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Edgefest 2009

This year’s Edgefest takes place late next month in Ann Arbor.

SCHEDULE: Edgefest 2009 (subject to change)
Wednesday:
7PM KCH: Jason Stein’s Locksmith Isidore
9:30PM KCH: Roscoe Mitchell and Thomas Buckner

Thursday:
8PM KCH: Tomas Ulrich’s Cargo Cult
10PM KCH: Positive Knowledge

Friday:
8PM KCH: Gravitas
10PM KCH: 4 Altos and Third Man Trio

Saturday:
2PM KCH: Conspiracy Winds Ensemble
4PM KCH: Yuganaut with Roscoe Mitchell
7PM KCH: Brad Shepik’s Human Activity Quintet
9PM Place TBA: Reeding-The Riot Act
10:30PM KCH: Hamster Theatre

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Eli Keszler & Ashley Paul at Metropolis 8/10

From Syracuse’s New Thing Productions:

August 10th @ 8pm
Eli Keszler & Ashley Paul
$5-$10 Donation
Metropolis Underground
615 S. Main St (backside of bldg, first door on your left)
N. Syracuse, NY 13212

Eli Keszler, using drums, along with crotales, bells, bowed metal, strings, Eli creates a unique whirlwind of sound that balances sparse droning harmonics with intense, fast, free rhythms. He has performed, recorded or collaborated with artists such as Jandek, Phill Niblock (performed a new work of his for bowed crotales and saxophone), Roscoe Mitchell, Loren Connors, Charles Cohen, Anthony Coleman (appearing on his New World Records Release), Aki Onda, Bryan Eubanks, David Linton, Steve Pyne (Redhorse), Greg Kelley, Ashley Paul. Eli has performed at venues like The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Irving Plaza, Merkin Hall, Issue Project Room, The Stone and The Knitting Factory (NYC and LA), and countless bookstores, basements, and small galleries around the US and Europe. He has released solo CD’s and cassettes on REL as well as labels such as Rare Youth (debut solo LP, Livingston), Reverb Worship and Something on The Road.

Ashley Paul plays reeds, unique string instruments, electronics and sings. Her dream-like music juxtaposes aggressive, sustained high pitched blasts, floating vocals, clattering strings and bells, cry- like saxophones and is somehow tied together by oddly melodic songs. In the past year she performed with Loren connors, Aki Onda, Joe Morris, and Greg Kelley, premiered a new work by Phill Niblock for soprano saxophone and bowed crotales (written for her and Eli Keszler), performed as part of the US premiere of Mauricio Kagel’s masterpiece ‘Der Schall’ at Merkin Concert Hall in New York and was heard in a live feature on wzbc’s Rare Frequency. Additionally, Ashley performs regularly with Anthony Coleman in duo, trio and on his recent New World Records release, plays duo with Eli Keszler and has recently begun performing solo, sharing the stage with Thurston Moore, Mats Gustaffson, Chris Corsano and others.
http://www.myspace.com/elikeszler

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New Thing Productions in July and August

The latest schedule from Syracuse’s New Thing Productions:

July 24th @ 8pm
Andrew Lamb Solo
$5-$10 Donation

Andrew Lamb (Saxophones, Flutes, Woodwinds) Born in Ingold, North Carolina and grew up in Chicago and predominately in South Jamaica, Queens. Having studied with AACM charter member Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Lamb came into New York’s “avant – garde’ community during the 1970’s at the height of New York’s legendary ‘Loft Jazz scene”, and as time progressed, was to become an active presence in the vibrant Bedford – Stuyvesant arts world at that time, becoming the recipient of several consecutive, and highly competitive Brooklyn Arts Council grant awards.

Andrew Lamb and his ensembles remain a regular presence both domestically and internationally, frequently playing the annual Vision Festival (New York City) which began in 1996. Andrew Lamb has also taken part in the Composer’s Workshop Ensemble, Alan Silva Sound Vision Orchestra, Cecil Taylor Vision Orchestra, Roy Campbell Ensemble, and several other big band projects. Lamb is also the member of an exciting trio collaboration with AACM affiliated drummer Alvin Fielder and pianist Chris Parker known as M41 which also has a highly regarded recording entitled M41. In ’04, The Henry Grimes Trio with Andrew Lamb and Newman Baker, was named “Best Jazz Trio” by NY Press in it’s “Best Of Manhattan” issue. That trio also played in Berlin, Germany Edgefest (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and The Hothouse, Chicago in ’05.

