has drawn attention to the issue of whether musicians are getting their due rewards from the internet music streaming websites.

Are you a fan of Spotify, the Swedish company which streams music over the internet? The service has provoked a fevered controversy between artists in the music industry. On the one side it is alleged that the company is failing to pay royalty payments (Thom Yorke); on the other, “Spotify is transparent and actually pays properly” (Dave Stewart, Eurythmics).

Mark Williams of Spotify says that they have a licence for every track and everyone is getting royalty payments for when their music is played. It is not clear whether other free streaming music services such as YouTube do the same. To the thousands of musical acts which place their efforts on YouTube, perhaps the payment of royalties is secondary to the exposure, which will lead to live bookings.

However, we can be sure that teams of highly paid lawyers will continue to wring royalty payments on behalf of the likes of Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Coldplay, etc, from any agency which plays their music.

Ducking out of all these national issues, let us focus on the more parochial, but excellent live music on our doorstep.

One of York’s most comfortable jazz venues is Middleton’s Hotel, Skeldergate, and tonight’s band in the Hotel’s Chaplin’s Bar will be Bejazzled with guitarist Mike Riley, with free entry and real ale at pub prices (01904 611570). The excellent jazz listings website, jazzinyork.com advertises jazz at the Old White Swan tonight, but all jazz is now ended at the Goodramgate pub and everyone is finding their way to Middletons on Thursdays. The inspired jazzinyork listings compiler, John Marley, will kick off Sunday jazz in York at 1pm, Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate, with his bass player hat on (01904 620222).

At 8pm on Sunday, Chris Moore and the Central Scrutinizers will be playing music by Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk and more, at the Phoenix Inn, George Street and the big Phoenix jazz jam session will be on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday the Kier Hall Trio will be at Zizzi’s Restaurant, Lendal.

Outside of York, tomorrow night Wakefield Jazz will host the Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio, with the marvellous Ross Stanley (Hammond organ) and drummer Pedro Segundo (01977 680542).

On Saturday night Jazz in the Spa is eagerly awaiting the return of Papa Pider’s Jazz Band from Sweden, specialising in Revivalist traditional jazz (01937 844898). Scarborough Jazz runs every Wednesday at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace, with a changing roster of guests with the Mike Gordon Trio. York favourite Tim New (Bejazzled) will be the guest taking his saxophone and flute to the Pearl of the Yorkshire Coast next week (01723 500570).