Fri.-Sat. Sept. 9-10 -- Trumpeter Miles Evans (son o' Gil, named after Gil's best friend) leads a jammin' fusiony all-star band with a Hendrixian bent. The ensemble features a host of notable sidemen: Darryl Jones, Bernard Fowler, Steve Ferrone, Dean Brown, Doug Webb, Deron Johnson. At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8 & 10pm; $20-$25; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Fri. Sept. 9 -- Vreid stomp out grimly faithful and quite listenable Norwegian black metal. With Kampfar, Necronomicon, Luna Occulta, Sinstorm and more. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm; $18; all ages; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Sat. Sept. 10 -- Gerry Fialka interviews the physical Greg Burk. That's right: not Greg Burk the avant pianist but Greg Burk a.k.a. me, the journalist slob who clutters this web site. Fialka is a "media ecologist" (hope I don't get my emissions capped), film curator and James Joyce expert; since 1997, he's been hosting a series of monthly interviews with cultural playas including Mary Woronov, Van Dyke Parks, Jay Levin and Kirk Silsbee. What's he gonna ask me? Is Rob Halford really gay? What's Lou Reed's secret handshake? What's the one thing Ornette Coleman loves more than music? Hell if I know the questions, but I'll be surprised at my answers. At the Unurban Coffeehouse, 3301 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 4-6pm; FREE; (310) 315-0056.
Sun. Sept. 11 -- Quarteto Nuevo breezes out the freshest, most beautifully concise acoustic music with roots in South America, India and Southern California. The band: percussionist-drummer Christopher Garcia, cellist Jacob Szekely, guitarist Kenton Youngstrom and windman Damon Zick. At South Pasadena Music Center and Conservatory, 1509 Mission St., South Pasadena 91030; 3pm; $15, $10 students & seniors; free parking behind; (626) 403-2300; events page here.
Tues. Sept. 13 -- Here's a wowser of a back-East quartet, led by funky saxist Donny McCaslin and featuring brilliantly all-encompassing pianist Uri Caine, Zorn & Torn bassist Fima Ephron and Avishai Cohen drummer Mark Guiliana. 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.
Wed. Sept. 14 -- If you don't dig the barkin' & mewlin' metal of Kittie, why, you just a pusseh. The Canajun sisters Lander are some of the best writers in wrock, and their new album, "I've Failed You," proves it again. With seven other bands. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm; $16; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Wed. Sept. 14 -- Those who prefer their jazz quiet and pretty will take a shine to drummer Brian Blade's Fellowship Band, these days featuring Christopher Thomas, Jon Cowherd, Myron Walden and Melvin Butler. A presentation of the Jazz Bakery's Movable Feasts at the Colburn School's Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown 90012; one show 8:30pm; $35, students $20; www.jazzbakery.org.
Thurs. Sept. 15 -- The forward-thinking Angel City Jazz Festival looks to the future with its Young Artists Competition, of which this is the finals. The artists are River Keefer (8pm), Connor McElwain Group (8:45), Shutz Vtet (9:45) and Sears-Gurrola-Yokota Trio (10:30). The winner plays LACMA Sept. 23 as part of the fest. Gonna be good stuff, I promise. 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; 8-11pm; $5; validated parking underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Thurs. Sept. 15 -- Do Florida epic metalmen Kamelot make you chortle? Canada's The Agonist bring a more credible modern black thrash to the operatic table, and frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz looks INcredible, if that ain't a contradiction. With Alestorm, Blackguard. At House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 7:30pm; $29; (323) 848-5800; www.livenation.com.
Plan your vacation around the citywide Angel City Jazz Fest, September 22-October 2. This year it's a "global jam" theme, with highlights from Roscoe Mitchell & Alex Cline (REDCAT 10/2), Burkina Electric with DJ Spooky (EchoPlex 9/24), Larry Karush (LACMA 9/23), Nick Mancini-Otmaro Ruiz (Zipper Hall 9/23), and of course the main blowout with Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, Rudresh Mahanthappa and The Kandinsky Effect (John Anson Ford Amphitheater 10/1). Dig the complete lineup here.
Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here and MoshKing's metal listings here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.