The Saxophone Pub and Restaurant is a Bangkok institution and has been serving up the hottest blues and jazz bands in town for over a decade.

There are pool bars and there are pool bars in Bangkok…and there’s Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy and Patpong too…but one neat bar tucked away off the main drag on Sukhumvit Soi 7 is Asolute 7 Bar with nosh and pool, two bands and loads of willing hands in tight jeans…err…cute waitresses. Music ’till very late and this is a great little soi in it’s own right too. Didier runs Absolute 7 and any fuss he’s your man. Great pub grub too.

Our mates over at Sukhumvit Eye magazine reckon there’s more to life than a good book and who am I to argue…with my girlfriend

The management of Noriega’s tell us they have developed plans to make improvements to the bar and the first floor facilities in particular, to increase revenue-earning floorspace.

Can you imagine…John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Mitch Mitchell in the same band playing Yer Blues from the Beatles White Album?

Here’s our very own end-of-the-year gift for you guitar players with time on your hands over the holidays and looking for new ideas in jazz. With it comes where to go next time and get free jazz stuff to help you outrun the plateau thing!

Celebrating another birthday in fine style, Noriega’s have booked Doctor Blues to host the Jesus Jam Pre-Birthday Bash with Tambourine Man opening the proceedings after which anything can happen - and it usually does with the Doc in the drivers seat.

History repeated itself Saturday when the Ploenchit Fair organisers once again took for granted the loyalty of professional musicians who give up their time for the annual charity event, only to be shunted on and off stage like trained animals.

Salty Dog duo - Steve Plater and Marion Turner - are apparently booked to play the Phuket Blues Festival February 2008 so here’s a heads-up who they are. (Any friend of Geoff Achison is a friend of ours!)

They have a great reputation for great blues guitarists starring there and here’s a sample of what’s on at The Brasserie in Chiang Mai of an evening. Drop by as Trink used to say!

We know JimNewport, aka Jimmy Fame is jamming at Tokyo Joe’s on Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tuesday night at 10 with his edi-mentor Dr Blues.

Just a note! You heard it here first. The former Italin restaurant Roberto’s on the Patpong 2 mezzanine is to re-open on the 23rd of the month as a hot new jazz venue! More as my spies get closer to the story!