Fri. Sept. 14 -- The Vinny Golia Sextet has been rolling strong with the indispensable multiwindman's wild and penetrating avantitude for the last few years, as well as acting as an important launch pad for band members such as saxist Gavin Templeton and trumpeter Dan Rosenboom. Plus, Alex Noice is a daring noicemaker on guitar; bassist Jon Armstrong (who plays sax in Slumgum and Rosenboom's sextet!) and drummer Andrew Lessman provide the dust-devil drive. At the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., West L.A. 90024; 8pm; FREE; (310) 443-7000; www.hammer.ucla.edu.
Fri. Sept. 14 -- Hard-blowing saxist Kamasi Washington & the Next Step fire up the post-Coltrane legacy. Saw him again with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recently -- a topnotch non-oldster. At LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90036; 6-8pm; FREE; Friday summer jazz schedule here.
Fri. Sept. 14 -- Ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland and Ohm (with bassist Rob Pagliari and drummer David Eagle) crank up the slipsliding soul-sparkled fusion every month here for a reason: the fandawgs dig it. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $20; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Fri.-Sat. Sept. 14-15 -- Nationally known new-gen trumpeter Christian Scott, the man with the whisper tone and the open rhythm, leads a quintet. At the Blue Whale on the third level 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; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. Sept. 15 -- The finalists in the Angel City Jazz Festival's Young Artists Competition play 20-minute sets before a panel of judges, the winner to open for judge Phil Ranelin at LACMA October 5. The contestants, in order of appearance: Adrian Cota Project, The Cinderella Effect, The CM Collective, The Anthony Lucca Quintet. At the Blue Whale on the third level of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 4-6pm; FREE; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. Sept. 15 -- Fusion as Quicksilver might have imagined it if they'd smoked dust with Pygmy Love Circus: Tool drummer Danny Carey's Volto, featuring keysman Jeff Babko, bassist Lance Morrison and guitarist John Ziegler. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $25; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Sat. Sept. 15 -- Support the edgy arts organization SASSAS by listening to music and buying specially "altered" visual works by the likes of Barbara Bloom, Meg Cranston, Alexis Smith, Jeffrey Vallance and more. There'll be music sets starting at 2pm with Harmonica Rascals, Fat and F*cked Up, Scott Benzel, Mark Hagen. At Blum & Poe Gallery, 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. 90034; 11am-6pm; free; details here.
Sat. Sept. 15 -- Why, of course you want to hear one guy make ambient sounds in an empty warehouse for five hours (or five minutes), if the guy is electroman "Wild" Don Lewis, a.k.a. Small Drone Orchestra. Don says he'll do this every Saturday until the new tenant moves in. At "Sonic Temple," 2345 Santa Fe Ave., downtown 90058; 7pm-midnight; FREE; call (323) 742-6904 for reservations.
Sun. Sept. 16 -- The Rosh Hashanah new moon is an ironic date for a lunar-power night called "Maidens of Metal." Talking about the Dio tribute band Dia plus Infinite Death, Death Inquisition, Phavian, Panties and more. At Airliner Club, 2419 Broadway, Lincoln Heights 90031; 8pm; $10; (323) 221-0771.
Tues. Sept. 18 -- Gov't Mule guitarist Warren Haynes cooks with that low flame and plenty of smoke for perfect Southern bluesrock barbecue flavor. And when he stretches out to buck against Matt Abts' tough-slapping beat, you just want it to go on forever. Looks as if there'll be one or more opening bands, but no indication who. At Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown 90015; 6pm; $24-$32 plus $16 per ticket in what are technically termed "bullsh*t charges"; www.ticketmaster.com.
Wed. Sept. 19 -- Vibraphonist Nick Mancini reinvents himself every damn week. At the Federal Bar, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood 91601; 8pm; free; www.thefederalbar.com.
Thurs. Sept. 20 -- Nick Mancini's Elastic Hour series this week features the worldly sounds of Wahid: Jimmy Mehlis on oud and Chris Wabich on drumthings. At Curve Line Space Gallery, 1577 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 8pm; $10 donation includes wine & beer; (323) 478-9874.
Thurs. Sept. 20 -- Is it me, or does guitarist Ross Hammond have a touch of Sonny Sharrock in his intense melodic avantagoria? Anyway, what a band: windman Vinny Golia, bassist Steuart Liebig and drummer Alex Cline. At the Blue Whale on the third level 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; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
You will be whipped with the bulb ends of stinky kelp unless you make plans to attend this year's Angel City Jazz Festival. Get details and tickets here. The lineup:
Fri. Oct. 5 at LACMA -- Phil Ranelin Sextet plus the winner of the Young Artist Competition.
Sat. Oct. 6 at REDCAT -- Anthony Wilson-Larry Goldings-Jim Keltner Trio, preceded by a symposium on "Honoring and Breaking With Lineage," featuring Bobby Bradford, Ruth Price, Steven Isoardi and Ambrose Akinmusire and moderated by Greg Burk.
Sun. Oct. 7 at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater -- Archie Shepp; Ambrose Akinmusire; Mark Dresser with Bobby Bradford; Peter Erskine with Vardan Ovsepian.
Fri. Oct. 12 at REDCAT -- Myra Melford & Snowy Egret, Marilyn Crispell.
Sat. Oct. 13 at Royce Hall -- Bill Frisell with a Bill Morrison film.
Sun. Oct. 14 at Royce Hall -- Vijay Iyer with Steve Coleman.
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You know Z'ev, the metallic percussionist and electronic file cruncher who's made such rad noises for John Zorn's Tzadik label etc.? He wants to make another record, and he's raising funds through Kickstarter. Contribute here.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here and MoshKing's metal listings here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.