Avant Music News

From the Times:

HARRIS EISENSTADT TRIO / IDEAL BREAD (Saturday) In the headlining late shift of this double bill (at 10 p.m.), Mr. Eisenstadt, a creatively restless drummer and composer, leads a trio with the tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin and the cellist Christopher Hoffman. An earlier set (at 9) will feature Ideal Bread, a collective dedicated to the music of Steve Lacy, with Josh Sinton on baritone saxophone, Kirk Knuffke on trumpet, Reuben Radding on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)

JOEL HARRISON ENSEMBLE (Sunday and Tuesday) Mr. Harrison, an ever-productive guitarist, explores two sides of the same original music within the next week, starting with a more free-form approach on Sunday, in a group with the alto saxophonist David Binney, the bassist Stephan Crump and the drummer Jordan Perlson. On Tuesday he focuses more on groove, backed by Mr. Perlson along with the bassist Fima Ephron and the guitarist Pete McCann. Sunday at 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. Tuesday at 10 p.m., Rose Live Music, 345 Grand Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-0069, liveatrose.com; no cover. (Chinen)

JON IRABAGON AND MIKE PRIDE (Sunday and Monday) Returning to the stark but fruitful premise of a recent album, “I Don’t Hear Nothin’ but the Blues” (Loyal), Mr. Irabagon, an expressive saxophonist, joins Mr. Pride, a hard-charging drummer, in a series of rigorous improvised duets. Sunday at 7:30 p.m., the Local 269, 269 East Houston Street, at Suffolk Street, Lower East Side, (212) 228-9874; $5. Monday at 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)

THE MAHAVISHNU PROJECT (Tuesday and Wednesday) This single-minded repertory project, led by the drummer Gregg Bendian, pursues the visionary fusion of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, with all appropriate fervor. Each of its three sets here will assume a different character: the 7 p.m. slot on Tuesday is devoted to pieces by John McLaughlin, including the rarely heard “Suite for a Cappella Choir,” while the 10 p.m. slot is more of a greatest-hits experience. On Wednesday at 7 p.m. the focus is on “Visions of the Emerald Beyond,” an album released in 1975. Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 505-3474, lepoissonrouge.com; $18 in advance; $23 on the day of show; $45 for a three-show pass. (Chinen)

? MYRA MELFORD AND HAPPY WHISTLINGS (Tuesday) Revisiting compositional forms that she first unveiled last year, Ms. Melford, a thoughtful and serious-minded pianist, leads a responsive ensemble with Mary Halvorson on guitar, Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet and Stomu Takeishi on bass. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)

? PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000 + 3 (Tuesday through Thursday) The masterly drummer Paul Motian introduces a new lineup for this ensemble: Masabumi Kikuchi on piano, Michael Adkins on tenor saxophone, Loren Stillman on alto saxophone and Ben Street on bass. Expect a weightless and luminous sort of music, with an equal commitment to mystery and melody. (Through July 12.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen)