Laubrock first came to prominence as a member of singer Monica Vasconcelos' band and, with the Brazilian vocalist, she went on to form NOIS 4, a collective of diverse musicians dedicated to Brazilian music whose debut Gente (Candid, 2005) attracted much critical praise.

Obviously a musical activist, Laubrock is also one of the driving forces behind the F-IRE collective, a London-based community of jazz musicians that includes saxophonist Pete Wareham's Acoustic Ladyland and drummer Seb Rochford's punkjazz outfit Polar Bear.

But those who know Laubrock from her Brazilian recordings, made in the warmth of Sao Paolo, may be surprised to hear the darker side to her playing that comes out in her own Londonbased group. Originally an alto saxophonist, she began to favour the soprano version in the early '90s and that has become her main instrument. The soprano is a famously unruly horn which demands a certain conviction to avoid sounding thin or bland. In 1998, Laubrock began studies with one of the masters of the soprano, and a man who is no stranger to Irish audiences, Dave Liebman and some of Liebman's viscerality can be heard in her playing.

Laubrock and her group begin their tour on Wednesday 7 February in Dolan's, Limerick, and continue in the Source, Thurles (9), the Mermaid, Bray (10), the Coach House, Dublin Castle (13), Brú, Drogheda (14), Linenhall, Castlebar (15), Tuar Ard, Moate (16) and the Sonic Lab, Belfast (17). More details can be found on www. musicnetwork. ie.

It's hard not to think of the 46A bus when you look at guitarist Tommy Halferty's schedule for February. After an absence from the domestic scene of some months, the regular Sunday night Pendulum club at JJ Smyths in Aungier Street, run by the Improvised Music Company, is all Halferty these days.

Perhaps the sudden glut of the Derry man's exuberant guitar stylings is a little bit of fallout due to the recent and much-lamented departure of the IMC's John Parkinson, whose broad musical palette, not to mention consummate tact, has been a key ingredient in the success of the Pendulum club over the last few years. Parkinson takes the good wishes of the entire jazz community with him to his new role but, with so much Halferty on offer, no one's grumbling about the new programming policy just yet.

Halferty got off to a fine start last Sunday with fellow guitarist, Mike Nielsen, making up one of the finest duos in any genre in Irish music.

On Sunday 11 Feburary, the genial guitarist will unveil a new quartet, made up of the younger generation of musicians, for whom Halferty has been such an indefatigable teacher and inspiration. Drummer Sean Carpio, bassist Cormac O'Brien and saxophonist Sean �?g join the guitarist for a night of standards and originals, with the added promise of some solo acoustic work from the leader interspersed throughout the evening.

But before that, tonight sees the welcome return of Tudo Bem, a group of the highest calibre, which features much of the teaching faculty in Newpark Music Centre, including various Guilfoyles in the rhythm chairs, a Phil Ware or two on piano, and new arrival Australian Paul Williamson on trumpet, with Halferty soaring over it all in his characteristically ebullient style.

You couldn't possibly be doing anything better this evening. Not to be missed by anyone who knows anything about Brazilian music nor, most particularly, by those who don't.