Fri. July 12 -- Like dad Don, multi-instrumentalist David Ornette Cherry has a no-boundaries approach to music. He takes all the African/jazz/Latin flavors he digs, spins 'em around a riff or a rhythm, gathers a bunch of great players (often stalwarts like saxist Justo Almario and drummer Don Littleton), and it's free, but way more than a jam. DOC doesn't play every week, especially for free. At LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90036; 6-8pm; FREE; Friday summer jazz schedule here.
Fri. July 12 -- Extravagant textures. Sick moans. Narcoleptic 1972 Miles heaviness. Atomized Tranetime saxtasy. Furious guitar noise. Daniel Rosenboom's new "Book of Omens" opens splendid vistas for the trumpeter, here with a seasoned and familiar ensemble featuring windman/role model Vinny Golia, guitarist Jake Vossler, bassist Tim Lefevre, drummer Matt Mayhall and visual-projection improviser Kio Griffith. Celebrate. At Art Share, 801 E. Fourth Pl., downtown 90013; 9pm; $10; free parking across the street at 321 S. Hewitt; (213) 687-4278; www.microfest.org.
Fri. July 12 -- If any two dudes can churn up enough sound for a full band, they've gotta be old pals (from the '90s neofusion band TJ Kirk) Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola, pairing an astounding bass/lead eight-string guitar attack (Hunter) with a sloshing, FX-accented groove riot (Amendola). 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; $15; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Fri.-Sat. July 12-13 -- Supper-club blues & jazz ain't no stale throwback when singer Barbara Morrison draws from her deep soil and offers her brand new album, "A Sunday Kind of Love." At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8:30pm; $20-$25; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Sat. July 13 -- Hands On'semble exemplifies why CalArts became a destination for students wanting to plumb world percussion: the skillz of Randy Gloss, John Bergamo, Andrew Grueschow and Austin Wrinkle, reviving, combining, expanding. 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.
Mon. July 15 -- Who are L.A. Jazz Orchestra Unlimited? A brigade of pros realizing the music of UCLA's topnotch music faculty, including guitar patriarch Kenny Burrell, trumpet vet Bobby Rodriguez and more. At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8:30pm; $20; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Tues. July 16 -- If mondo growler Chris Barnes tried to tattoo the ever-changing names of his Six Feet Under bandmates, he'd run out of skin, but he manages to maintain a top level of death & gore regardless, especially with the songwriting help he's gotten from ex-Chaimaira guitarist Rob Arnold on the last couple of records, "Undead" and "Unborn." Next: "Uncola." Tonight's touring devastators include Decrepit Birth, Cannabis Corpse, Darksun, Satiarch, Hateshred, Abstract Existence, Dealy Plaza. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm; $20; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Wed. July 17 -- The quintet of Japonize Elephants saxist Mitch Marcus throws punky energy at its dense counterpoints and fractured time signatures. With alto man Sylvain Carton, raw guitarist Mike Abraham, bassist George Ban-Weiss and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. 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; $15; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Thurs. July 18 -- Improvisational event of the summer: Drummer-vibraphonist Gregg Bendian (Mahavishnu Project, Nels Cline, Cecil Taylor, et al.) returns to L.A. to celebrate his 50th birthday with some of his exceedingly talented local cronies, including drummer Alex Cline, keyboardist David Witham, guitarist G.E. Stinson, bassist Doug Lunn, trumpeter John Fumo, vibesman David Johnson, bassist Ivan Johnson, guitarist Rick Musallam, violinist Lauren Baba and those always welcome guests, the special ones. A technical master with a wide-ranging mind, Bendian can whip up the excitement or cool things down to a zen tingle, and if you can squeeze yourself into this one, you won't be sorry. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $15; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.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.