MOST jazz venues will be taking a break over the festive season, so give them a call before setting out. The big news over the next couple of weeks is that you will have three chances to bathe in the incandescent glow of vocalist Kate Peters.

York’s newest jazz date is on Tuesday nights, instigated by guitarist Don Lodge at the Shoulder of Mutton, Heworth, and the fabulous Kate will be at the Shoulder on Tuesday with bass player John Marley and others.

Don Lodge’s Bejazzled is resident at the Old White Swan, Goodramgate, on alternate Thursdays, but due to a previous engagement, Bejazzled will be elsewhere and has invited Kate’s band to step in on Thursday at the Swan (01904 549911).

Kate’s Quartet will be back to their Monday night residency at the Phoenix Inn, George Street, on January 2.

The Phoenix Inn is the foremost jazz pub in York with a Jazz Yorkshire Award on the counter to prove it. The next jazz at the Phoenix will be the Wednesday jam session with Chris Moore and James Lancaster on and Ian Chalk’s Quartet will return on the evening of New Year’s Day (01904 656401).

If there are any copies of the current December/January edition of Jazzwise magazine in the newsagents, you will find a free cover-mounted CD from the Yamaha New Jazz Sessions 2011. Inside is a major retrospective feature on the life and work of Joe Harriott and a long interview with pianist Zoe Rahman.

The current Jazz UK magazine has an interview with Digby Fairweather on his 40 years on the bandstand.

Finally a Christmas puzzle, no prizes, but just to amuse you for a minute or two. The history of jazz is jammed with musicians and singers known by strange nicknames.

Here are ten famous jazz musicians for you to find real names from the list below: 1. Dizzy Gillespie 2. Pee Wee Russell 3. Bix Beiderbecke 4. Count Basie 5 Fats Domino 6. Buck Clayton 7. Cannonball Adderley 8. Cootie Williams 9. Acker Bilk 10. Mugsy Spanier.

Real names: Leon; Bernard; John Birks; Antoine; William; Charles Elsworth; Charles Melvin; Wilbur; Francis; Julian. Answers in the New Year. Happy jazzing