JAZZ & BLUES

The London jazz community's love affair with all things Latin manifests itself in a two-week Cuban festival at Ronnie Scott's, Frith Street that starts on Monday and two shows in the coming week at the South Bank's Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The festival at Ronnie's, which begins on Monday, features La Barriada, a young Cuban band that adds sounds from all over the Caribbean to the more usual repertoire, and Ernan Lopez-Nussa, a pianist with a growing reputation.

The first of the Queen Elizabeth Hall shows takes place tomorrow, with Cuban saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera leading a talented line-up in a celebration of Latin love songs. The second, on Friday, is billed as a Latin Jazz Explosion and features a band led by versatile saxophonist Chico Freeman and featuring Dave Valentin and Hilton Ruiz.

Back in the mainstream, British drummer Clark Tracey leads a sextet that includes saxophonist Peter King and trumpeter Guy Barker in a tribute to Art Blakey at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street.

Meanwhile, the same venue on Monday welcomes keyboards player Gary Husband for the launch of his CD From the Heart (Jazzizit) and from Wednesday until the end of the week plays host to Acoustic Alchemy, reconstituted following the death from cancer of co-founder Nick Webb.

Tonight sees Randy Brecker, the trumpeter who has embraced various modern jazz styles, at Camden's Jazz Cafe.

On the recording front, Ginger Baker, former drummer in the rock group Cream, adds considerably to his jazz credentials with the release of the highly impressive album Coward of the County (Atlantic) recorded with his DJQ2O (for Denver Jazz Quartet-to-Octet) with supremely talented saxophonist James Carter as special guest. It features an arresting opener in Baker's tribute to the late British bluesman Cyril Davies and a beautiful closer "Jesus, I Just Want to Go to Sleep" that puts the spotlight on that unlikely jazz instrument, the pedal steel guitar.

Roger Trapp