Jazz, Folk etc: Season of mists resounds to mellow jazz vibes across the country

A VIVID autumnal smoulder of jazz in Scotland should be ignited in no uncertain manner when the much fêted American jazz-rock guitarist Mike Stern brings his band to Dundee's West Park Conference Centre and Aberdeen's Blue Lamp this Saturday and Sunday.

As well as bassist Alain Caron and drummer Lionel Cordew, Stern's outfit features special guest Didier Lockwood, the celebrated French jazz-fusion violinist.

Stern himself, a veteran of such august company as Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Blood Sweat and Tears and the Brecker brothers, has carved a reputation in his own right as a formidable jazz-rock fusioneer, as demonstrated by his current album, Big Neighbourhood, in which he trades licks with heavy rockers Steve Vai and Eric Johnson, yet mellows into lissom world-music excursions with singer-bassists Esperanza Spalding and Richard Bona. Expect some fiery trade-offs with violinist Lockwood.

The US guitarist's gigs launch an autumn programme of events announced by the newly formed Jazz Scotland, created by the merger of promoters Assembly Direct and Jazz Aberdeen. The two outfits had been collaborating over the past year to revive Aberdeen's near-defunct jazz festival.

Mike Stern's Dundee appearance is part of the Dundee Jazz Festival, a somewhat stretched-looking event running from 30 October to 28 November, its concerts also including the jazz-soul singer China Moses (Caird Hall, 13 November), whose Scottish debut at this year's Edinburgh Jazz Festival made quite an impact, as well as gigs from Havana Swing, the Gordon MacNeill Band and Angie King. The associated Tay Jazz in Perth event includes Tommy Smith's UK Conservatoires Big Band in Perth Concert Hall this Saturday, plus, on 19 November, a "We Love Louis" Satchmo tribute concert featuring the irrepressible Barbara Morrison, New Orleans trumpet legend Leroy Jones, singer Todd Gordon and the Alan Barnes Allstars (see www.jazzdundee.co.uk)

Furth of Dundee, Jazz Scotland's autumn programme includes the idiosyncratically dazzling music of yet another emerging Scandinavian piano trio, Fabian Kallerdahl's Music, Music, Music, at Aberdeen's Blue Lamp (4 November) and Edinburgh's Jazz Bar (5 November), while the aforementioned Leroy Jones brings his quintet to Aberdeen Blue Lamp on 18 November. Further Nordic talents include Swedish guitarist Samuel Hallkvist Center (Blue Lamp, Aberdeen, 25 November and Jazz Bar, Edinburgh, 26 November) and the Gothenburg-based jazz-electronica outfit Klabbes Bank (Jazz Bar, Edinburgh, 1 December and Glasgow Art Club, 2 December).

Meanwhile creative Scots saxophonist Konrad Wisniewski joins European vibes ace Pascal Schumacher and his group at Edinburgh's Voodoo Rooms (9 November), the recital Rooms, Glasgow (10 November) and Aberdeen's Blue Lamp (11 November).For further dates and details, see www.jazzmusic.co.uk.

Jazz Scotland will continue to promote Aberdeen, Dundee, Islay and Lockerbie jazz festivals, and promises a new Fife event, on 4-6 February next year.

Meanwhile, in a bid to co-ordinate Scotland's numerous disparate jazz initiatives, on 11 November the Scottish Jazz Federation presents a Jazz Promoter's Forum at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow.

The first in a series of free events continuing through 2011, the Forum is intended to create "a thought-provoking environment" for promoters to network and debate.

The day will end with a concert, "Jazz Bites", featuring such Scottish talent as the Nova Scotia Jazz Band, pianist Paul Harrison's new group, Breach, and the 2010 Young Scottish Jazz Musician, saxophonist John Fleming.

The Federation's jazz development officer, singer Cathie Rae, points out that, in the shadow of impending cuts, "it's imperative that jazz promoters talk to each other regularly and start working together to build the audience for jazz in Scotland.

"As a sector it is important we share resources, collaborate on projects, such as joint marketing initiatives, and have regular communication through events like this. We want to help facilitate as much as possible the creation of a cohesive, vibrant Scottish jazz scene."

• For further information, see www.scottishjazzfederation.com