NEXT weekend the National Centre for Early Music in York becomes the international centre for jazz in the latest round of J-Night concerts.

J-Night, the York International Jazz Series, welcomes Israeli saxophonist Gilard Atzmon next Saturday at 7.30pm; Chicago pianist Junior Mance next Sunday afternoon at 3pm; and Shorter Stories, a celebration of the life and music of Wayne Shorter, at 7.30pm that evening.

This will be the sixth J-Night season since Courtney Pine launched the world jazz event at York Theatre Royal in May 2001. This time the trio of concerts will be candle-lit chamber performances that will use minimum amplification (and the venue's Bosendorfer grand piano).

The mini-festival opens next Saturday with BBC 2003 Jazz Award winner Gilad Atzmon performing with the Orient House Ensemble. Atzmon, who lives in self-imposed exile, is openly critical of the Israeli government's handling of the Palestinian crisis, but as much as he may wear his political protest on his sleeve, his music does not rage.

His latest project, Exile, seeks to remove the barriers between Jewish and Arabic cultures and emphasises the similarity between the two peoples.

Atzmon's saxophone playing combines bebop artistry and Middle-Eastern roots in the company of musicians from Italy, Romania, Britain and Israel, including the Palestinian singer Reem Kelani.

Junior Mance plays his J-Night gig on November 23 as part of his 75th birthday celebrations. Born in 1928, he came to the fore as pianist in Lester Young's bop-orientated group of 1949. He went on to join forces with Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt and Dinah Washington in the 1950s, then toured and recorded with Cannonball Adderley's early quintet, Dizzy Gillespie and the Eddie Lockjaw Davis/Johnny Griffen group.

He has since played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, Ben Webster and Aretha Franklin among many more.

In York, this highly rhythmic pianist will be leading a trio featuring Steve Brown on drums and Andrew Cleyndert on double bass.

The November 23 tribute to Wayne Shorter will be performed by Norma Winstone, voice and lyrics; Robert Mitchell, piano and arrangements; Julian Seigel, saxophones and clarinets; Mike Mondesir, bass; Ben Davis, cello; and Volker Strater, percussion.

J-Night promoter David Porter says: "Shorter Stories comes to York directly from the London Jazz Festival and consists of the music of Wayne Shorter, one of the world's greatest living jazz musicians and composers.

"It draws on different periods throughout his varied and prolific musical career, from his early work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, through to Miles Davis, Weather Report and his long association with pianist Herbie Hancock.

"The show is led by Robert Mitchell, one of our brightest and most individual young pianists. He was runner-up in the BBC Rising Star Awards in 2002 and his most recent work for solo piano has earned him a nomination for the 2003 BBC Jazz Awards in the Best New Work category."

Tickets for each concert cost £12, concessions £10; season tickets £30, concessions £28; Sunday day ticket, £20, concessions £18. Ring 01904 658338 for bookings and brochures.

Updated: 09:36 Friday, November 14, 2003