Andrew Lamb’s music rises out of the African – American church, blues, and jazz traditions, and is deeply spiritual, profoundly emotional, and easily accessible to all who hear him, wrote Steven Loewy for “All Music Guide” Andrew Lamb is a serious musician seeking to uplift his soul through art, and like John Coltrane and his progeny, Lamb’s vehicle is the psalm-like expression of his tenor saxophone. The results reflect his quest, testifying to his musical abilities, enormous potential, and depth of character”

In the year 1994, lamb was signed to a recording contract by Chicago’s famed Delmark record company to make his first recording as a leader, “Portrait In the Mist” which reached critical acclaim being listed among the best albums of the year in the Jazz Times 1995 critics poll, while bringing light to Lamb’s compositional prowess, and featuring Percussionist/vibraphonist Warren Smith, bassist Wilber Morris and drummer/percussionist Andrei Strobert. Andrew Lamb has since recorded in both duo and trio settings.

Andrew will be performing solo as well as a set with Michael Hentz & Mike ((P))

July 26th @ 8pm
Henry Gale, Stone Baby, Torus
$5-$10 Donation

“We’re suckers for a good Lost reference, so when we stumbled across a band named Henry Gale while skipping through the fields of MySpace, we approached their music with the same cautious optimism any Lost fan accords another on first meeting. It paid off: these guys are good. Like many post-rock bands, Henry Gale (an instrumental four-piece specializing in post-rocky bombast à la Explosions in the Sky or our own Common Cold) just love guitars that veer between twinkling loopage and soaring textures. Unlike many post-rock bands, they don’t take forever getting to the part that rocks, they do it from the get-go.” – Michael Brodeur, The Boston Phoenix

August 1st @ 8pm
Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone
$5-$10 Donation

Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone have collectively been featured in The New York Times, Jazz Review, The Wire, Time Out New York, Time Out Chicago, The New York Press, Jazztimes, All About Jazz, BBC and Downbeat. From the collaborative minds and nimble fingers of Mary Halvorson (Guitar, Vocals) and Jessica Pavone (Viola, Vocals) come a minimalist rendering of emotions and themes, performed with stark clarity and introspection. Touring in support of their new Thirsty Ear CD Thin Air: “Thin Air” is a presentation involving their vast talents as musicians, vocalists and poets. Their lyrics borrow from themes relating to everything from human relationships and travelling to more abstract and intangible elements. These melodies are offered in a sparse yet effervescent style that make the listener feel as though they are sitting right next to them, much like an impromptu coffeehouse performance. Both intimate and forward thinking, this release is a true example of the power of thought, through a unique blending of avant folk with jazz underpinnings.

August 10th @ 8pm
Eli Keszler & Ashley Paul
$5-$10 Donation

Eli Keszler, using drums, along with crotales, bells, bowed metal, strings, Eli creates a unique whirlwind of sound that balances sparse droning harmonics with intense, fast, free rhythms. He has performed, recorded or collaborated with artists such as Jandek, Phill Niblock (performed a new work of his for bowed crotales and saxophone), Roscoe Mitchell, Loren Connors, Charles Cohen, Anthony Coleman (appearing on his New World Records Release), Aki Onda, Bryan Eubanks, David Linton, Steve Pyne (Redhorse), Greg Kelley, Ashley Paul. Eli has performed at venues like The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Irving Plaza, Merkin Hall, Issue Project Room, The Stone and The Knitting Factory (NYC and LA), and countless bookstores, basements, and small galleries around the US and Europe. He has released solo CD’s and cassettes on REL as well as labels such as Rare Youth (debut solo LP, Livingston), Reverb Worship and Something on The Road.

