Fri. July 6 -- The Bobby Bradford Mo’tet is in the midst of a monthly residence in Sierra Madre, and this version is all-star to the max: avant cornet foundationalist Bradford plus keyboardist Don Preston, guitarist Ken Rosser, bassist Roberto Miranda, saxist Chuck Manning, drummer William Jeffries and trombonist Michael Vlatkovich. It’s kind of a Tapscott/Mothers/L.A.-edge axis with a whole lot of history, and Mr. B has also invited veteran local multi-instrumentalist Richard Wood and extreme vocalist Bonnie Barnett (reading Gertrude Stein, which is always fun) along for the ride. At Café 322, 322 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre (east of Pasadena off the 210 freeway), 8:30pm, (626) 836-5414.
Fri. July 6 -- If you prefer your modern urban electro poetry without the killin’, L.A.’s Life Force Trio is there for ya, fresh and fulla love. There’s an intergenerational thing happening too with the Life Force friends (and master musicians) calling themselves The Double Duo: windmen Ralph Jones and Joshua Spiegelman, and hand drummers Brahim Fribgane and Adam Rudolph. At Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice, 8pm; $10; (310) 306-1854.
Sat.-Sun. July 7-8 -- Vashti Percussion Ensemble brings the world to your doorstep with a groove that gets inside your head and never leaves. The bangers are the absolute topmost: Adam Rudolph, Brahim Fribgane, Houman Pourmehdi, Munyungo Jackson, Poovalur Sriji and Randy Gloss, and anytime they get together it’s a major event -- this time maybe they’ll actually stop the war. At Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice, 8pm; $15; (310) 306-1854. You might want to call for directions, as Mapquest may just confuse the issue. I get lost every time I go there. But the Lodge has its own free parking lot with limited space, and beyond that it’s not tough to find a spot.
Sat. July 7 -- Pianist Thollem Mcdonas does what few can: He combines extreme imagination with terrific postclassical chops and an ability to communicate through melody. He didn’t show for his opening set with Dan Clucas and Richard Wood at the Eagle Rock Center last week, and I left before the second set, so I don’t know if he ever turned up. Hope he’s okay. But you should probably call to make sure he’s there for this one. At Café Metropol, 923 E. Third St., downtown, 5pm; (213) 613-1537; $5 plus $10 minimum.
Sat. July 7 -- And dig: Make a night of it with The Michael Session Quartet. The saxist, who still conducts Horace Tapscott’s Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, absolutely takes off and flies around the room when he solos, and he always has a first-rate South L.A. band, though I dunno who the quartet will be tonight. At Café Metropol, 923 E. Third St., downtown, 8-10pm; (213) 613-1537; $5 plus $10 minimum.
Sat. July 7 -- Or take your choice of our hottest local saxists with Azar Lawrence, playing out quite a bit lately and that’s a real good thing. At the World Stage, Degnan Boulevard and 43rd St., downtown; 9:30pm.
Mon. July 8 -- The persistent interface of Berlin and L.A. via our cultural outpost at Villa Aurora is one of the region’s little-known treasure troves. Tonight’s occasion presents the world-class modern-classical California EAR Unit performing compositions by a bunch of forward-thinking Germans. In the back door of Walt Disney Concert Hall at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St. at Hope Street, downtown, 8:30pm; $20; www.redcat.org.