Hit of the week

The Branford Marsalis Quartet will open this year's JVC Jazz Festival, which continues the great tradition of Jazz Jamboree, the jazz festival with the longest history in Europe. Polish Debut for Seal British star Seal will give his first concert in Poland Oct. 18 as he makes a comeback to the international music scene.

Seal was the most popular soul vocalist of the 1990s in Britain. He owed his success to his surprising and spiritual vocals. Perhaps it is his Nigerian and Brazilian roots that make his voice so captivating.

New Shade of Purple? Classic Deep Purple or a change of direction introducing a flavor of contemporary rock? Boasting a rejuvenated lineup, Deep Purple are on tour to promote their latest album, Rapture of the Deep, and will play at the Torwar Arena in Warsaw Oct.

9. The contest to find the most beautiful woman in the world-Miss World 2006-will take place Sept. 30 in the Congress Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.

The spectacle, watched every year by an international audience estimated by some at around two billion, will be broadcast by channel 2 of Polish public television (TVP 2) between 8 p.m. and 10 p.

m. Twelve world premieres and 27 Polish debut performances are the highlights of the 49th annual International Warsaw Autumn Festival of Contemporary Classical Music, beginning Sept. 22.

Running events, exhibitions, concerts and sports equipment fairs will all be a part of the Warsaw Running Festival that begins Sept. 15. The central event of the three-day running celebration is the 28th Flora Warsaw Marathon.

The Festival will also host the wedding of two Polish marathon runners-Wojciech Wanat and Katarzyna Panewko.