Fri. May 20 -- Behold the return of the comical big-thud Teutonic heavyweights: Rammstein. At the Forum, 3900 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood 90305; $64-$97; www.ticketmaster.com.
Fri. May 20 -- Veteran pianist Jon Mayer lays out the bebop in the relaxed, easy-flowing tradition with his trio. At LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90036; 6-8pm; FREE; Friday summer jazz schedule here.
Fri. May 20 -- Vibesman Nick Mancini leads a melodic modern quartet with an intellectual twist featuring windman Katisse Buckingham, bassist John Tegmeyer and drummer Hamilton Price. At the Blue Whale on the third floor of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $10; validated parking underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. May 21 -- Younger pianist Richard Sears shows the bones of his fine compositions with bassist Matt Cory and drummer Zach Harmon. At the Foundry on Melrose, 7465 Melrose Ave., LA 90046; 9pm-midnight; no cover; (323) 651-0915; www.thefoundryonmelrose.com.
Sat. May 21 -- Why not have a Tribute to Clifford Brown, when every trumpeter you ask lists his burnished bop as an influence? And when The Luckman Jazz Orchestra led by Charles Owens is doing the interpreting, you know it's gonna be more than just reverent. At Cal State L.A.’s Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 5151 State University Drive, L.A. 90032; 8:30pm; $25-$35; (323) 343-6600; www.luckmanarts.org.
Sat.-Sun. May 21-22 -- I really started paying attention to drummer Terry Bozzio long after Missing Persons when he showed a gift for deeply harmonized neoclassical composition. Which made me catch up on his monstrous fusion work, here with guitarist Alex Machacek and bassist Doug Lunn. And now I discover he's exactly two days younger than me. Capricorns can be showmen too, y'know (Marilyn Manson, David Bowie, Earl Hines). At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $25; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Sun. May 22 -- Joe Baiza fans will want to catchThe Mecolodiacs at 5:30, but you got plenty other reasons to check out this INSTRUMENTAL ONLY edition of the Punk Rock Barbecue: Atomic Sherpas (1:30), Marcus Watkins Sintet (2:30), The Black Widows (3:30), surf twisters Lawndale (4:30) and Secret Samurai (6:30). A lot of '80s punkers were just jazzheads with weirder chops, y'know. At Liquid Kitty, 11780 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A. 90064; free admission, free hot dogs or BYO grillables, cheap beer; (310) 473-3707; www.thekitty.com.
Sun. May 22 -- Spare & sensitive in the tradition of other ECM artists: Swiss pianist Colin Vallon with bassist Patrice Moret and drummer Samuel Rohrer. A presentation of the Jazz Bakery at Keyboard Concepts Recital Studio, 3232 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 7pm; $20; www.jazzbakery.org.
Sun. May 22 -- Destruction powers out that galloping German thrash till you think 1982 Metallica has come back. With Heathen, Taking Over, Dismantle, Intruder, Septic Slaughter. At the Key Club, 9039 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm; $23; all ages; www.keyclub.com; (310) 274-5800.
Tues. May 24 -- Larry Nash & the Jazz Symphonics take you back to Los Angeles post-bop for real, the way it was in the '60s, when Nash was a teenager. It's part of an every-Tuesday jazz series. In the park across the courtyard from Barbara Morrison's Performing Arts Center, 4305 Degnan Blvd., Suite 101, Leimert Park 90036; 7:30pm; $20 ($10 tix at www.goldstar.com); (323) 296-2272; www.barbaramorrison.com.
Wed. May 25 -- I once had an air conditioner called Quiet Cool, and that's what windman Steven Lugerner wafts out with his intriguing modern band -- pianist Glenn Zaleski, trumpeter Itamar Borochov and drummer Max Jaffe. You can dine well here from 5pm. At Royal-T, 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232; 8pm; $10, $5 students; (310) 559-6300; www.royal-t.org.
Wed. May 25 -- Not just another Hendrix copycat, Eric Gales really rips it on guitar. With El Javi and Ruben Raza. At the Key Club, 9039 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 7:30pm; $15; 18+; www.keyclub.com; (310) 274-5800.
Thurs. May 26 -- New Orleans trumpeter and Rhodes tickler Nicholas Payton dishes out a crowd-friendly serving of mainstream jazz with ace bassist Bob Hurst and Miles Davis drummer Lenny White; he wishes Miles a posthumous happy birthday tonight, and looking around the world, I think Miles is happier for not being in it. A Jazz Bakery presentation at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 Washington Blvd., LA 90016; 8:30pm; $35, day of show $40, students $20; www.jazzbakery.org.
Thurs.-Sat. May 26-28 -- The L.A. Jazz Collective Festival begins a three-day run with Thursday's lineup: Brian Carmody Trio featuring Nick Mancini (9pm), Daniel Rosenboom Septet (10pm) and Brian Swartz & the Swartzestra (11pm). Complete schedule at www.lajazzcollective.com. At the Blue Whale on the third floor of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $10; validated parking underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Read Brick Wahl’s jazz picks in LA Weekly here, Don Heckman’s jazz picks here and MoshKing's metal listings here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.