Critic’s picks

Jazz

September 11, 2011|By Andrew Gilbert, Globe Correspondent

JOE MANERI TRIBUTE Intrepid string explorer Mat Maneri concludes a New England Conservatory residency with a concert honoring his late father, Joe Maneri, the brilliant saxophonist and longtime NEC educator whose microtonal vocabulary influenced generations of musicians. Sept. 15, 8 p.m. Free. Jordan Hall. 617-585-1260. www.necmusic.edu/calendar_event

JAMES FARM Featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland, James Farm plays slippery original tunes that assiduously avoid post-bop clichés. Sept. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets: $30-$42. Berklee Performance Center. 617-876-4275. www.worldmusic.org

GARY BURTON NEW QUARTET Burton built his New Quartet around guitarist Julian Lage, the vibraphone master’s primary creative foil in his earlier Generations band, and added the superlative rhythm section tandem of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25-$35. Berklee Performance Center. 617-747-2261. www.berkleebpc.com

WARREN WOLF Possessing a light, clear tone and a blues-inflected style reminiscent of Milt Jackson, vibraphonist Wolf celebrates the release of his impressive, eponymous Mack Avenue debut album. Sept. 29. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25. Regattabar. 617-395-7757. www.regattabarjazz.com

KENNY BARRON TRIO With his winning combination of wit and grit, elegance and probing intelligence, Barron sets the standard for post-bop pianism. Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets: $25-$28. Regattabar. 617-395-7757. www.regattabarjazz.com

DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY Darcy James Argue has pulled off the unlikely feat of turning his creatively roiling 18-piece Secret Society into one of New York’s most acclaimed new bands, with a book that’s as playful as it is smart and ambitious. Sept. 30, 8 p.m. Tickets: $25. Museum of Fine Arts. 617-369-3306. www.mfa.org/programs/music

SAMMY FIGUEROA AND THE LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION A veteran studio musician and producer whose credits include a who’s who of rock, pop, salsa, and jazz, percussionist Figueroa brings all of his experience to bear in his Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz Explosion. Oct. 6, 8 p.m. Tickets: $25. Scullers. 617-562-4111. www.scullersjazz.com

MARLENA SHAW Under-recorded and underappreciated, Shaw is a veteran soul-infused vocalist whose wry, world-weary stance meets its match in the indefatigably swinging David Hazeltine Trio. Oct. 8, 8 p.m. Tickets: $30. Scullers. 617-562-4111. www.scullersjazz.com

PAT METHENY The guitarist has found an ideal interlocutor in Larry Grenadier, a bassist of rare eloquence and poise. Oct. 9, 5 p.m. Tickets: $34-$44. Somerville Theatre. 617-625-5700. www.somervilletheatreonline.com