From the New York Times:
BROOKLYN QAWWALI PARTY (Tomorrow) The Sufi devotional music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan provides a repertory mandate for this ensemble, led by the trumpeter Jesse Neuman. Faithful to its source mainly in terms of exuberance, the group creates a roiling polyphony of percussion, saxophones, brass, bass, harmonium and guitar. At 9 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10.
EXPLODING HEART/EXPLORATIONS (Tomorrow) Explosion and exploration are sure to be closely related processes in both these ad hoc ensembles. Exploding Heart consists of Tony Malaby on saxophones, William Parker on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums; Explorations features the alto saxophonist Matana Roberts and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)
FIVE OF A KIND (Tuesday) This collaborative quintet, which makes its debut here, features ambitious musician-composers with a shared interest in world music: the trumpeter Avishai Cohen, the saxophonist Joel Frahm, the pianist Jason Lindner, the bassist Omer Avital and the drummer Johnathan Blake. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen)
MARY HALVORSON AND JESSICA PAVONE (Wednesday) Ms. Halvorson plays acoustic guitar in this duo, and Ms. Pavone plays viola. Their experimental instincts, honed by an affiliation with the composer Anthony Braxton, commingle with folksy lyricism; they even sing, without a shred of protective irony. At 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10.
OREGON (Tonight through Sunday night) This influential and worldly ensemble, formed more than 35 years ago, has continued making its distinctive light fusion over the years, sometimes in orchestral settings. Its lineup features the guitarist Ralph Towner, the bassist Glen Moore and the woodwind player Paul McCandless — all founding members — along with the drummer Mark Walker. At 8:30 and 10:30, with a midnight set tonight and tomorrow, Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $30, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen)
★ SCULPTURED SOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL (Sunday) This avant-garde concert series, organized by the bassist Reggie Workman, continues with performances by three powerful ensembles: a trio led by the intense alto saxophonist and pianist Charles Gayle; Billy Harper and Friends, a project of Mr. Harper, a searching tenor saxophonist; and Ashanti’s Message, led by Mr. Workman and featuring the multireedist J. D. Parran, the pianist Yayoi Ikawa and the percussionists Tyshawn Sorey and Kevin Jones. At 7 p.m., St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 619 Lexington Avenue, at 54th Street, (212) 642-5277, sculpturedsounds.com; suggested donation, $20. (Chinen)
SEX MOB (Tonight) Fresh off a Grammy nomination for its album “Sexotica†(Thirsty Ear), this scrappy downtown band returns to its home turf. The slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein leads the charge, but equal weight is pulled by Briggan Krauss on alto saxophone, Tony Scherr on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. At 8, Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street, near Delancey Street, Lower East Side, (212) 358-7501, tonicnyc.com; cover, $12. (Chinen)
MARK TAYLOR QUARTET (Wednesday) Mr. Taylor’s French horn playing has been heard in avant-garde ensembles led by the august composers Henry Threadgill and Muhal Richard Abrams. His own material is fodder for this group, which features two strong reed players, Marty Ehrlich and Michaël Attias. At 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10.
TIM ZIESMER’S AMPERSAND (Wednesday) The guitarist Tim Ziesmer features his own rock-influenced compositions in this mutable band, featuring Chris Speed on tenor saxophone, Drew Gress on bass and Take Toriyama on drums. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 donation. (Chinen)
