Jazz Preview: Big names for show in memory of Gemma

Claire Martin, Liane Carroll, Nikki Iles, Tina May, Guy Barker, Iain Dixon, Iain Bellamy, Tim Whitehead, Pete Churchill, Gareth Williams, Arnie Somogyi, Mike Walker, Eryl Roberts, Winston Clifford.

It is heartwarming support for a show in memory of Gemma Sykes, daughter of Wakefield Jazz founders Alec and Faith Sykes.

Gemma died last September after a long illness. Alec says: “Faith and myself are deeply touched by the response of the jazz community.

“The fact that they are foregoing any fees shows fantastic generosity of spirit on their part. We expect that more than £4,000 will be raised for charities.”

Claire Martin is appearing in the Isle of Wight tomorrow night but will be in Wakefield in time for the concert which starts at 3pm.

The Leeds College of Music Jazz Ensemble and the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir combine at The Venue tomorrow night for two jazz masses, Will Todd’s Mass in Blue and Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass. Also tomorrow, a trio led by the Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis will bring echoes of Grappelli to the National Centre for Early Music in York.

Thursday sees the UK-based Italian saxophonist Tommaso Starace and his quartet playing pieces from their new album Blood and Champagne at the HX7 club in Hebden Bridge.