Fri. Oct. 16 -- Vibraphonist-singer Jodie Landau exposes his atmospheric compositions and Björk-associated music, in collaboration with the L.A. music collective Wild Up and the Icelandic women's vocal quartet Graduale Nobili. Landau's always got something original going. At Bootleg Bra Factory, 2220 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 90057; 9pm; $20; tickets here.
Sat. Oct. 17 -- Essential avant pianist of this decade Myra Melford & Snowy Egret break down flighty concepts and reassemble them; this version of the band features cornetist Ron Miles (a leader in his own right), guitarist Liberty Ellman, bassist Stomu Takeishi (Erik Friedlander, Henry Threadgill) and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. 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.
Sat. Oct. 17 -- Euro-American electro-groove jazzmen The Kandinsky Effect (10:30pm) have stubble. With Sierra & the Radicals, Bevin, Phunk Yard, MUTE. At the Mint, 6010 Pico Blvd., LA 90035; doors 7pm; $12; 21+; (323) 954-9400; www.themintla.com.
Sat. Oct. 17 -- Heavydelic Bay veterans Acid King return with all the sludge, smoke and echo you need on their new "Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere." With Giant Squid, Mala Suerte. At Complex, 806 E. Colorado St., Glendale 91205; 8pm; $20; 21+; full bar; www.complexla.com; (323) 642-7519.
Sun. Oct. 18 -- I have a special fondness for Charles Lloyd's live recordings, and his current "Wild Man Dance" is no exception; the somber moods suit the sensitivity and spiritual transparency of this master saxist, whose artistry remains undiminished at age 77. His current quartet features longtime members Eric Harland (drums) and Ruben Rogers (bass), and in a somewhat more mainstream direction than his previous choices, the excellent pianist Gerald Clayton as the newest addition. A presentation of the Jazz Bakery's Movable Feasts at the Colburn School's Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown 90012; 8:30pm; $40 (add $30 for each student); www.jazzbakery.org.
Sun. Oct. 18 -- Practically the only traditionalist jazzman you can hear locally on a regular basis, trumpeter Elliott Caine. At the York Bar and Restaurant, 5018 York Blvd., Highland Park 90042; 7:30-10pm; no cover; (323) 255-9675.
Sun.-Mon. Oct. 18-19 -- Cadence Improvised Music Festival is a helluva wild one, tapping cornetist Bobby Bradford and windman Vinny Golia's septet; plus "Jamaica Suite," a story about bop/abstractionist pianist Herbie Nichols by true authorities Steve Swallow and Roswell Rudd (Sun.); plus-plus different configurations with baritone saxist George Haslam's group; and other stuff. By the way, if you wonder what was going on in 1975 with the nascent historic collaboration between Bradford and John Carter, a superb live recording (Carter on soprano and clarinet, two basses, drummer William Jeffrey sounding like Sunny Murray, echoes of Ayler and Ornette) has been recently unearthed and is available here. If they're selling it at the Whale, grab it. 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; 8pm-midnight; $10; 21+; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Mon. Oct. 19 -- Kenny Burrell's L.A. Jazz Orchestra Unlimited. Check my recent review here. At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8:30pm; $20; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Tues. Oct. 20 -- If you're looking for the living embodiments of Latin jazz, you needn't search much further than Eddie Palmieri and Chucho Valdez. At Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown 90012; 8pm; $50-$115; (323) 850-2000; www.laphil.org.
Thurs. Oct. 22 -- Talk about metaljazz: Metallica/Ozzy bassist Robert Trujillo produced "Jaco," a doc-o about the late charismatic/tragic fusion bassist Jaco Pastorius, and R.T. is screening it tonight, a week before the DVD and streaming release. Then at 9pm, his own band Mass Mental and Felix Pastorius' Hipster Assassins will play. At the Theater at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, downtown 90015; 7pm; $22-$105; tix here.
Thurs. Oct. 22 -- Rad instrumentalists Double Naught Spy Car (10pm) continue their residency with a great bill: the space-pop hallucinations of Kaoru & Dutz's Acre Foot (9pm) and the metallic guitar wails of Sylvia Juncosa (11pm). At Café NELA, 1906 Cypress Ave., Glassell Park 90065; 8pm; $10; beer only; 21+; www.cafenela.net.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.