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Jazz and more… Where I’ll be and where you should be…

MONDAY 1/5/09
Philly Rising Open Mic, hosted by Boy Wonder
World Cafe Live – Upstairs Live, 3025 Walnut St.
I figured it’s time I checked out WCL’s weekly open mic / talent competition, and you should too. If the quality of host Boy Wonder’s music is any indication of what can be expected, then we should be in good shape.
7:30 p.m., FREE

TUESDAY 1/6/09
Lucky Thompson & the Budesa Brothers’ Blue Tuesday Open Mic & Jam Session
Leroy’s Showcase Lounge, 4912 Baltimore Ave.
Veteran drummer Lucky Thompson has played with greats like Nina Simone and Patti LaBelle during his long career and led jam sessions all over the city (including at Natalie’s Lounge, where he was the music director for more than 10 years). Lucky and brothers Rich Budesa on keys and Rob Budesa on guitar are single-handedly keeping Philly’s great organ trio tradition alive. If you haven’t heard them play at the Showcase, a neighborhood bar with a friendly staff and a welcoming vibe, then you’re missing out on an essential part of Philly’s jazz scene.
8 p.m., FREE

WEDNESDAY 1/7/09
2 shows tonight… Start at Chris’ and then head down to Tritone, a few blocks away.

Chris Aschman Group
Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St.
Chris Aschman plays trumpet and steel pans and plays them both very well. If I had an opportunity to put together an all-star group of Philly’s young jazz musicians, I couldn’t have done any better than Aschman has. Joining him are Korey Riker on tenor sax, Barney McKenna on guitar, Leon Boykins on bass, and Anwar Marshall on drums.
8 p.m., $10 ($5 for students)

Tim Conley
Tritone, 1508 South St.
Tim Conley plays guitar with a few of Philly’s more exciting bands, including As Human and Grimace Federation. Hear him tonight in a trio with Doug Hirlinger on drums and Lucas Brown on keys.
9:30 p.m., call club for cover charge (probably in the $5-7 range)

THURSDAY 1/8/09
Orrin Evans Quartet
Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St.
Pianist Orrin Evans, who’s played with jazz greats like Pharoah Sanders and Branford Marsalis, brings a great quartet to Chris’ for a live DVD taping. Evans will be joined by some real heavy hitters: Tim Warfield on tenor sax, Eric Revis (who was in Betty Carter’s band in the “Ëœ90s) on bass, Nasheet Waits (who’s played with Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, and Jason Moran) on drums, and young Philly phenom Justin Faulkner also on drums.
8 p.m., $15

FRIDAY 1/9/09
Marty Ehrlich, Baikida Carroll, Erik Friedlander, Ursula Oppens, Daedalus String Quartet, and others perform the music of Julius Hemphill
Settlement Music School, 416 Queen St.
For more information on what should be an extraordinary event, visit the Ars Nova Workshop website.
8 p.m., $15

SATURDAY 1/10/09
The MLMs, In Flight Radio, and The Rowdies
Tritone, 1508 South St.
Melodic garage rock from one of Philly’s hottest bands, the MLMs (Ben O’Neill & Chris Gibbons), who released their self-titled debut album last month, and Brooklyn’s In Flight Radio. Starting the night are Philly trio The Rowdies.
10 p.m., call club for cover charge (probably in the $5-8 range)

SUNDAY 1/11/09
Sci Fi Philly: Untitled Original, et al.
Gojjo Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar, 4540 Baltimore Ave.
Untitled Original is Thomas Razler on tenor sax, Alex Maio on drums, and high school junior Jarrett Gilgore on alto sax. I’ve seen a lot of great performances at Gojjo in the months that this weekly musician-run jazz & experimental music series has been in existence, but Untitled Original’s performance in August was definitely one of the most memorable. Gilgore’s technical proficiency and expressive range will amaze you. I’m not sure who else is scheduled to perform, but Sci Fi Philly rarely disappoints.
9 p.m., $5