Fri. Jan. 25 -- Here in the States, not everyone knows what a guitar innovator Uli Jon Roth has been. Plainly influenced by Hendrix, he added his own trippy compositional flair and string-bending insanity to pre-pop '70s Scorpions excursions like "Drifting Sun, "Polar Nights" and "The Sails of Charon," all likely candidates for the set list of this tour, which commemorates the 40th anniversary of his involvement with the Teutonic stingers. Scorps tunes will dominate, but he'll also be cranking his own Electric Sun and Sky of Avalon selections. For all you djent fans, Roth was among the first to introduce a seventh string, extra frets and a scalloped fretboard. Dude shreds in ways nobody else can. Guitarist Warren DiMartini of Ratt is on the bill too, and so are six other bands. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm, Roth around midnight; $20; all ages; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Fri. Jan. 25 -- Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli presents The Meters Experience, a tribute to the New Orleans riddims that bumped the world. His band includes modern Crescent drummer Stanton Moore and universal bassist (Pat Metheny, Mary J. Blige) Bill Dickens. Moore pal Cliff Hines, a New Orleans guitarist, opens. At the Mint, 6010 Pico Blvd., LA 90035; 10pm; $20; (323) 954-9400; www.themintla.com.
Fri. Jan. 25 -- Volto keeps Baking, cuz fans crave the Tool connection that drummer Danny Carey provides, but also cuz of the fuzzy jam atmosphere cooked up by guitarist John Ziegler, keyboardist Scott Kinsey and bassist Lance Morrison. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $30; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Fri. Jan. 25 -- Hey look, French modern-metal churners Gojira are finally headlining their own tour, which features Strapping Young Lad guitarist & vaunted producer Devin Townsend and The Atlas Moth. At the Henry Fonda Music Box Theater, 6122 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8pm; $33; (323) 464-0808; www.ticketmaster.com.
Fri. Jan. 25 -- It's local fave night, with multicolored instrumental daredeviltry from Paul Lacques and Double Naught Spy Car, plus hot-cha ukulele pop from John Curry's The Edwardo Show. Gonna be a fun one. In the bar of Taix Restaurant, 1911 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake 90026; 10pm; free; www.taixfrench.com.
Fri.-Sat. Jan. 25-26 -- Maybe '60s-rooted saxist Azar Lawrence will be playing here every weekend forever, but I doubt it, so catch his superb all-star quartet with drummer Alphonse Mouzon, pianist Theo Saunders and bassist Henry Franklin. At the RG Club, 2536 Lincoln Blvd., Venice 90291; 9 & 11pm; $15; (310) 822-1715, good idea to reserve a table; www.rgclubvenice.com.
Fri.-Sat. Jan. 25-26 -- Fight your way through the music students and try to figure out what the hell bassist Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever) is doing with those amazing fingers (and that equally amazing mind). At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8:30 & 10:30pm; $35-$40; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Sat. Jan. 26 -- Electronic innovator Mark Trayle is still innovating, solo and with ensemble, and the only limit is undiscovered subatomic particles. At Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice 90291; 8:30pm; $20, students & seniors $10; (310) 822-3006; www.beyondbaroque.org.
Sun. Jan. 27 -- A marriage made in progressive heaven: speedbrain guitar demiurge Allan Holdsworth with technical czar Virgil Donati (Planet X) on drums; keyboardist Dennis Hamm and soul-man bassist Anthony Crawford fill out the quartet. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $30; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Sun. Jan. 27 -- If you're hitting the NAMM Show in Anaheim, stroll by the TC Helicon booth at 4pm to catch TNT/Westworld singer Tony Harnell with GN'R guitarist Bumblefoot. Read my review of Wednesday's show at the Joint here.
Sun. Jan. 27 -- Get a taste of India with The Anadi Duo (percussionist Christopher Garcia and sitarist John Stephens); pipa stringwoman Jie Ma, a fixture on the California avant scene, makes it a trio. At Shamans Vision, 5222 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90027; 8:30pm; $10; call or email for reservations at (323) 661-8318, info@shamansvision.org.
Sun. Jan. 27 -- Weba & Ralph are singers-songwriters Garretson & Gorodetsky, getting close to nature through metaphorical cosmology. With writer Rita Williams and one-man band Keith Walsh. At Pilates & Arts, 1844 Echo Park Blvd., Echo Park 90026; 4-7pm; free as you are; sherry & crumpets served sans colonialism.
Tues. Jan. 29 -- Pick up Julie Christensen's "Weeds Like Us" and get some soulful reverberations that will hang around in your head for weeks. The songbird's band this time is guitarist Rick Shea, bassist Gregory Boaz and drummer Steve Mugalian. Kip Boardman opens. At Cinema Bar, 3967 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City 90036; 8pm (Julie 9pm-ish); no cover; (310) 390-1328; thecinemabar.com.
Tues. Jan. 29 -- A talent worth monitoring, Brooklyn guitarist Harold "Fro" Davis puts together a zoomy combination of melody and aggro freaktime; his band features Andy Sanesi on drums and Travis Carlton on bass. At the Mint, 6010 Pico Blvd., LA 90035; 9pm; $12; (323) 954-9400; www.themintla.com.
Wed. Jan. 30 -- What, not "Bombastic" anymore? Anyway, The Meatbats are funky & tricky as hell, what with master guitarist Jeff Kollman, keyboardist Ed Roth, bassist Kevin Chown and, replacing Chili Pepper Chad Smith, drummer Kenny Aronoff, whom I'll forgive for the Mellencamp thing cuz of the thunderous work he's done with Tony Iommi, not to mention Chickenfoot these days. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $20; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Wed. Jan. 30 -- Grammynommed pianist John Beasley closes out his January residency with that Monk'estra band again, lest we forget what a crepescule is. 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; $20; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Thurs. Jan. 31 -- Expanded keyboardist Marco Benevento has been making a damn good name for himself by crafting a concise, tune-oriented brand of instro semi-jazz, and I say swell. Opening is The Mike Dillon Band, featuring the drummer from Critters Buggin' and Garage A Trois. At the Mint, 6010 Pico Blvd., LA 90035; 9pm; $18; (323) 954-9400; www.themintla.com.
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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.