Ashley Paul plays reeds, unique string instruments, electronics and sings. Her dream-like music juxtaposes aggressive, sustained high pitched blasts, floating vocals, clattering strings and bells, cry-like saxophones and is somehow tied together by oddly melodic songs. In the past year she performed with Loren connors, Aki Onda, Joe Morris, and Greg Kelley, premiered a new work by Phill Niblock for soprano saxophone and bowed crotales (written for her and Eli Keszler), performed as part of the US premiere of Mauricio Kagel’s masterpiece ‘Der Schall’ at Merkin Concert Hall in New York and was heard in a live feature on wzbc’s Rare Frequency. Additionally, Ashley performs regularly with Anthony Coleman in duo, trio and on his recent New World Records release, plays duo with Eli Keszler and has recently begun performing solo, sharing the stage with Thurston Moore, Mats Gustaffson, Chris Corsano and others.

ALL OF THESE GIGS ARE AT:
Metropolis Underground
615 S. Main St (backside of bldg, first door on your left)
N. Syracuse, NY 13212

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Eli Keszler, Ashley Paul, Silvum at Sonic Circuits

From DC’s Sonic Circuits:

Tuesday July 7
Doors 730pm Music 8pm SHARP
$7
PYRAMID ATLANTIC
8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910
301.608.9101
located three blocks south of the silver spring metro station (red line)
Free parking in gated lot out front
DIRECTIONS: http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org
INFO: dc-soniccircuits.org

Eli Keszler

Using drums, along with crotales, bells, bowed metal, strings, Eli creates a unique whirlwind of sound that balances sparse droning harmonics with intense, fast, free rhythms. He has performed, recorded or collaborated with artists such as Jandek, Phill Niblock (performed a new work of his for bowed crotales and saxophone), Roscoe Mitchell, Loren Connors, Charles Cohen, Anthony Coleman (appearing on his New World Records Release), Aki Onda, Bryan Eubanks, David Linton, Steve Pyne (Redhorse), Greg Kelley, Ashley Paul. Eli has performed at venues like The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Irving Plaza, Merkin Hall, Issue Project Room, The Stone and The Knitting Factory (NYC and LA), and countless bookstores, basements, and small galleries around the US and Europe. He has released solo CD’s and cassettes on REL as well as labels such as Rare Youth (debut solo LP, Livingston), Reverb Worship and Something on The Road.

Ashley Paul

Ashley Paul plays reeds, unique string instruments, electronics and sings. Her dream-like music juxtaposes aggressive, sustained high pitched blasts, floating vocals, clattering strings and bells, cry-like saxophones and is somehow tied together by oddly melodic songs. In the past year she performed with Loren connors, Aki Onda, Joe Morris, and Greg Kelley, premiered a new work by Phill Niblock for soprano saxophone and bowed crotales (written for her and Eli Keszler), performed as part of the US premiere of Mauricio Kagel’s masterpiece ‘Der Schall’ at Merkin Concert Hall in New York and was heard in a live feature on wzbc’s Rare Frequency. Additionally, Ashley performs regularly with Anthony Coleman in duo, trio and on his recent New World Records release, plays duo with Eli Keszler and has recently begun performing solo, sharing the stage with Thurston Moore, Mats Gustaffson, Chris Corsano and others.

links/sounds: http://www.myspace.com/elikeszler http://www.myspace.com/ashleygpaul http://www.relrecords.net/catalogue.html http://www.relrecords.net http://www.myspace.com/elikeszler

Silvum

“I’m always trying to focus and clarify where I am going with my sound works to generate the most honest creations possible. Like anyone, I am inevitably influenced by many things (to view that as negative is utopian), but never want those influences to overcome my expression. In the spectrum of my goals, there’s no point in recreating what has already been done (I have no problem with stylistic explorations of established styles or approaches in other artists / genres), and I am always realizing that my works can be easily classified (I’m not destroying any boundaries). While sound revolution is not the point, I do want to create something as “true” and refined as possible, something that is me, or more practically a part of me: a mood a sensation, a memory. An alchemy where I take the standard elements and generate something unique.”

http://www.myspace.com/silvum

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Jazz Listings From the New York Times

