IT IS a pleasure to welcome the return of Friday night Jazz at the Cairn in Harrogate, even if it is only once a month. Tonight's (26th) star attraction is the much-admired Al Wood Big Band. Details from 01423 504005. Multi-instrumentalist Al can also be heard solo on Tuesday at Scarborough Jazz at Scholars Bar, details from 01723 379818.

The tempting alternative to Harrogate tonight is the Clare Teal Quintet at Wakefield Jazz. If you missed her sell-out gig at the Shire Hall, Howden at the beginning of the month, here is your second chance. Details from Wakefield Jazz on 01924 782339.

You will find Revivalist Trad at Jazz at the Spa tomorrow night, when the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings trundle into the Trustees Hall, High Street, Boston Spa. Be aware that the Hall is not licensed, but you are invited to bring your own drinks, picnic and candelabra if you feel the need. Details from 01937 842544.

On Sunday (28th) there are two helpings of jumping jazz in York. The First Lady of York jazz, Joan Whitehead, will be swinging down Nunnery Lane at the Victoria Vaults from 3pm to 6pm and the celebrated jam session will be running at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, from around 8.30pm.

Meanwhile, York saxophonist Jools Slater, usually heard on Thursday at El Piano Restaurant, Swinegate, will be playing with the quintet at the Grove Inn, Leeds, on Sunday night. Details from 0113 275 2223.

Leeds Jazz continues to present music from the sharp end on Wednesday at the Wardrobe with Cuong Vu & Scratch. Vietnamese-born trumpeter Vu is now resident in New York and is regarded as one of the great talents on the US jazz scene. The story is that Pat Metheny had already formed his new band in 2002, when he heard a CD of Vu and spontaneously booked him for the entire year. Nuff said - call Leeds Jazz on 0113 274 2486.

A new development of the mid-1990s has been Nu-jazz, a cool mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds, with influences from dance and club culture. Nu-jazz began in Norway and the prime movers emerged as trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer and keyboard player Bugge Wesseltoft. Universal issued a useful two-CD compilation in 2003 simply titled Nu-Jazz which, alongside Wesseltoft, Molvaer and others, included Brits Andy Sheppard and Courtney Pine.

The answer from the USA is a re-invention of the piano trio, possibly titled simply New Jazz. The debut album from power piano trio The Bad Plus, These Are The Vistas, provoked rave reviews in Rolling Stone magazine, as well as the jazz press. Their new one, Give, continues to stretch the boundaries of jazz with echoes of classical, boogie woogie, rock and pop, which may explain Rolling Stone's enthusiasm.

There are eight original compositions, plus songs by Ornette Coleman (Street Woman), the Pixies (Velouria) and no, this is not a misprint, Black Sabbath (Iron Man). This latter has two pianos playing simultaneously, a Winifred Atwell de-tuned job playing the part of fleet-fingered speed guitar against the second, pounding out deep, power chords that even Ozzie Osbourne will appreciate.

However, Alan Partridge would not take to the The Bad's playfully dynamic interpretation of Abba's Knowing Me, Knowing You, a bonus track on the UK issue.

As you will gather, The Bad Plus is a couple of moves on from the ding ding-a ding cymbals-driven piano trio. Drummers and bass players will applaud the fact that it is a remarkable even-handed trio outing, with instruments sharing the lead and the solos equally.

If some of the repertoire sounds incongruous, many jazz standards, began life as popular songs of their day. Most would have been flushed down the pan of history, were they not touched by the hands of artists such as Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller.

Updated: 16:03 Thursday, March 25, 2004