Love and all that jazz - gigs on Valentine's Day

Attempts have been made over the years to link jazz with Valentine's Day, often in the form of Chet Baker compilations. The trumpeter and singer is particularly associated with show tune My Funny Valentine - from the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms - although I rather prefer Miles Davis' take on it.

One of Davis' interpretations of that tune is the lead track of his 2003 Plays for Lovers, one of several similarly titled compilations featuring some of the more sentimental tracks by jazz artists such as Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery.

These offer smooching music of a superior order but present a rather unrepresentative picture of each musician's work.

There's no shortage of jazz albums offering romantic background music for February 14, but a jazz gig as a Valentine's Day date is a riskier proposition - particularly if only one half of a couple likes the music. For those willing to take the chance, however, here are some options.

The trombone is not normally considered a romantic instrument - "You can't go around … with one of these without making enemies," a trombonist once told me - and lacks even the most tenuous connection to the troubadour tradition. It can be surprisingly lyrical, however, and on Friday, Backstage Live in Wellington Street is presenting Australian trombonist Jeremy Greig as its Valentine attraction.

Greig went to the US in 1997 to study for a master's degree in music at the University of Miami. He has won Downbeat magazine awards and worked with big names such as composers Maria Schneider and Jimmy Heath, and trumpeter-composer Wynton Marsalis.

Now based again in Australia, Greig is a lecturer in jazz and contemporary music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, as well as playing concert and club dates.