Fri. June 23 – Velvets-influenced Oakland minimalists Grex share a bill with the meditational trio of guitarist Gregory Uhlmann, saxist Chris Speed (a personal fave) and percussionist Mike Lockwood. At The Battery Books & Music, 26 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena 91101; 8pm; $5 suggested donation; (626) 376-9913.
Fri. June 23 – Happy birthday, Glenn Danzig.
Fri.-Sat. June 23-24 – The custom-built mallet instruments, organs and percussion trees; the resonant/fanciful microtonal compositions (by Henry Partch and Lou Harrison); the outsider atmosphere: It's Partch. At REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., downtown 90012; 8:30pm; $25 (students $20); www.redcat.org.
Fri.-Sat. June 23-24 – Rich-toned post-mainstream saxist Walter Smith III has earned respect from all the artists with whom he's collaborated (Josh Nelson, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Kendrick Scott, Aaron Parks); expect some of the players from those bands in his own group. 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; 21+; parking $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. June 24 – Bassist Buster Williams played on about half the jazz records of the last half-century (Kenny Barron, Chet Baker, Larry Coryell, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock); he celebrates his 75th birthday with an all-star ensemble featuring saxist Steve Wilson, pianist George Colligan and "Bitches Brew" drummer Lenny White. A Jazz Bakery presentation at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 Washington Blvd., LA 90016; 8pm; $35, students $25; www.jazzbakery.org.
Sat. June 24 – Olivier Messiaen first performed his "Quartet for the End of Time" in a German prison camp; tonight pianist Vicki Ray and friends do it in an arts-district warehouse. At 1399 Factoory Place, downtown 90013; 8:30pm; free but donations accepted; wait-listed but they swear they'll get everyone in, probably standing.
Sat. June 24 – Motown/Tapscott trombonist George Bohanon leads a topflight quartet with pianist Theo Saunders, bassist Jeff Littleton and drummer Roy McCurdy. Souljazz groove for sure. At the World Stage, 4321 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park 90008; 9pm (two sets); $20; www.theworldstage.org.
Sat. June 24 – Score family-friendly jazz the classic way with trumpeter Elliott Caine's group. At Colombo's Restaurant, 1833 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 9:30pm-midnight; no cover; (323) 254-9138.
Sun. June 25 – With Manson not touring every week, you could do worse than the gloomy horror rock of Murderdolls singer Wednesday 13. With Oncehuman, Gabriel and the Apocalypse, Midnight Nightmare, Scurvy Kids. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; doors 7pm; $20; (310) 652-4202; www.whiskyagogo.com.
Mon. June 26 – Let drummer Peter Ménard and pianist Satoko Fujii leave plenty of echoing space for the soul-wringing trumpet duo of Kappa Maki and Christian Bezos, apply some electronic gauze, and you get something like Kaze. 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; 21+; parking $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Tues. June 27 – Explore the challenging frontiers of California new-music composrs William Kraft, Chris Cerrone, Shaun Naidoo, Pamela Madsen and Tom Flaherty with Brightwork (Eclipse Quartet cellist Maggie Parkins, flutist Sara Andon, pianist Aron Kallay, percussionist Nick Terry, violinist Tereza Stanislav and clarinetist Brian Walsh, with soprano Stacey Fraser). At Monk Space, 4414 W. Second St. near Western, Los Angeles 90004; 8pm; $20 ($15 students); www.monkspace.com.
Wed. June 28 – Rhythmic sophistication and environmental death howls meet in Fit for an Autopsy; Brooklyn's Tombs mine a modernized Joy Division cryptscape; plus Moon Tooth, Colombian Necktie. At the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; $31.50; (310) 278-9457; www.theroxy.com.
LATE ADD: Thurs. June 29 – Comin' at you from all all angles but never straight on, it's the curious songcraft of Acre Foot, featuring singer-electronicist Kaoru Mansour, percussionist Brad Dutz, guitarist Carey Fosse, bassist Darryl Tewes and windman Jasper Dutz. Co-billed is the quartet of guitarist Jake Sucher, keyboardist-saxist Ted Taforo, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Jesse Quebbeman-Tuley, a.k.a. Snow Nerds. 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 $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here. Read Brick Wahl's noirish music commentaries here.