Tim Berne, Michael Formanek and Ches Smith (Wednesday) Mr. Berne, an alto saxophonist, and Mr. Formanek, a bassist, have a long history together, and a handful of strong albums in various instrumental formats. They should have no problem connecting with Mr. Smith, lately the drummer of choice for Mr. Berne, and a musician capable of the right balance of wildness and precision. At 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)
Kris Davis, Ingrid Laubrock and Tyshawn Sorey (Thursday) So much possibility rumbles from this improvising collective — with Ms. Davis on piano, Ms. Laubrock on tenor saxophone, Mr. Sorey on drums, and all three contributing tunes — that on its excellent recent debut, “Paradoxical Frog” (Clean Feed), you don’t have time to fixate on its free-jazz pedigree or wonder who’s running the show. The band performed compellingly on two festival bills last month, each time delivering something new. Thursday at 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)
Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (Tuesday and Wednesday) Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten is a Norwegian bassist, and one of the bigger fish in the pool of European free-improvised music. On Tuesday at 10 p.m. he anchors an ensemble with Nate Wooley on trumpet, Joe Morris on guitar and Joe McPhee on soprano saxophone and pocket trumpet; on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Mr. Haker-Flaten engages in duologue with Mr. McPhee, who will then be playing tenor saxophone. At the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)
Oliver Lake Trio (Monday) Oliver Lake, an alto saxophonist with a huge, bracing tone and firsthand knowledge of the post-1960s avant-garde, made one of the most enduring impressions at the recent Undead Jazzfest, in multiple settings. Here he leads a knockabout trio with Santi Debriano on bass and Pheeroan akLaff on drums. At 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk Street, Lower East Side, (212) 254-5420, csvcenter.com.; $16 per set, $26 for both. (Chinen)
Matana Roberts’s Coin Coin (Saturday) Ms. Roberts, an alto saxophonist, weaves history, folklore and genealogy into “Coin Coin,” an ambitious performance piece that has just begun to be documented on record, with “Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de Couleur Libres” (Constellation). Here she’s presenting “Chapter 6: Papa Joe,” with an ensemble including the cellist Daniel Levin, the pianist Shoko Nagai, the bassist Thomson Kneeland and the drummer Tomas Fujiwara. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; $20, free for members. (Chinen)
Ken Vandermark (Friday and Saturday) Mr. Vandermark, a saxophonist and clarinetist from Chicago, has a tough, kinetic approach to free improvisation, which should be one reason for a good bond with Steve Swell, an accomplished trombonist with lifelong roots in New York. On Friday at 10 p.m. they tussle with a rhythm section consisting of Sean Conly on bass and Chad Taylor on drums; on Saturday at 10 p.m. Mr. Vandermark works in a duo with Mr. Taylor, his fellow Chicagoan. At the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)
