Richard Bona
A stunning, rich-toned electric bassist, Cameroon-born Bona also has a beautifully melodic voice. Although his singing is more world music-orientated, stints with Randy Brecker and Steve Gadd show his jazz chops on bass are up-to-scratch too.
Jazz Cafe, Oct 9
Lea Delaria
Comedienne, Broadway star, singer and, ahem, self-proclaimed 'muff diva', Delaria may not have the strongest of voices, but she makes up for that with more than enough stage presence and an unusual choice of material.
Pizza Express Soho, Oct 16
Mark Murphy
The wild man of jazz singing returns, in town around the same time as his spiritual heir, Kurt Elling (see right). Hear why Liza Minelli once said: "There's a party going on in Mark's head - and I want to go to it."
Ronnie Scott's, Oct 22-24
Deirdre Cartwright Group
Clean, precise guitar-led quartet, and a mostly female band that shows why the residual sexism in jazz is a mistake, as well as an outdated prejudice.
The Vortex, Oct 25
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling is quite simply the most outstanding jazz singer of his generation, and arguably the most technically proficient alive today. The 39-year-old Chicagoan displays effortless mastery of scat and vocalese and is equally adept at incorporating poetry into his act, as well as betraying his theatrical side (he occasionally collaborates with the Windy City's acclaimed Steppenwolf company) with some extraordinary facial expressions and bodily contortions that the muse demands he pulls. The true jazz singer is the equal of any instrumentalist in phrasing and improvisation: Elling could blow most saxophonists off the stage. If you go to one gig this year, make it this.
Birmingham, October 19; St George's, Bristol, Oct 21; Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Oct 24; Barbican, London, Oct 25
kurtelling.com
Eye music: Kandinsky, Klee and all that jazz
A welcome corrective to the lack of time and space devoted to the fruitful relationships that have existed across art forms, this exhibition examines how modernist painters drew inspiration from jazz, in particular from its rhythms and the atmosphere of the clubs where the new music of the 20th century was performed.
Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, UEA, Norwich, Oct 2 - Dec 9
Eldar: re-imagination
This Kyrgyzstan-born pianist is only 20 but is astonishing audiences everywhere. At times very chord and rhythm-based, he can sound like Dave Grusin on acid, but is fluent in Oscar Peterson and post-bop too. Sensational.
Etheridge-Andersen-Marshall: In House
Thoughtful, airy music from John Etheridge, long a leading (if slightly unsung) hero of the guitar, with ex-Jan Garbarek bassist Arild Andersen and veteran UK drummer John Marshall.
Raya Yarborough
A promising debut from the Californian singer, strongly influenced by Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan. It's more crossover than straight jazz, but her personality comes through strongly. Drawing on several musical strands doesn't have to mean compromise.
Max Roach: We Insist! Freedom Now Suite
A re-release of the classic civil rights protest album from 1960 to mark the recent death of the great bebop drummer Max Roach. Featuring Abbey Lincoln and Coleman Hawkins.
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