It's surprising to realise that the North Sea Jazz Festival is only in its fifth year, so deeply has the event become ingrained into Cape Town culture. Music lovers from across the city ? indeed, across South Africa ? scrimp and save all year for the chance to hear South African and international pioneers, live on stage.

Unless you really know your jazz, most of the names on the line-up will be unfamiliar, and that provides the best of the festival ? listening to music you've never heard before and falling completely in love with it.

The official North Sea Jazz Festival double-disc souvenir album isn't quite as adventurous as the live event ? you won't find Japanese-fusion group Hiroshima here ? but is a really good compilation none the less. It's hopeless trying to pick out highlights, as each track is fantastic, but here goes...

Arranged chronologically, the album features mainly South African artists, with a couple of big international names sprinkled here and there for a good measure. Paul Hanmer's stunning Jew's harp / piano duet 'Meeting of the Women' is a highlight of the first disc, along with Tananas' 'Hard Hat Jive' (which features some astounding guitar work) and 'Tinsel Town', from acid jazz legend Ronny Jordan. Bheki Mseleku, Hugh Masekela, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, and everybody's favourite Zimbabwean, Oliver Mtukudzi, are also included.

Disc two starts off on a party note with Tucan Tucan's Afro-Caribbean 'Conga Loca', which gives Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine a run for their money, and then the music settles back into more traditional jazz with Jabu Khanyile and Bayete. Busi Mhlongo's rousing 'Ting Ting "Cash Dispenser"' is up next, after which Allou April brings us back into smooth jazz territory.

The internationals get a showing with Pieces of a Dream, India.Arie and this year's star, Cassandra Wilson, in rapid succession. One of my favourite pianists, Andile Yenana, also gets a look-in with 'Tembisa (The People)'.

Featured artists from 2004 are the aforementioned Wilson and her fabulous voice, Feya Faku, McCoy Mrubata, Sakhile, Jonathan Butler ? and I've never heard a crowd respond as much as when Butler took the stage ? and our very own jazz diva, Gloria Bosman.

It's likely that you'll already own some of the albums the compilation draws on (and if you don't you should!) but this collection is a must for any jazz fan.