Cover of "On the Corner"
Cover of On the Corner

From NYTimes.com:

MILES DAVIS’S ON THE CORNER (Monday) Released in 1972, “On the Corner” was Miles Davis’s attempt to reconnect with a young African-American fan base. This tribute includes the saxophonist Dave Liebman, an alumnus of the original sessions, as well as a crew seemingly inclined to emphasize the album’s avant-garde undercurrents, including the pianist Karl Berger and the trumpeter Graham Haynes. At 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan, (212) 501-3330, kaufman-center.org; $30; $20 for members. (Chinen)

ANGEL OV DEATH (Wednesday) If the name suggests a hardcore band rather than a jazz trio, relax; that’s precisely what its members want you to think. In fact, the group dynamic of the multireedist Andrew D’Angelo, the keyboardist Jamie Saft and the drummer Mike Pride is informed as much by post-bop protocols as by post-punk dynamics. At 9 p.m., Zebulon, 258 Wythe Avenue, near Third Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 218-6934, zebuloncafeconcert.com; no cover. (Nate Chinen)20090521

CONLY/ATTIAS/MCPHERSON (Monday) This exploratory trio features the collective efforts of the stalwart bassist Sean Conly, the inquisitive alto and baritone saxophonist Michaël Attias and the deftly propulsive drummer Eric McPherson. At 9:30 p.m., Royale, 506 Fifth Avenue, between 12th and 13th Streets, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 840-0089, myspace.com/michaelattias; $5 suggested donation, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen)20090521

KRIS DAVIS TRIO (Wednesday) In her piano playing as well as in her composing, Kris Davis favors a sparkling restlessness, often skirting chaos but rarely succumbing to it. This trio relies on her rapport with the bassist John Hébert and the drummer Tom Rainey. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, near Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 suggested donation. (Chinen)20090521

MICHAEL MUSILLAMI TRIO +3 (Sunday) Michael Musillami, a guitarist firmly entrenched in the contemporary avant-garde, celebrates the release of “From Seeds” (Playscape), an album featuring not only his working trio but also the trumpeter Ralph Alessi, the multireedist Marty Ehrlich and the vibraphonist Matt Moran, who all regroup here. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a two-drink minimum. (Chinen)20090521

WADADA LEO SMITH/GRAHAM HAYNES (Saturday) Mr. Smith, a trumpeter, and Mr. Haynes, a cornetist, hail from different generations but share a fondness for textural tensions. In this double bill Mr. Smith leads his excellent Golden Quartet, with the pianist Vijay Iyer, the bassist John Lindberg and the drummer Pheeroan akLaff; Mr. Haynes works with Hardedge, an electronic sound designer. At 8:30 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $25 in advance; $30 day of show; $20 for members. (Chinen)20090521

JESSE STACKEN TRIO (Friday) On “That That” (Fresh Sound New Talent), a recent album, the pianist Jesse Stacken presents a program of original pieces showcasing his slippery rapport with the bassist Eivind Opsvik and the drummer Jeff Davis, who rejoin him here. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a $7 minimum. (Chinen)20090521

CECIL TAYLOR (Thursday) At 80, Mr. Taylor is an elder statesman by any measure, and his music has continued to bedazzle, growing more luminous but no less rigorous in recent years. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenotejazz.com; $35 at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)20090521

NATE WOOLEY (Tuesday) Nate Wooley is a trumpeter who favors restlessness and tension; he works here with a smart ensemble featuring Josh Sinton on bass clarinet, Matt Moran on vibraphone, John Hebert on bass and Harris Eisenstadt on drums. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10.

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John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ Live, With Strings

From NPR Music:

A Love Supreme, by John Coltrane and his powerful quartet, remains a towering and seemingly untouchable jazz classic. But the virtuosic genre-benders in the Turtle Island Quartet have done it justice, re-working the seminal album for strings and winning a Grammy for their trouble. They recently performed a live version, captured live for JazzSet, at the Merkin Concert Hall in New York City.

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Bang on a Can All-Stars – The Audience Calls the Tune

The Times reports how fan funding is allowing Band on a Can to play works of young composers.

