Jazz notes

The quirkily-titled New Italian Radio Orchestra features music written and arranged by Alan Barnes and Guy Barker and the band is fronted by the fiery multiple saxophones of Mr Barnes himself. The eight-piece outfit also features Art Themen, Sebastiaan de Krom and David Newton and this will be an all-ticket gig, so if you haven't booked yours, you will be pressing your nose to the windows.

As consolation, David Newton stays in the region to play a concert with his own trio at the Shire Hall, Howden on Saturday (3rd). David is now regarded as a national jazz treasure and his work with Alan Barnes and Stacey Kent is a particular delight. Make sure you have your ticket by calling the Shire Hall 01430 431535 or 01430 431488.

The organisers of jazz in Boston Spa, Tim Mallinson and Les Brown, have been much heartened by the support they have received in the move from the Crown Hotel to the Trustees Hall in the High Street.

With true British grit, the customers have been happy to bring along their own drinks to the unlicensed Trustees Hall and to continue to enjoy the programme of mainly traditional jazz. Tomorrow night, (3rd) reed player John Hallam takes leave from the Harmony Hounds to bring his own Jazztet, details from 01937 842544.

York has a healthy jazz-in-pubs scene and one of the most refreshing venues is the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, which hosts popular jam sessions on Sunday (4th) and Wednesday (7th) nights. The refreshing aspect is that most of the players are more youthful than the usual jazzers, they don't smell funny at all and they attract a younger crowd for the music.

Scarborough Jazz at Scholars presents a father-and-daughter duo on Tuesday (6th). Graham Galtry plays clarinet and daughter Sarah sings a selection of jazz standards, backed by the Mike Gordon Trio. Details from 01723 379818.

Since jazz was born in America around the turn of the last century, the authority and superiority of American musicians and singers went unchallenged, until the success of Europeans such as Nat Gonella and Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and 40s. By the 1950s, the perceived American superiority had been severely shaken and Tubby Hayes, Joe Harriott and Ronnie Scott were prominent British contenders.

Two CDs from opposite ends of Europe show how far we have come. From the cool Norwegian North comes vocalist Rebekka Bakken and her band with The Art Of How To Fall (Emarcy). The Joni Mitchel, Bjork and Norah Jones influences are noticeable and Bakken has something of Bjork's elfin good looks on the cover shots.

Trumpeter Takuya Nakamura is credited with keys and sounds, these latter being an appealing and eclectic mix. On the title track he distorts the trumpet down to unrecognisable sub-woofer level; elsewhere he creates sounds from organ-like to slide guitar.

Norwegian guitarist Eivend Aarset evokes Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny, and the album is a measured balance between voice, electronic and acoustic instruments.

Cositas Buenas (Good Little Things), from Paco de Lucia, matches Bakken's cool with some Spanish hot stuff. Both albums are made up of original compositions, but where Bakken borrows electronics and dance beats, Paco embraces new Flamenco.

Here the vocals are mainly in chorus, with solo voice in Spanish over Paco's impassioned guitar and flamenco ensemble. Where Rebekka Bakken thrills with contrasting cool settings for her emotional voice, Paco's individual guitar virtuosity fronts a Mediterran-ean boiling-pot on Cositas Buenas.

Most tunes begin with gentle exposition, move to rhythmic clapping and then voices join in a breathless finale. Trumpeter Gerry Gonzalez adds subdued, multi-tracked backing to the rumba, Casa Bernardo, but this is a triumphant return for the stunning guitar of Paco de Lucia on Verve Records.

Updated: 09:00 Friday, April 02, 2004