"THE more you drink, the better we sound," joked the new young jazz sensation Jamie Cullum, introducing his concert as part of the Scarborough Jazz Festival Fringe at Beiderbecke's Hotel, Scarborough, last week.

Still only 24, this sparky young singer/songwriter/pianist launched into an energetic performance of breath-takingly casual professionalism. Opening with the first track of his up-coming CD Twentysomething, an infectiously swinging vocal on You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You led to some witty and insouciant piano shenanigans.

He began a funky version of Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So by beating time with his hands on the side and top of the piano, rhythmic bongo drum-style. Bass player Mark Hodgson joined in the fun by palm-smacking the body of his bass, while drummer Sebastiaan de Krom, who must be one of the most tasteful drummers in the UK, crept in with subtle brushwork to make a three-man percussion group. After the initial vocal statement, Jamie then executed a dazzling piano solo with unison scat vocals.

For one so young, Jamie Cullum has "paid his dues", as the music profession puts it, playing pubs, clubs and cruises since his late teens, to achieve a remarkable level of easy relaxation on-stage. Equally compelling as a vocalist and as a pianist, the audience rapidly becomes putty in his expert hands. Not many jazz performers can have a crowd clapping on the off-beat and singing along to vocal riffs in harmony, as he did on Light My Fire.

Next month he will be rocking New York in a three-week residency at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel, the first European to do so. This is where Harry Connick Jr and Diana Krall launched their careers and on the strength of his Scarborough showing, Jamie need have no fears about matching up to their talents.

Jamie Cullum's new CD, Twentysomething, will be released next month - watch it jump off the shelves.

"A gift from Australia," was how Mark Murphy described Anita Wardell. "A model of the jazz singer's art," said The Guardian. Judge for yourself tonight, when Anita appears at Wakefield Jazz, with the sublime Robin Aspland on piano. Details from 01924 782339.

Also tonight Jazz at the Cairn Hotel, Harrogate, presents Saxism, an all-female saxophone quartet. Details from 01423 504005.

The Pirelli British Rally will be zooming into Malton town centre tomorrow evening, with jazz provided by trumpeter James Lancaster and his strolling players between 6.30 and 10pm.

Jazz At The Crown, Boston Spa, tomorrow night presents Phil Mason's New Orleans All Stars with Christine Tyrell. Details from 01937 842544.

Affectionately known as the First Lady of York Jazz, Joan Whitehead will be exploring the Great American Song Book on Sunday at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane, York. Starting around 1.30pm, this has become one of the favourite sessions in York.

Round off your jazz Sunday with the regular jam session at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, where the house band welcomes any singer or player to join them.

Nina and Karl will be Fine and Mellow at the Rook and Gaskill, Lawrence Street, York on Monday.

Winstone's Pennine Jazz Band are making determined inroads into the York pub jazz scene, with some nifty arrangements of classic tunes from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Their next gig is at the Marcia Inn in Bishopthorpe on Tuesday.

Marian and Mike Gordon have been flooded with emails and letters to congratulate them on the success of the first Scarborough Jazz Festival last weekend. Here's hoping it will become an annual event. In the meantime the Gordons continue their year-round presentations of Jazz at Scholars on Tuesday with Jim Corry on alto and baritone saxophones. Details from 01723 379818.

On Wednesday, the second regular weekly jam session comes around at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green.

On Thursday, Jools Slater is back by popular demand to play saxophone at El Piano. This vegetarian 'bring your own booze' restaurant in York's Grape Lane has Jools playing a variety of West Coast jazz and smooth ballads; details from 01904 610676/733599.

Updated: 08:33 Friday, September 26, 2003