When concertgoers think about how music is commissioned, they tend to consider it other people’s business: somehow the money is raised to pay for the works, and presumably the musicians decide what composers to invite. But the composers who run Bang on a Can, the new-music organization, decided that it would be good for the audience to have a stake in the creation of new pieces, and in 1997 they established the People’s Commissioning Fund — a grassroots project through which listeners could make donations toward commissioning works from young composers.

The resulting scores are performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars in an annual People’s Commissioning Fund concert that is also part of the New Sounds Live series at Merkin Concert Hall.

The composers who benefited from this populist largesse this year were Lok Yin Tang and Kate Moore, whose works were played on Thursday evening.

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Jazz Listings From The New York Times

From the Times:

A BODY WITHOUT ORGANS (Sunday) This metaphysically named series, held every other Sunday in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, reflects the rugged ideals of its organizer, the drummer Mike Pride. In the later sets here, at 10 and 11 p.m., he leads a quartet called From Bacteria to Boys; an earlier set, at 9, features a trio led by the guitarist Jonathan Goldberger, with Briggan Krauss on saxophones and Andrew Drury on drums. CoCo 66, 66 Greenpoint Avenue, (718) 389-7392, coco66.com; cover, $6. (Chinen)20090402

TREVOR DUNN’S PROOF READERS (Thursday) Trevor Dunn, a bassist with one foot planted in experimental rock, takes a repertory approach with Proof Readers, his quartet with the trumpeter Nate Wooley, the saxophonist Darius Jones and the drummer Ryan Sawyer. The band takes a look at music by the free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman — with the closest of scrutiny, of course. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. 20090402

? JUXTAPOSITIONS IN JAZZ (Saturday) This promising double bill, presented in the name of juxtaposition, finds the flutist Jamie Baum leading her septet in a performance of “Ives’ Suite,” which she wrote under the influence of Charles Ives. The other half of the ticket features the Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, working with a dynamic American rhythm section: Craig Taborn on keyboards, Thomas Morgan on bass and Jim Black on drums. At 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan, (212) 501-3340, kaufman-center.org; $30. (Chinen)20090402

DONNY MCCASLIN GROUP (Thursday) On his recent albums Donny McCaslin has applied his assertive tenor saxophone style to Latin American-inspired fusions. He does that here with expert help: the guitarist Ben Monder, the bassist Hans Glawischnig and the drummer Adam Cruz. At 10 p.m., 55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 929-9883, 55bar.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)20090402

JOE MORRIS ENSEMBLE (Friday) Joe Morris, a guitarist who applies the clear tone of Jim Hall to darker and pricklier purposes, has close history with both of his band mates here: the pianist Steve Lantner and the drummer Luther Gray. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)20090402

EIVIND OPSVIK OVERSEAS (Monday) Eivind Opsvik is a bassist with an experimental streak but also a deep connection to melody, as he demonstrates with this working band, which includes Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone, Jacob Sacks on keyboards and Kenny Wollesen on drums. (The group will perform at Nublu every Monday in April.) From 9 to 11 p.m., Nublu, 62 Avenue C, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, East Village, nublu.net; free before 10 p.m.; $5 after. (Chinen)20090402

? RHYTHM IN THE KITCHEN MUSIC FESTIVAL (Friday and Saturday) The fourth annual edition of this avant-garde festival, presented by the Hell’s Kitchen Cultural Center, rolls along on Friday with sets by ok|ok, an improvising collective (at 8 p.m.); a quartet led by the pianist Connie Crothers (at 9); Duology, featuring Michael Marcus on reeds and Ted Daniel on trumpet (at 10); and Morcilla, led by the trumpeter Matt Lavelle (at 11). Among the highlights on Saturday’s lineup are the William Hooker Trio, with DJ Olive (at 10), and a trio with the pianist Angelica Sanchez, the saxophonist Tony Malaby and the drummer Tom Rainey (at 11). Church for All Nations, 417 West 57th Street, Clinton, (212) 333-5583, hkculturalcenter.org; $15; $35 for a full festival pass (Chinen)20090402

