Fri. July 22 -- Latin sans statins: Rubén Blades pianist Oscar Hernandez & Alma Libre raise your blood pressure with Cuban violinist Dayren Santamaria. In Bar Fedora in vegan restaurant Au Lac, 710 W. First St., downtown 90012 (behind REDCAT); 7:30-11pm; $20-$25 (students $10) plus two-item minimum, reservations advisable at www.saturdaynightjazzdtla.com; $7 underground parking.
Fri. July 22 -- Last original Wailer Bunny Wailer keeps the roots-reggae torch burnin'. Bob Marley was never as good without him and Tosh. Eljai opens. At the Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St., downtown 90013; 8:30pm; $33; 18+; www.ticketfly.com.
Fri. July 22 -- Deathly Oxnard blastbeaters Nails pushpushpush their Nuclear Blast agenda with Terrorizer, Freedom, Nomads, Lies. At the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; 7:30pm; $15; all ages; (310) 278-9457; www.theroxy.com.
Sat. July 23 -- The atmosphere's sludgy when Inter Arma breathe heavy & slow. With the layered doom of Atlanta's Withered (reconstituted in the last couple of years), plus Wovoka. At Complex, 806 E. Colorado St., Glendale 91205; 8pm; $10; 21+; full bar; www.complexla.com; (323) 642-7519.
Sat. July 23 -- Guitarist Jeff Kollman, drummer Shane Gaalaas and bassist Peter Griffin continue to make Cosmosquad the rockinest of fusion units. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $25; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Sat. July 23 -- It'll be edifyiing to see how the addition of heartful mainstream pianist Eric Reed will broaden the powerful spiritsoul of saxist Azar Lawrence's promax quartet featuring drummer Roy McCurdy and bassist Edwin Livingston. At Roscoe's Seabird Jazz Lounge, adjacent to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, 730 E. Broadway, Long Beach 90802; $15; 9pm-1am; (562-787-0899); www.seabirdjazzloungelbc.com.
Sun. July 24 -- Swell outdoor way to cool out the evening: Extraordinary vocal abstractionist Dwight Trible's Alternate Angles incorporate the wondrous flute of Maia, the viola of L.A. all-star Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, the deep driving drums of Grande Mother Christopher Garcia and the universalizing percussion of Carlos Niño, whose world-conscious Friends (drummer Dexter Story, windman Josh Johnson) open. Dublab DJ Gifted & Blessed fills the spaces between. Part of the Little Tokyo Garden Series at James Irvine Japanese Garden, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo 90012; 5pm; $15; 21+.
Sun. July 24 -- Carcass represents the Brit foundation of grind; New Orleans vets Crowbar gives it to ya straight and hard; masked West Coast all-stars Ghoul bring the mystery; Night Demon thrash melodically. Heavy bill. At the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; 7pm; $30; (310) 278-9457; www.theroxy.com.
Wed. July 27 -- Eclectic artistic loudsters The Melvins perform after a screening of the Melvins doc "Colossus of Destiny"; filmmaker Bob Hannam fields queries afterward. At the Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St., downtown 90013; 7:30pm; $25; 18+; www.ticketfly.com.
Thurs. July 28 -- I like the creative accents drummer Chris Ulsh brings to the thrashy chug of Dallas' Power Trip, and the group's vintage guitar tones. Virginia hardcoe unit Terror headlines; Harms Way, Angel Dust, Fury, Red Death support. At Union, 4067 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. 90019; 6:30pm; $25; all ages; www.unionclubla.com.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.