* indicates events in the Angel City Jazz Fest; last chance to seize the 2016 challenge.
* Fri. Oct. 14 -- Trust Steuart Liebig to assemble a night of "Extreme Bassists" that will really draw you in. Liebig rampages solo with technically acute fingerwork and FX mastery; classical/studio dude Mike Valerio also goes solo; fusion groover Tim Lefebvre duets with drummer Troy Zeigler and singer-keyboardist Rachel Eckroth; Chris Cornell/Joni Mitchell lowbooster Miles Mosley duets with Carlos Santana/Roy Hargrove drummer Tony Austin. At the Edye at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica 90401; 8 pm; $35; buy tickets here.
Fri. Oct. 14 -- When the spirit calls, Miles/Herbie windman Bennie Maupin enhances the garden fragrances with pianist David Arnay, bassist Ari Giancaterino and drummer Kenny Sara; vocalist-cellist Shana Tucker guests. At the World Stage, 4321 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park 90008; 9pm (two sets); $25; www.theworldstage.org.
Fri. Oct. 14 -- Tool drummer Danny Carey's Volto freaks heavy with Spirit in the Room, The Rare Breed. At the Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; 11pm; $10; (310) 652-7869; www.viperroom.com.
Fri. Oct. 14 -- Them slow grooves are tough to cop, but weighty Dallas clangers True Widow nail 'em. With Lowlands. At the Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park 90023; 8:30pm; $15; (213) 413-8200; www.attheecho.com.
* Sat. Oct. 15 -- "Bird Calls" was Charles Mingus' tribute to Charlie Parker; it's also what India-derived saxist Rudresh Mahanthappa, a purveyor of extreme bends and terrifying runs, calls his band with trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, pianist Joshua White, bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Dan Weis. And I'm super curious about double-duty keysman Joshua White's Codes, which brings the leader's compositions and fleshly harmonic-electronic sensibility to a star unit featuring bassist Dean Hulett, drummer Jonathan Pinson, triumphantly resurgent saxist Ralph Moore and skyrocket singer Dwight Trible. At LACC's Clausen Hall, 855 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 90029; 8pm; $15-$25; (323) 953-4000; buy tickets here.
Sat. Oct. 15 -- It must be as fun to play with Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker as it is to hear his subtly FX'd interslidations; otherwise he wouldn't always be grabbing ace bands like this one with broadminded pianist John Beasley, bassist Dave Robaire and drummer George Fludas. 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.
Sat. Oct. 15 -- Two Israeli bros playing bass and trumpet, one grooving drummer and a headful of positive transcendence, that's Maetar, whom you will dig. With Nova Blue. At The Trip, 2101 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica 90405; 8:30pm; $10; 21+; (310) 396-9010; www.tripsantamonica.com.
Sat. Oct. 15 -- Metal? Jazz? Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Black Star Riders) revives his old fusion unit, El Trio, with drummer Joey Heredia and keyboardist Matt Rohde. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $20; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
* Sun. Oct 16 -- Wanna go someplace tweaky? Try Thumbscrew, featuring the anxiously distorted guitar of Mary Halvorson plus avant bass pillar Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. And don't miss Joel Harrison's Spirit House, where the wide-ranging guitarist enlists atmospheric-electronified trumpeter Cuong Vu, bassoonist Paul Hanson, bassist Jeff Denson and drummer Brian Blade (heard locally this month with Scott Amendola) for wide-open postmodern swingsations. At Moss Theater in the Herb Alpert Educational Village of New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 8:30pm; $15-$25; buy tickets here.
Sun. Oct. 16 -- "Jazz night": Trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom and his wild Miles/noise explorers Burning Ghosts rack it up with windman Andrew Conrad's A Conrad Trio and jazzrockers Snow Nerds. An Angel City Jazz Fest satellite presentation at Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado, LA 90057; 8pm; $10; www.bootlegtheater.org.
Sun. Oct. 16 -- A painless way to raise bux for the avant-art society SASSAS is to hit one of their "listening parties" and nibble/slurp with outistic creators at a posh residence. This time the human attractions are dub super-DJ Tom Chasteen and artists Aaron Curry and Liz Larner. 4pm; $75-$125; details and tix here.
Sun. Oct. 16 -- Elliott Caine's original/traditional band plays jazz that sounds good in bars. At the York Bar and Restaurant, 5018 York Blvd., Highland Park 90042; 7:30-10pm; no cover; (323) 255-9675.
Sun. Oct. 16 -- SoCal's Pierce the Veil make hard-edged epic pop-metal that might make me envy the young, if it weren't for the fact that they will grow up on a destroyed planet. With Neck Deep, I Prevail. At Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 6:30pm; $29; www.livenation.com; (323) 962-7600.
Mon. Oct. 17 -- What caused this show to sell out? Was it the fine metal combination of Brujeria, Cattle Decapitation and Piñata Protest, or the excellent theme, "Make America Hate Again"? At the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; 7:30pm; $25 (sold out); all ages; (310) 278-9457; www.theroxy.com.
Tues. Oct. 18 -- Make room for an infrequent L.A. visit by pianist Roberta Piket, who most recently devoted her easy flow and understated boplicity to the zesty "One for Marian," a tribute to her late friend Marian McPartland featuring windman Steve Wilson. Her star sextet tonight includes alto great Kim Richmond, trumpeter Mike Cottone, reed player Virginia Mayhew, flextoned bassist Edwin Livingston and storied drummer Billy Mintz, who makes his whispery cymbals penetrate your inmost essence. 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.
Wed. Oct. 19 -- The heaviest Swedish progmen on Earth, Meshuggah, twist your brain with their weird accents (hint: it's all 4/4!). Compare and contrast with the hoarse passion of Matt Pike and his blast-rockin' High on Fire. Great bill. At the Novo, 800 Olympic Blvd., downtown 90015; 8pm; $35; all ages; www.axs.com; (213) 765-7000.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.