TUNISIA has a musical summit meeting with Norway in the unlikely setting of a Ryedale village on Tuesday, and there is not a spare seat to be had at The Shed.

The Tunisian-born oud player, singer and composer Dhafer Youssef is linking up with Norwegian electronic jazz musicians in a specially-commissioned project that visits Hovingham Village Hall next week as part of a week-long British tour.

For his fusion of spiritual music in the ancient Sufi tradition and modern Scandinavian electronic loops and ambient textures, Youssef has hand-picked four musicians: his creative partner Eivind Aarset, on guitar and electronics, Arve Henriksen, trumpet and electronics, Audun Erlien, electric bass, and Rune Arnesen, drums.

Youssef has written his commission (for broadcast on BBC Radio 3) with these musicians in mind, and at Tuesday's 8pm concert he will complement the new material with earlier works in the roots-digital format.

The tour opened last night with a London Jazz Festival appearance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall: testimony to Youssef's stock in the jazz world. This rising status is reflected in his Shed show selling out; ring 01653 668494 for returns (£11).

Doors open at 7.15pm.

Updated: 09:05 Friday, November 19, 2004