* represents dates in Angel City Jazz Festival.
* Fri. Oct. 2 -- Saxist Yosvany Terry (Steve Coleman, Avishai Cohen, Gonzalo Rubalcaba) and pianist Baptiste Trotignon celebrate their Caribbean-American heritage with the Ancestral Memories Quartet, featuring bassist Yunior Terry and Marsalis drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. A Jazz Bakery presentation at Moss Theater in the Herb Alpert Educational Village of New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 8pm; $25; www.angelcityjazz.com.
Fri. & Sun. Oct. 2 & 4 -- There are a few seats left for Van Halen. Yes, I've kinda warmed to their party rock over the years, especially live, where I don't gotta deal with the soggy production of their early albums. No, I ain't selling my Pokemon collection to buy tickets. VH have been playing every other night for the last three months, so don't expect Roth's voice to be tops. At the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 Highland Ave., Hollywood 90068; Fri. 7:30pm, Sun. 7pm; $52-$1300 (not a misprint); (323) 850-2000; www.hollywoodbowl.com.
Sat. Oct. 3 -- Now I see why Van Halen aren't playing tonight; they didn't want to compete with Scorpions, whose new album may be weak, but their precision-tooled Germanic pop-rock catalog is deep. Say farewell to this great band for the third or fourth time as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their puberty. With veteran power-metalmen Queensryche, whom I'd like more if the singer didn't bug me. At the Forum, 3900 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood 90305; $56-$150; www.ticketmaster.com.
* Sat. Oct. 3 -- Here's more of the adventurous spirit you expect from the Angel City Fest. Pianist Motoko Honda, always an inspiring and deep-reaching abstractionist, teams with award-winning vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vanessa Anh Vo (of whose excellence Honda waxes rhapsodic) in a set exploring their common experience as emigres from East Asia. Then dancer-vocalist (etc.) Jen Shyu, whose flowing improvisations have impressed me, teams with respected New York avant violist Mat Maneri and new-generational trumpet master Ambrose Akinmusire. Will it swing? I don't care. At Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90027; 8pm; $15-$20; www.angelcityjazz.com.
Sat. Oct. 3 -- Helluva week at the Whale, where you can always go any night and hear super stuff. Tonight it's a star trio with electronified Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker's trio featuring Larry Goldings on organ and Jamire Williams on drums. 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.
Sun. Oct. 4 -- Get slapped every which way by jolty jazzrockers Brainchildren of Xenog, Saccharine-Mecolodian guitarist Joe Baiza going solo, Garretson & Gorodetsky personalizing and universalizing our fauna interactions, and Gwynne Garfinkle speaking the 'Weeny word. At Art Share, 801 E. Fourth Pl., downtown 90013; 7pm; $50; free parking across the street at 321 S. Hewitt; (213) 687-4278; www.artsharela.org.
Mon. Oct. 5 -- Jamworthy avantist Anthony Shadduck digs playing with other bassists, so he decided to double the whole trio, with Zephyr Avalon on co-bass, Alex Sadnik & Logan Hone on saxes, and Ted Byrnes & Corey Fogel on drums. 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; 21+; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Wed. Oct. 7 -- Melody, tradition and touch of tangy lime are what pianist Geoffrey Keezer has been about for the last 25 years or so, this time in an ensemble featuring singer Gillian Margot, whose CD I keep on top of the stack just so I can look at her picture, but she's got a rich, understated soul style too. 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. Oct. 8 -- Vibraphone encyclopedia Nick Mancini continues his residency of duets with pianists he digs, this time pairing with young Kait Duncan (first set, her originals) and veteran mainstreamer Bill Cunliffe (second set, Ellington-Strayhorn). 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. Oct. 8 -- Three of my favorite guitarists approach the interdimensional tipping point from very different angles: edgy & individualistic Woody Aplanalp (11pm), Paul Lacques and wildmelodic Double Naught Spy Car (10pm) and postjazzily distorted Alexander Noice Sextet (9pm). At Café NELA, 1906 Cypress Ave., Glassell Park 90065; $5; beer only; 21+; www.cafenela.net.
If you've been in a medically induced coma the last couple of weeks, you can still catch next weekend's Angel City Jazz Festival shows by Jon Armstrong (10/9), John Beasley (10/10) and Alex Cline (10/11). Grab details and tix here.
PHIL WOODS R.I.P. Only a few saxists have ever played bebop at the highest level of technique, ease and feel, and Phil Woods was one. Who else might have married Charlie Parker's widow? He contributed to personal favorite albums such as "The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall" and "The Individualism of Gil Evans"; orchestrators such as Oliver Nelson tabbed him as a pro who could meld perfectly with an ensemble yet inject big personality into his solos. Lotta pop sideman work, too. I saw him play only once, at Catalina's in the '80s, and his tone just glowed as he tossed off lines that would have made anyone else sweat. When his name was mentioned, musicians lowered their eyes. He died September 29 of emphysema, which was unjust, because breath was everything to Phil Woods.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.