Jazz in NYC this weekend from the New York Times:
RAOUL BJORKENHEIM, WILLIAM PARKER, HAMID DRAKE (Tuesday) Mr. Bjorkenheim, a disciplined guitarist with a fondness for scabrous noise, joins forces with the stalwart team of Mr. Parker and Mr. Drake on bass and drums. At 8 and 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $15. (Chinen)
CHRIS BOTTI (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) Mr. Botti is a trumpeter whose photogenic style and brooding sensuality suit current notions of the standard songbook as a lifestyle accessory. But his low-gloss polish is generally likable, and he tends to stretch out with his first-rate band. (Through Dec. 31.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $50 to $60 at tables, $30 to $35 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)
URI CAINE (Tonight) This stylistically broad-minded pianist imbues his solo outings with percussive athleticism and mischievous wit. At 7, Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea, (212) 620-5000, Ext. 344, rmanyc.org; $20. (Chinen)
NELS CLINE AND ZEENA PARKINS (Thursday) Fans of the rock band Wilco may recognize Mr. Cline as its lead guitarist; fans of the pop queen Bjork may recall Ms. Parkins as her featured harpist. But these two musicians are attentive improvisers first and foremost, as they will demonstrate first in a mostly acoustic vein (at 8) and then with full amplification (at 10). At 8 and 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $15. (Chinen)
MARILYN CRISPELL AND TISZJI MUNOZ (Tomorrow) Ms. Crispell, a pianist equally celebrated for aggressive atonality and delicate lyricism, teams with Mr. Munoz, a cosmically attuned guitarist. After an intimate first set, they will welcome the bassist Don Pate and the drummer Bob Moses. At 8 and 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $15. (Chinen)
GOLD SPARKLE XMAS MAGIC SHOW (Tonight) Gold Sparkle Band, a Boston-based avant-garde outfit led by the multi-reedist Charles Waters, enlists a handful of guests in this holiday ramble, which will feature pieces like “We Free Kings.†At 8, Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street, Lower East Side, (212) 358-7501, tonicnyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)
★ JOËLLE LÉANDRE (Tonight) Ms. Léandre, a bassist of high repute in European free-improvisational circles, plays an early set with the percussionist Kevin Norton; her late set will feature the trumpeter Roy Campbell, the violist and violinist Mat Maneri and the pianist Marilyn Crispell. At 8 and 10, the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $15.
(Chinen)★ HAROLD MABERN (Tonight and tomorrow night) Hard bop and Memphis soul are inextricable in the ensemble music of Mr. Mabern, who plays several Christmas-themed sets with the supportive bassist John Webber and the legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb. At 8, 10 and 11:30, Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com; cover, $25. (Chinen)
REUBEN RADDING TRIO (Wednesday) Last year the bassist Reuben Radding released an album called “Intersections†(Pine Ear) featuring his 12-tone compositions for chamber trio. He revisits that material with the clarinetist and saxophonist Matt Bauder and the vibraphonist Matt Moran. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $8. (Chinen)
ANGELICA SANCHEZ QUARTET (Tonight) In her piano playing as well as her compositions Angelica Sanchez seeks out the lyrical heartbeat within any avant-garde storm. She has ideal partners in the tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby, the bassist Drew Gress and the drummer Tom Rainey. At 9 and 10:30, Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen)
JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT/STEVE SWELL GROUP (Tuesday) Mr. Shurdut, a guitarist and composer rooted in free jazz, leads a clangorous group called Finally! Total Unity; Mr. Swell, an avant-garde trombonist, teams up with his fellow veterans Hill Greene on bass and Barry Altschul on drums. At 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street, Lower East Side, (212) 358-7501, tonicnyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)
