The Mark Lockheart Group are at the Spin in the Wheatsheaf off Oxford’s High Street tonight and a two-day series of events entitled Sonic Art begins at the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building this afternoon. Organised by Oxford Contemporary Music and Oxford Brookes there is a very full programme. Go to www.ocmevents.org for details. OCM have also organised an Open Session at the North Wall, in Summertown, on Wednesday as part of the Oxfringe Festival. The programme includes singer Kate Garret, Natureboy and the remarkable Ensemble Azut with Bruno Guastalla. Also part of Oxfringe is an evening of music and poetry tomorrow at St Michael at the Northgate with Oxford Improvisers and several published poets and, on Monday at the same venue at 1pm, a concert of songs by Fats Waller and other stars of the 20s and 30s, given by singer Julia Hollander. Donations to the Oxford charity Refugee Resource.

The new season at the Carswell Golf and Country Club kicks off on Saturday with the highly acclaimed saxophonist Simon Spillett (pictured) with John Critchenson, Simon Thorpe and Spike Wells. Phone 01367 710593 for details. John Critchenson is also at the Old Bank in Swindon on Wednesday with Clive Morton. Also on Saturday the extraordinary improvising jazz/rock band Nonstop Tango are at the Drama Studio, behind the Richard Hamilton Building in Oxford Brookes. This is also another chance to hear Bruno Guastalla’s Azut providing an intriguing musical contrast.

The Oxford Jazz Festival begins on Thursday with a lunchtime concert at the Corner Club on Turl Street with the Sarah Gillespie quartet plus the inimitable Gilad Atzmon on sax. At night there’s a special extra gig at the Spin with the great Bobby Wellins. Contact the Corner Club and the Spin for tickets to these events.

Elsewhere George Haslam’s Free Time quartet with Stefano Pastor are at the Crown and Thistle, in Abingdon, on Friday.

Also Pete Lay is at the Deddington Arms, Deddington, and the Thames Valley Jazz Band are at the Talbot, in Eynsham. On Sunday, Sophie Garner and trio are at Veritas, in Banbury, and there’s a jazz jam at the Red Lion, in Britwell-cum-Sotwell. The excellent jazz jam at the White Hart, in Headington, with Nick Blake continues on Wednesday, all welcome.