Jazz breaking news: Countdown To Scarborough Jazz Festival

The first of the French bands Hadouk trio – featuring doudouk player, saxophonist and flautist Didier Malherbe, best known for his work with Gong; keyboards/hajouj bassist Loy Ehrlich and percussionist/djembe player Steve Shehan – who play the Spa on Friday at 7pm continue their UK tour supporting the release of their latest album Air Hadouk.

They are followed by Surrey-born classic jazz singer Liz Fletcher whose influences include Peggy Lee and Julie London at 8.45pm; and by the fine prog jazz-inclined big band Orchestre National de Jazz from France directed by Daniel Yvinec, with its John Hollenbeck-composed Shut Up And Dance set, a mélange of Gnawan trance, Ellingtonian swing and electronic music.

Saturday has the pianist Kate Williams’ quartet featuring flautist Gareth Lockrane in the afternoon at half past midday, followed by trombonist Mark Nightingale’s quintet at 2.15pm; and the formidable polymathic saxophonist Gilad Atzmon and the Orient House Ensemble at four o’clock. The evening programme at Scarborough begins at 7pm with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, well into its stride now under new musical director Mark Armstrong who was appointed just last year, followed by the superb French/Beninese singer Mina Agossi’s trio at 8.45pm, and the David Rees-Williams Trio at 10.30pm. Agossi released her Just Like A Lady album last year on leading French label Naïve that marked a distinct return to form appearing shortly after its release in London with puckish newcomer Phil Reptil on Ribot-like guitar giving the band a good lift with a kind of punk sang froid. Heading the evening bill are The David Rees-Williams Trio, known for their bestselling Jacques Loussier type settings of classical music delivered with a jazz twist. The great pianist Loussier himself was billed for Scarborough this year but unfortunately had to cancel through illness.

The afternoon session on Sunday begins with saxophonist Matt Anderson’s quintet performing ‘Songs of the Ridings’, a commission by Creative North Yorkshire, at half past midday, followed by the extraordinary Slovakian gypsy guitarist teenage star Andreas Varady’s quartet at 2.15pm. The Christine Tobin Quartet are then on stage at 4pm, with the superb Margate-based Irish singer and her band of guitarist Phil Robson, bassist Dave Whitford and drummer Gene Calderazzo touring Coyote Dreams just weeks away from her much anticipated Sailing To Byzantium concerts next month in Ireland and London.

The festival, which is directed by Mike Gordon, comes to a conclusion in the evening with the Tommy Evans Orchestra playing a Marsden Jazz Festival-commissioned suite ‘The Green Seagull’ at 7pm. Later at 9.15pm, photographer William Ellis explains some of the stories and anecdotes behind his pictures on stage while mainstream jazz reedsman Alan Barnes’ band then bring the festival to a suitably swinging close.

– Stephen Graham

For tickets call the box office on 01723 357 869 or go to www.scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk for more on the festival fringe events