BASS player Geoff Gascoyne steps out from his usual gig as musical director for Jamie Cullum with his own band and music from his new CD, Pop Bop (Jazzizit Records), and enterprising Wakefield Jazz has bagged the band tonight.

Drummer Sebastiaan de Krom, also from Cullum’s band, plus the great Jim Mullen on guitar, play Geoff’s inventive new arrangements of his favourite pop tunes. Details from 01977 680542.

North Yorkshire’s unique venue, The Shed, has an 18th birthday party tomorrow night with the favourite Snake Davis Band. Try for returns on 01653 668494.

Your alternative will be New Orleans jazz with the Antique Six Jazz Band, from the Midlands, at Jazz In The Spa tomorrow night (01937 842544).

Sunday jazz in York can happily occupy most of your day, starting with lunch at Kennedys Cafe Bar, Little Stonegate, from 1pm to 4pm with Brazilian Zezo Olimpio and his Group (01904 620222).

An alternative will be the Latino Lunch at the Royal York Hotel, where you can also learn a few steps (01904 653681).

After a late afternoon siesta, there is hot stuff with Ian Chalk’s Quartet at the Phoenix, George Street, York, on Sunday night.

The Phoenix is also the new venue for the celebrated Wednesday night Jazz Jam, previously at the Black Swan. Chris Moore and James Lancaster bring a few like-minded friends together for the usual enjoyably informal session. Phone 01904 656401 for details.

Scarborough Jazz at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace, also runs on Wednesday, when alto saxophonist Mark Toomey will be the guest, specialising in bebop (01723 500570).

If you are not paddling at Scarborough, but out tramping in the Dales on Wednesday, the Swaledale Festival brings Iain Ballamy (saxophone) and Stian Carstensen (accordion) to the Georgian Theatre, Richmond, at 5pm. Details from 01748 880018 and swaledale-festival.org.uk You are spoilt for choice once again on Thursday in York. The Old White Swan, Goodramgate, has Bejazzled (01904 540911), while Jules and the Gang have settled into their fortnightly venue, the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane (01904 654307).

A reminder that contemporary jazz has few frontiers comes this week in a new album, Houria (Zig Zag Records), by French double bass player/composer, Stephane Kerecki.

His line-up features two saxophonists, American and French, each on soprano and tenor, and drummer Thomas Grimmonprez.

Kerecki has spent five years playing with Algerian singer Jamel Allam, from whom he developed his facility with Arabic rhythms.

The resulting music is described as on the borderline of jazz, improvised music, rock and Afro-American and the title track is an apt demonstration. The tenor and soprano saxophones harmonise in a slinky Arabic-influenced tune, with stimulating polyrhythms from bass and drums.

Although much of the album veers towards free jazz, most of it is also pleasantly melodic, many of the extended saxophone solos reminiscent of 1970s fusion – think Bennie Maupin with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters. The Stephane Kerecki Trio, featuring Tony Malaby, will be at the Dean Clough Centre, Halifax on June 17, at 8pm.

Dexter Gordon was a giant of modern jazz who drifted in and out of the spotlight over the years, but who massively influenced many other saxophone players.

A reminder of his stature comes with the re-released, re-packaged and re-mastered album, American Classic, in the Warner Jazz Masters Series.

Standards (Besame Mucho, Skylark), bebop and blues by Jay McShann and Dexter couldn’t be better, with organist Shirley Scott, pianist Kirk Lightsey and guest saxophonist Grover Washington in straight-ahead, none-syrupy mode supporting a jazz giant in his prime.