TAKE A large helping of spooky funk blues, blend with some jazz, add a generous measure of modern pop with more than a hint of the Sixties Sound and you have a great Halloween night mix at the Milton Rooms next week Friday, October 27.

Scarborough’s Tom Townsend pulls out all the stops with his high-voltage sound ranging from blues to hip-hop, drum and bass to jazz and beyond. Now he’s in full cry with a six-piece band and a blend of soul-soaked vocals and big band beat.

Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Tom is one of the area’s best-loved and most versatile performers. He describes an evening of his music as “a breezy, playful cross between the barrel-house energy of New Orleans jazzmen, the stadium sophistication of Steely Dan, and the coffee house intimacy of Paul Simon.”

Sharing the bill is Elma, a young duo from Ely in Cambridgeshire delivering some fresh, quirky, original pop, tinged with a Sixties feel influenced by the likes of the Beach Boys, Beatles and the Ronettes.

Elma features songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ellis, and singer Ellie Gillett, whose powerful vocal style and irresistible personality have proved an instant hit with audiences.

Tickets, priced £10, are available online at www.wegottickets.com/event/ 412554, or from the box office in Malton on 01653 696240.