Fri. April 6 -- Marvel at the eclectic Dali of the guitar instru-metal, John 5, with "very special guests." State Line Empire opens. At the Whisky, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; 8pm; $20 (sold out); all ages; (310) 652-4202; www.whiskyagogo.com.
Fri.-Sat. April 6-7 -- Manly post-traditional tenor saxist Walter Smith III celebrates the release of a new record with bassist Harish Raghavan, drummer Greg Hutchinson and friends. 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; $25; 21+; parking $9 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. April 7 -- Puerto Rican saxist David Sanchez comes at ya with rhythm, melody, imagination and plenty of help: pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Ricky Rodriguez, drummer Obed Calvaire, guitarist Lage Lund, percussionist Markus Schwartz and percussionist-dancer Jhan Lee Aponte. At Moss Theater in the Herb Alpert Educational Village of New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica 90404; 8pm; $35 ($25 students); www.jazzbakery.org.
Sat. April 7 -- Max Kutner performs deviant acts upon his guitar to scare your kids. "Soundspark," a SASSAS presentation at the Children's Theater in West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood 90069; noon; FREE; www.sassas.org.
Sat.-Sun. April 7-8 -- Melt your wax for the wild new Unwrinkled Ear Festival of Improvised Music -- in a church! AACM co-founding saxist Roscoe Mitchell, Brit sax extremist Evan Parker, Ornette cornet collaborator Bobby Bradford, Swedish percussionist Kjell Nordeson and Swedish keyboardist Sten Sandell combine in various groupings for brain-scrambling jamz. Big event! At First Presbyterian Church, 1220 Second St., Santa Monica 90401, 2pm; $20-$30 per day, kids free, tix here.
Sun. April 8 -- Proving you don't have to be dumb to be cool: Los Angeles Jazz Quartet, featuring guitarist Larry Koonse, saxist Chuck Manning, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jason Harnell. At the Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City 91604; 9:30 & 11:30pm; $15; (818) 980-1615; www.thebakedpotato.com.
Sun. April 8 -- Electro-jam as a guest or just listen to the outest of the plugged-in set at Soundshoppe. A SASSAS presentation at Center for the Arts, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 1pm; free; www.sassas.org.
Sun. April 8 -- Electronicists (etc.) William Basinski, Solid Eye, Def Sound and Lauren Halsey celebrate the release of SASSAS's latest compilation recording by listening to it, spinning their fave tunes and performing. At the SASSAS offices and parking lot, 5827 York Blkvd., Eagle Rock 90042; 4-8pm; free; www.sassas.org.
Wed. April 11 -- Avant sojourner and author Jack Wright corrals guitarist Zach Darrup and bassist Evan Lipson for Roughhousing. At the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90401; 7:30pm; free; smpl.org; (310) 458-8600.
Thurs. April 12 -- Roughhousing hits the eastern edge of the region. At The Battery Books & Music, 26 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena 91101; 8pm; $5 suggested donation; (626) 376-9913.
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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.