* indicates an event in the border-bashing Angel City Jazz Fest, which concludes Sunday.
* Fri. Oct. 12 -- The Tiger Trio is pianist Myra Melford (much admired in these pages) with the supergenius support of flutist Nicole Mitchell and bassist Joelle Leandre. Big 'un. Also: Down Beat Rising Star saxist Noah Preminger blows quick dusty postbop, and if Dan Weiss is drumming with him, he must be tops, plus bassist Kim Cass and trumpeter Jason Palmer. At REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., downtown 90012; 8pm; $25 (students $15); angelcityjazz.com.
Fri. Oct. 12 -- To celebrate the birthday of late World Stage mainstay Billy Higgins, Munyungo Jackson, storied king of the hand drums et multa cetera, leads a redoubtable ensemble featuring multi-instrumentalist Derf Reklaw, mystical percussionist Christopher Garcia, vibraphonist Onaje Murray and drummer Euro Zambrano. Get levitated. At the World Stage, 4321 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park 90008; 9pm (two sets); $20; www.theworldstage.org.
Fri. Oct. 12 -- Brilliant idea for a duo: Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson and post-mainstream saxist Mark Turner, whose clean, smart lines speak of divinity. 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 $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Fri. Oct. 12 -- Japanese guitar avantar Tetuzi Akiyama jams with multidisciplinary weirdos John Krausbauer, Christopher Reid Martin and Micaela Tobin. At Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Drive, Frogtown 90039; doors 8pm; $10; 21+; www.zebulon.la.
Fri. Oct. 12 -- Celebrate your ride to Valhalla with the corpsepainted Dutch symphonic black metal of Carach Angren. Plus Mors Principium Est, Wolfheart, Empyrean Throne, more. At 1720, 1720 E. 16th St., downtown 90021; doors 6:30pm; $25; all ages; full bar; food; www.1720.la.
* Sat. Oct. 13 -- Lisa Mezzacappa's Avant-Noir finds the bassist-composer utilizing her considerable conceptual brainpower to get motivation and color from the detective genre. And Christoph Irniger's Pilgrim leads a quietly insistent Euro quintet with pianist Stefan Aeby, guitarist Dave Gisler, bassist Raffaele Bossard, drummer Michi Stultz and electroguy Tim Perkis. 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.angelcityjazz.com.
Sat. Oct. 13 -- Tune in to the soulfulness of his solos with Art Blakey; thrill to the original brilliance of his horn arrangements with Curtis Fuller; it's hall of fame saxist Benny Golson, abetted by the great in-the-pocket drummer Roy McCurdy, plus pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Mike Gurrola. At Moss Theater in the Herb Alpert Educational Village of New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 8:30pm; $40 ($25 students); www.jazzbakery.org.
Sat. Oct. 13 -- Sure, James Malone screams a lot, but he also orchestrates some wonderful metal guitar melodies behind a wall of doublekick madness, and that's what elevates Arsis above the masses of death. Their new "Visitant" won't be out until Nov. 2, but you can pre-order it with my assurance that it maintains the band's high standards. With Decrepit Birth, Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia, AngelMaker, WD. At the Glasshouse, 200 W. 2nd St., Pomona 91766; doors 5pm; $25; www.theglasshouse.us; (909) 865-3802.
Sat.-Sun. Oct. 13-14 -- Squint at his perverted art, screen his perverted films, listen to his fave music, meditate with him: David Lynch's Festival of Disruption hits ya from so many angles that you're just gonna have to check out the options for yourself. At the Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, L.A. 90015; different times; $55 and way up; basics here.
* Sun. Oct. 14 -- From national parks to "Rosa Parks Oratorio": Few own as great a compositional scope as trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, and his extreme abstractions are rooted in human experience you can really feel. This time he's using a trio of vocalists (including one named Parks), a string quartet, and some seasoned collaborators: trumpeters Kris Tiner, Graham Haynes and Louis Lopez; drummer Pheeroan akLaff; electronicist Hardedge; dancer Oguri; and image manipulator Jesse Gilbert. Gawdam. At REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., downtown 90012; 8pm; $45 (students $25); www.redcat.org.
Sun. Oct. 14 -- Veteran atmo-pounding heavymen Pelican team with energetic Asian hard pop from The Primals. At Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Drive, Frogtown 90039; doors 8pm; $15; 21+; www.zebulon.la.
Sun. Oct. 14 -- Soundshoppe is Joe Potts' and SASSAS's monthly electronic jam, don't ya know. Sorry I mislisted it for last week. At Center for the Arts, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 1pm; FREE; www.sassas.org.
Mon. Oct. 15 -- Here's what I dig about bassist Steuart Liebig's new Men-Tot record. It has roots, from Ornette to boogie. It's avant, but it grooves. The players sound completely natural, like they ain't even trying, though they must be. The interplay flows. The harmonies spark. And mainly, it's fun. Talkin bout saxist Tony Atherton, harmonicat Bill Barrett, drummer Joe Berardi, cornetist Dan Clucas and lap steeler Scot Ray, all of whom have been speaking the language since the devil learned to dance. 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 $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Mon. Oct. 15 -- Breathe the fresh canyon air with trumpeter Elliott Caine's worthy postbop quintet. Blue Guitar Club at Arroyo Seco Golf Course, 1055 Lohman Lane, South Pasadena 91030; 7:30pm (two sets): $10-$15; food and booze bringable from down the hall; (323) 769-3500; www.blueguitar.club.
Wed. Oct. 17 -- Munyungo Jackson beats out his Jungle Jazz thing. At Mr. Musichead Gallery, 7420 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90046; 7:30pm; $25; www.justjazz.tv.
Wed. Oct. 17 -- ECM pianist Nik Bärtsch of Ronin goes solo! Meditative, but with rhythm. 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.
Wed. Oct. 17 -- Enjoy the peaceful electronic brainbath of Daniel Corral's new "Polytope" -- with vivid visuals, too. Check out a video segment here. At Think Tank Gallery, 939 Maple Ave., L.A. 90015; 8pm. Also Fri. Oct. 19, 10pm.
Thurs. Oct. 18 -- Don't enjoy the bloody violent metallic stench & spectacle of GWAR. With the negative '90s blast of Hatebreed, plus Miss May I, Ringworm. At the Belasco Theater, 1050 S. Hill St., downtown 90015; doors 6pm; $30; www.goldenvoice.com.
Thurs. Oct. 18 -- Brad Dutz presents the abnormal drums-sax-bass trio of Matt Gordy, Rob Lockhart & Chris Colangelo. At Sunspace, 9683 Sunland Blvd., Shadow Hills 91040; 8-10pm; $10.