Source: The New York Times.
Steve Coleman at the Vanguard (Tuesday through Nov. 15) The alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman has long been an indefatigable outlier in jazz, engaged in esoteric but vital work on the margins. Early in his career, he was a regular at the Village Vanguard, as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra — but this will be his overdue debut as a bandleader. He’s bringing several interrelated projects, starting on Tuesday and Wednesday with Natal Eclipse, a chamber group whose ranks include the trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, the violinist Kristin Lee, the pianist Crag Taborn and the vocalist Jen Shyu. On Thursday he leads his flagship band, Five Elements, which includes Mr. Finlayson and the guitarist Miles Okazaki. At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, 212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com. (Chinen)
Vijay Iyer — ‘Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dream Project’(Thursday) Mr. Iyer, a pianist and composer, has had a long-running collaboration with the poet Mike Ladd, and in “Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dreams Project,” they find a potent channel for their sharp sociopolitical critique. Organized around a series of interviews with minority soldiers, it’s an engrossing multimedia work that explores the subconscious, national and personal identity, and the tensions between duty and conscience. At 7:30 p.m., Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org/tickets. (Chinen)
Mostly Other People Do the Killing(Wednesday) “Mauch Chunk” is the new album by this insurrectionist free-bop band, which has been whittled down from a quintet to a quartet. Its lineup, still led by the bassist Moppa Elliott, also features Jon Irabagon on saxophones, Ron Stabinsky on piano and Kevin Shea on drums. At 8 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, 212-989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com. (Chinen)
Mario Pavone 75th Birthday Celebration(Saturday) Mr. Pavone, a resourcefully exploratory bassist and composer, has created a range of sturdy, scintillating work for trio, quartet and larger formats under the banner of Arc music. Here, in advance of his 75th birthday, he connects with Dave Ballou on trumpet, Oscar Noriega on clarinets and Devin Gray on drums. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, 212 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com. (Chinen)
Threadgill, Iyer and Prieto(Friday and Saturday) This special confab, presented as part of the Jazz Gallery’s 20th anniversary celebration, features several prominent composer-bandleaders with a flair for experiments in timbre and pulse. The multi-reedist Henry Threadgill, a charter member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, is the elder statesman of the group, still fearlessly pushing; the drummer Dafnis Prieto, originally from Cuba, is a distinguished former sideman of his. And the pianist Vijay Iyer is a fount of rhythmic dynamism, capable of bringing hard gravity to even the most abstract group interactions. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., 1160 Broadway, fifth floor, at West 27th Street, 646-494-3625, jazzgallery.org. (Chinen)
John Zorn at the Vanguard(through Sunday) One of the least expected new staples at the Village Vanguard has been John Zorn, the avant-garde composer, alto saxophonist and provocateur. But this will be his third headlining engagement at the club in 18 months. On Friday he leads the Dreamers; for the early set on Saturday he presents a quartet with Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Bill Laswell on bass and Milford Graves on drums. He’ll preside over (but perhaps not perform in) a group called Asmodeus, which plays the late set on Saturday and the early set on Sunday. Closing out the run is Simulacrum, featuring the keyboardist John Medeski. At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, 212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com. (Chinen)
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