Fri. July 17 -- Quadraphonic electroacoustics! Get surrounded by Maine's Mem1 and Vienna's Robert Schwartz. A SASSAS presentation at MorYork, 4959 York Blvd., L.A. 90042; 8pm; $10; www.sassas.org.
Sat. July 18 -- More SASSAS outsmanship: Experimental filmmaker William E. Jones, quiet sound & vision artist Steve Roden (image above) and political visual artist Carolyn Castano expand your horizons at a listening party/fundraiser in a design-conscious Shadow Hills home. 1pm; $125 includes some food and drinkables; tix at www.sassas.org.
Sat. July 18 -- I'd go just to hear Willie Nelson pluck chromatic weirdness on that beat-up old nylon-string acoustic. He's been singing well with Merle Haggard too, but tonight Willie & Family share the bill with Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. At the Greek Theater, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz 90027; 7:30pm; $64-$134; www.greektheatrela.com.
Sat. July 18 -- This version of The Jeff Kollman Group includes the meaty guitarist plus Tool drummer Danny Carey, bassist Jesse Stern, co-axman Jeff Marshall and harmonicat Paul Vallis. It will rock and trip hard. (Sebastian Bach fans will appreciate Kollman's current membership in the Baz touring band.) At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $20; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Wed. July 22 -- Funk-plus Kneebody bassist Kaveh Rastegar has some mighty talented Friends: storied drummer Jim Keltner, trueblue keyboardist Larry Goldings, first-call fusionary keyboardist Jeff Babko and more. 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; 21+; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Thurs.-Fri. July 23-24 -- Rich-toned blues-rock guitar star Joe Bonamassa throws a Rock Candy Funk Party with drummer Tal Bergman, bassist Mike Merritt, guitarist Ron DeJeus, keyboardist Fred Kron and percussionist Daniel Sadownnick. Better get advance tix for the Thursday shows; Friday is SRO. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $40; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.