Angel City Jazz Fest events are marked with *.
* Fri. Oct. 11 -- The Angel City Jazz Festival's concluding weekend starts briskly with John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet, a variegated outfit that explores everything from quietly shifting structures to Glass-like cycles, featuring inventive drummer Hollenbeck plus windman Chris Speed, vibraphonist Matt Moran, accordionist Red Wierenga and bassist Chris Tordini. I've long admired the way Speed weaves a passionate melodic sense into highly abstract contexts, so it's great to see him doing double duty tonight in the Jim Black-Tim Lefebvre-Chris Speed Trio; propulsive yet edge-scratchin' Black is one of the most exciting drummers out there, and bassist Lefebvre has shown with Rudder, Wayne Krantz and many more that he's an enthusiastic whiz at practically everything. (Check out Black and Speed on the latest Endangered Blood album, "Work Your Magic," a fascinating whirl through the more accessible realms of the avant.) If you get there around 7pm, you can witness a FREE symposium on "New Technologies in Jazz and Jazz Journalism," co-sponsored by the Jazz Journalists Association, moderated by a certain Greg Burk, and including Chicago flute mistress Nicole Mitchell, Kneebody keyboardist Adam Benjamin (hailing via Skype), Icons Among Us documentary producer John Comerford and longtime L.A. journalist Kirk Silsbee. Is catgut a useful musical technology, or should we go back to beating on logs? You decide. At REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., downtown 90012; music 8:30pm; $25 (students $20); www.angelcityjazz.com.
Fri. Oct. 11 -- Jagged chops and a pissed-off prole attitude still make '90s metal warriors Helmet sound modern. Remains of Giants and Stephen Anthony Gregory open. At the Canyon Club, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills 91301; 9pm; $25; (818) 879-5016; www.canyonclub.net.
Fri.-Sat. Oct. 11-12 -- Trumpet geyser Freddie Hubbard woulda been 75 this year, hence the tributes that are springing up, and this is a good one, featuring a bunch of aces who played with Hubbard: Ambrose Akinmusire, Henry Franklin, Carl Allen, John Beasley, Ralph Moore & Bob Sheppard. * AND: For those craving more Angel City action in the wake of Terence Blanchard's cancellation, at 7pm Saturday, prior to the Hubbard tribute, there'll be a FREE screening of Part 3 of the "Icons Among Us" jazz docmentaries that're being shown at the festival. 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.
Fri.-Sun. Oct. 11-13 -- Europeans sure do improvise, whether you like to call it jazz or not, and they prove it with Eurojazz Fest. At UCLA's Schoenberg Hall; check here for details.
Sat. Oct. 12 -- Zero in on pianist Motoko Honda before she splits town again; tonight the brilliant modern composer is doing her own stuff accompanied by the visual projections of Jesse Gilbert. It's a house concert in Van Nuys; 8pm; $20 includes wine/beer/snacks; email umariko@sbcglobal.net or call (818) 290-3595 for reservations and location.
Sat. Oct. 12 -- Guitarist Elizabeth Schall of Dreaming Dead shreds in a benefit for Furry Tails Rescue. Plus more bands whose logos I can't decipher. At the Joint, 8771 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. 90035; 9pm; $10; 18+; (310) 275-2619; www.thejointlive.com.
* Sun. Oct. 13 -- A high-concept Cuban drummer-composer who's served with Henry Threadgill and Steve Coleman, Dafnis Prieto leads a star-studded sextet including reedman Peter Apfelbaum and trumpeter Ralph Alessi, leaders in their own right. "Icons Among Us" screens at 7. At REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., downtown 90012; 8pm; $25 (students $20); www.redcat.org.
Mon. Oct. 14 -- Georgia's Kylesa roll out a thunderous double-drummer assault and a wave of postmetallic noise that'll drown ya. Plus Pinkish Black, Sierra. At the EchoPlex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park 90026; doors 7pm; $12; all ages; www.attheecho.com.
Tues. Oct. 15 -- Beg saxist Gavin Templeton's quintet for taste of Ornettish avanture and pick up his new CD, for which this is the release party. 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.
Wed. Oct. 16 -- Nick Mancini lends his penetrating vibraphone to a chamber trio with frequent collaborators Vardan Ovsepian (piano) and Artyom Manukyan (cello). 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.
Wed. Oct. 16 -- Dez Farfara and DevilDriver have come raging back with an especially well-crafted and songwriterly slab of hot modern metal, the new "Winter Kills," billing with the popular twin-guitar shred of Trivium, plus After the Burial. At House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; 7pm; $28; (323) 848-5100; www.livenation.com.
Wed. Oct. 16 -- Death till you die: Dying Fetus, Exhumed, Abiotic and more. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 6pm; $20; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Thurs. Oct. 17 -- Steve Lukather, Lita Ford, Blasko and a raft of other metalish names pull together for Rock Against MS. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; 8pm; $35 and up; www.whiskyagogo.com; (310) 652-4202.
Thurs. Oct. 17 -- Brad Dutz's Other Three unites the long-cracking avant composer-percussionist with a wind player and a trumpeter whose names are a closely held secret. Elastic Hour at Curve Line Space Gallery, 1577 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 8pm; $10 donation includes wine & beer; (323) 478-9874; www.elastichour.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.