One of the most distinctive young singers in jazz has flown in from New York for a short British tour and will appear at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath on Sunday.

Jose James first came to our notice in this country courtesy of DJ Gilles Peterson who signed James to his Brownsville Recordings label.

His lush, chocolate-toned baritone coupled with a cool delivery, and his melding of the classic jazz croon of a singer like Johnny Hartmann with a very contemporary hip-hop and R&B sensibility, make him accessible to jazz lovers in both their 20s and their 60s.

After two releases on Brownsville, James has moved up a level with his latest album, No Beginning No End, just out on the Blue Note label.

It’s a classy affair, and includes collaborations with producer Robert Glasper and his drummer Chris Dave.

He is bringing his New York band with him to the Hare and Hounds – Takuya Kuroda on trumpet , Solomon Dorsey on bass, Kris Bowers on piano – with a Brit, Richard Spaven, on drums.

Before the Jose James band takes the stage, Sara Colman is performing a duo set with pianist Malcolm Edmonstone.

It starts at 8.45pm and tickets are £12. Book in advance at www.thsh.co.uk

* There is a piano trio with an original name and a distinctive style tomorrow at The Red Lion in Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter. Eyes Shut Tight, originally from Leeds, is led by double bassist Paul Baxter, who does most of the writing and arranging. Johnny Tomlinson is on piano with Kris Wright on drums.

The band has recorded two albums, Evolution and The Thaw, and tours extensively.

This gig starts at 7.45pm, tickets are £10 (£8 for members) and there is more at www.birminghamjazz.co.uk

* The awesome sound of 15 players packed into The Spotted Dog is what you can look forward to on Tuesday evening.

Noise Union is packed full of Birmingham favourites, with the trumpets including Percy Pursglove, Rob Anstey and Richard Foote in the trombones, Lluis Mather, Mike Fletcher and Colin Mills in the saxophone section, and Dan Nicholls on piano.

Leading the whole joyous thing is former Birmingham resident and jazz promoter Sam Jesson whole will doubtless be drumming up a storm.

The fun starts at 8.30pm, entry is free but donations are encouraged – in fact with that many hungry jazz mouths to feed, donations need to be generous. More at www.blambirmingham.co.uk

* Other good gigs this week:

Tomorrow: A quintet led by saxophonist and Yamaha Jazz Scholarship winner Chris Maddock is at Symphony Hall Cafe Bar for the Jazzlines Free Jazz session. It starts at 5pm. More at www.thsh.co.uk

Tuesday: High energy saxophonist Sam Rogers and his band The Hospital Dodgers, which includes Tom Forde on guitar and Ben Kane on drums, is at The Jam House from 8.30pm. Entry is free for this Jazzlines gig. More at www.thsh.co.uk