JAZZ Services is the branch of Arts Council England which promotes tours by up and coming and established groups, and the latest to come to our region is the Meier Group.

Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier's guitar heroes are John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny. The band comprises Gilad Atzmon (saxophones), Asaf Sirkis (percussion) and Tom Mason (bass) and tonight they come to Wakefield Jazz (01977 680542).

A second Jazz Services tour comes to Leeds Hi Fi Club on Sunday in the form of Lupa. The eponymous vocalist (aka Antima Abbamonte) brings her spirited quintet to Leeds, which includes trumpeter Bryan Corbett and Tony Levin's son Miles on drums. Lupa's programme ranges from Charlie Mingus to Joni Mitchell; phone 0113 242 7353 for details.

Tonight York's varied jazz scene has piano jazz at the Jacobean Lodge, Plainville Lane, Wigginton (01904 762749).

Alternatively, if anyone remembers York's 1980s big bad funksters Best Friends, three key members of the band have reformed under the title Bluephunk. For great vocals, funky rhythms and a big, brassy sound, catch them tonight at the Roman Bath, St Sampson's Square, York. Bluephunk will also play the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane, on Thursday.

Vocalist Stacey Kent was winner of the 2006 BBC Jazz Award for album of the year and she has just been signed to Blue Note Records label. Tomorrow will be your chance to see live in York the musical chemistry that has won Stacey and husband Jim Tomlinson fans around the world. The Stacey Kent/Jim Tomlinson Quintet will be at York Theatre Royal (01904 623568) as part of the J-Night Series and will appear at the Hull Truck Theatre (01482 323638) on Sunday.

Tomorrow night, Jazz In The Spa presents Trad with the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings from Newcastle. Their programme of 1920s music will be A Tribute To Young Louis Armstrong (01937 842544).

The new Sunday afternoon session in York is at the Revolution Bar, next to City Screen in Coney Street. York favourites Tim New and Don Lodge will be playing quality jazz standards for a relaxing afternoon by the river, from 1pm to 4pm.

Harrogate-born saxophonist Snake Davis always guarantees a sell-out and tomorrow night's gig at at Hovingham Village Hall continues the pattern. A Shed promotion, phone 01653 668494 for the slim chance of returns.

No surprise, the next appearance by the Snake at York's National Centre For Early Music on Saturday, May 5 is also set to sell out.

However, there are a few tickets left for the other events of the NCEM Jazz Weekend: Perfect Houseplants with Pamela Thorsby, next Friday, and pianist John Taylor, on Sunday, May 6, at 4pm. Phone 01904 658338 to grab the few remaining tickets.

The new Curtis Stigers album, Real Emotional, on Concorde Records (Jazz Notes, last week) moves the label into the new century. Much loved hitherto for its mainstream jazz catalogue, the label's signing of Stigers embraces new populist territory. Not that Stigers does not have impeccable jazz credentials, with his soulful saxophone and vocals, as does the label's second new signing, vocalist Jane Monheit.

Miss Monheit impresses with the glamour of her Jessica Rabbit figure and sultry cabaret-style presentation, but further listening reveals deep knowledge of gilt-edged jazz standards and lesser-known Latin American gems.

Monheit will be in the UK to promote her new Concorde album, Surrender, over the next couple of weeks. Until the Jazz Notes album review next week, listen to Friday Night Is Music Night, BBC Radio 2, next Friday, when she will perform at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.