Day: August 26, 2011

From NYTimes.com:

Mark Dresser Trio (Saturday) A master of abstract texture and extended techniques, the bassist Mark Dresser leads a trio with two like-minded partners, the soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom and the drummer Tom Rainey. At 8 and 10 p.m., University of the Streets, 130 East Seventh Street, second floor, East Village, (212) 254-9300, universityofthestreets.org; $15. (Chinen)

John Hébert’s Rambling Confessions (Thursday) Mr. Hébert, a bassist of expansive sideman experience, presents a group with a discursive name but a promising lineup: Jen Shyu on vocals, Andy Milne on piano and Billy Drummond on drums. Loosely configured as a nod to the jazz singer Carmen McRae, the group will serve up Mr. Hébert’s take on standards. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; $10 cover, with a $7 minimum. (Chinen)

Darius Jones Quartet / Matt Mitchell and Dan Weiss (Tuesday) This latest installment of the progressive Konceptions series showcases the alto saxophonist Darius Jones with his quartet, exploring a robust and personal take on post-1960s free jazz, at 10:30 p.m. An earlier set, at 9 p.m., will feature Mr. Mitchell, a pianist, and Mr. Weiss, a drummer, in knotty duologue, pursuing an agenda both spontaneous and intricately spun. At Korzo, 667 Fifth Avenue, at 20th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 285-9425, eurotripbrooklyn.com, myspace.com/konceptions; $10 suggested donation per set. (Chinen)

Medeski Martin & Wood With Cyro Baptista (Friday) Medeski Martin & Wood — the shrewd and unsinkable groove band, now celebrating its 10th year — closes out a monthlong Whitney Museum residency with an exuberant clatter, courtesy of Mr. Baptista, a winningly kinetic percussionist originally from Brazil. In an opening set, DJ Logic, who was briefly a satellite member of the band, spins in collaboration with a rotating cast of players. At 7 p.m., Whitney Museum of American Art, (212) 570-3600, whitney.org; free with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m.; there are no special tickets or reservations. (Chinen)

Paul Motian’s New Trio (Tuesday through Thursday) Mr. Motian, the incorrigibly cryptic drummer and composer, holds court in the Village Vanguard a few times a year, usually with some version of a working band. The title of this trio, with Jerome Sabbagh on saxophones and Ben Monder on guitar, should clue you in: It’s a new proposition, a blank slate. There is, however, a shred of precedent — in Mr. Sabbagh’s recent gigs featuring the same personnel and, perhaps, in the glorious band Mr. Motian has led for many years, featuring a different saxophonist (Joe Lovano) and guitarist (Bill Frisell). There is, of course, only one way to find out. (Through Sept. 4.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen)

Pi Recordings at the Stone (Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday) The adventurous and often stylish label Pi Recordings has programmed the latter half of August at the Stone, featuring artists on its roster or one degree of separation away. Among the highlights in this final stretch are a set by the young pianist David Virelles and his project Continuum, with the drummer Andrew Cyrille and the multireedist Henry Threadgill, on Sunday at 8 p.m.; two performances by the trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, on Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 10 p.m.; and one solo set apiece on Wednesday by the vocalist Jen Shyu (at 8 p.m.) and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey (at 10 p.m.). The Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10 per set, $5 for students 16-19. (Chinen)

Jen Shyu (Monday) Ms. Shyu, a vocalist well accustomed to experimental tensions, has a compellingly sparse new album, “Synastry” (Pi), made with the bassist Mark Dresser. Here she works with a larger canvas: “Raging Waters, Red Sands” is her interdisciplinary piece for an ensemble that includes spoken-word and dance elements, along with Ivan Barenboim on clarinet, Mat Maneri on viola, Chris Dingman on vibraphone and Ches Smith on drums. At 8 p.m., University of the Streets, 130 East Seventh Street, second floor, East Village, (212) 254-9300, universityofthestreets.org; $10. (Chinen)

Related articles

• Jazz Listings for Aug. 19-25 (nytimes.com)
• Jazz Listings July 15- 21 (nytimes.com)

Lukas Ligeti will tour parts of the US this fall.

9/16 + 9/17 Globalquerque Festival, Albuquerque, NM
9/21 Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA
9/23 Dore Theatre, California State University, Bakersfield, CA
9/24 Angel City Jazz Festival w/ DJ SPOOKY, Los Angeles, CA
9/30 Williams College, Williamstown, MA
10/2 Farafina, New York City, NY

Led by renowned composer/percussionist Lukas Ligeti, Burkina Electric is the first electronic music group from Burkina Faso, in the deep interior of West Africa. Based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, it is, at the same time, an international band, with members living in New York, U.S.A. and Düsseldorf, Germany, as well as in Ouaga. Burkina Electric’s music combines the traditions and rhythms of Burkina Faso with contemporary electronic dance culture, making it a trailblazer in electronic world music. A diverse and talented group consisting of four musicians and two dancers, they collectively participate in the creative process and represent disparate musical genres and sounds from across the globe.