? OMAR SOSA/JENNY SCHEINMAN (Tuesday through Thursday) Mr. Sosa, a Cuban pianist, and Ms. Scheinman, a violinist from Northern California, suggest strikingly different varieties of jazz rusticity but share a commitment to clarity in their music. Mr. Sosa is celebrating the release of an ambitious concept album, “Across the Divide: A Tale of Rhythm & Ancestry” (Half Note), with a group that includes saxophone and banjo. Ms. Scheinman, playing and singing, leads a trio with two flinty guitarists, Nels Cline and Steve Cardenas. (Through April 12.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $30 at tables; $20 at the bar; with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)20090402

? TAMARINDO (Tuesday) Free improvisation, often strenuous and unbridled, is the chief methodology on “Tamarindo” (Clean Feed), a recent release by the tenor and soprano saxophonist Tony Malaby. The album features the same alert and inventive rhythm team that appears here: William Parker on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. At 8 and 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)20090402

SACO YASUMA’S YOIN’ — UNIT OF SEVEN (Wednesday) Ms. Yasuma, a saxophonist and composer, combines the folk melodies of her native Japan with elements of African music and the protocols of avant-garde jazz. Her ensemble includes the violist Jason Kao Hwang, the trombonist Steve Swell and the bassist Ken Filiano, as well as the flutist and taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe. At 8:30 p.m., Roulette, 20 Greene Street, between Canal and Grand Streets, SoHo, (212) 219-8242, roulette.org; $15; $10 for students and under 30; free for members. (Chinen)

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Jazz Listings From The New York Times

In the Times:

ERIK FRIEDLANDER’S BROKEN ARM TRIO (Friday) “Broken Arm Trio” (Skipstone), the most recent album by the cellist Erik Friedlander, trafficks in a boppish cadence suitable for nimble fingerpicking. Along with his trio partners — the bassist Trevor Dunn and the drummer Mike Sarin, both aboard here — Mr. Friedlander manages to create an effervescent small-group jazz, shot through with wit and soul. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (347) 422-0248, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10.20090326

HENRY GRIMES AND MARC RIBOT (Friday) Mr. Grimes, a bassist and long-lost titan of the avant-garde, has jibed well in the past with Mr. Ribot, a vagabond poet on the guitar — but most often in group settings. Here they pare down to a conversational exchange, which just might be the best way to expose their rapport. At 7 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea, (212) 620-5000, rmanyc.org; $20. (Chinen)20090326

RHYTHM IN THE KITCHEN MUSIC FESTIVAL (Thursday) The fourth annual edition of this avant-garde festival, presented by the Hell’s Kitchen Cultural Center, kicks off with an exploratory trio led by the guitarist Amanda Monaco (at 8 p.m.); a set by the collective quartet known as Little Women (at 9); and a duet by the multireedist Joe McPhee and the guitarist Bern Nix, both prominent figures in the avant-garde (at 10). (Through April 4.) At Church for All Nations, 417 West 57th Street, Clinton, (212) 333-5583, hkculturalcenter.org; $15; $35 for a full festival pass. (Chinen)20090326

BRAD SHEPIK GROUP (Saturday) “Human Activity Suite” (Songlines), the absorbingly eclectic new album by the guitarist Brad Shepik, harnesses folk traditions from across the world to make a light-handed statement about global warming. Reconvening the album’s excellent cast here, he connects with Ralph Alessi on trumpet; Gary Versace on piano, organ and accordion; Drew Gress on bass; and Tom Rainey on drums. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen)20090326

CECIL TAYLOR SPEAKS VOLUMES (Saturday) At 80, Mr. Taylor is an elder statesman by any measure, and his music has continued to bedazzle, growing more luminous but no less rigorous in recent years. His solo recitals — whorls of inimitable pianism, notated as well as freely improvised — are legendary. For this one, part of the Musically Speaking series at Merkin Concert Hall, he will also engage in discourse about his music. (That’s the idea, anyway.) At 8 p.m. Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan, (212) 501-3330, kaufman-center.org; $25; $20 for members. (Chinen)

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