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Jef Lee Johnson, who brings his trio to Germantown’s LaRose on Friday night

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

MONDAY 3/23/09
George Urgo
ERA Bar, 2743 Poplar St.
There’s a new weekly live music series at ERA organized by the Monday bartender, Pier Hart. She plans to mix things up a bit as time goes on, but for now George Urgo, a solo blues performer, is holding it down.
10 p.m., FREE

TUESDAY 3/24/09
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 3/25/09
Ben Schachter’s re:Trio
TIME , 1315 Sansom St.
Tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter and his talented young bandmates, bassist Leon Boykins and drummer Matt Scarano , are good enough to be playing at the Village Vanguard in New York or in a concert hall in Europe, but instead they play every Wednesday right here in Philly, in TIME’s upstairs lounge.
9 p.m., $5

THURSDAY 3/26/09
Drake, Cassorla
Tritone, 1508 South St.
Drake’s music is so sincere that they make their instrumentation–MC, trumpet, cello, upright bass, and drums–seem totally normal. Don’t worry about what label to stick on it… Just groove in the tight pocket created by drummer Alex Maio and bassist Josh Machiz, dig the poetry in MC Storyville’s rhymes, and be moved by the cry of Monica McIntyre’s cello. And don’t forget to thank the band’s leader, trumpeter/vocalist Dave Ramsey, for keeping the whole thing together. They’ll kick off their new 4th-Thursday-of-the-month residency at Tritone with some help from Ben Cassorla’s Brooklyn/LA-based group.
9:00 p.m., $5

FRIDAY 3/27/09
Jef Lee Johnson at Blues Night @ LaRose
LaRose Jazz Club, 5531 Germantown Ave.
Chaka Khan called him “a gift from god.” ?uestlove went one step further and said he IS god. Guitarist Jef Lee Johnson has played with Aretha Franklin, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, McCoy Tyner, George Duke, and a long list of popular musicians, but it’s his own music that’s truly mind-blowing. He’s been compared to Hendrix and Prince and, while few would call him a blues performer in the traditional sense, his guitar playing is steeped in the blues; legends like Robert Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell are definite influences on his sound. Joining Jef for this show are bassist Tarus Mateen (who has worked with Betty Carter, Terrence Blanchard, Jason Moran, and others) and drummer Adam Guth (formerly of Gutbucket).
8 p.m. $10

SATURDAY 3/28/09
West Philadelphia Orchestra, Ansambl Mastika, Jack Ohly
North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St.
9 p.m., $10

SUNDAY 3/29/09
Sci Fi Philly
Gojjo Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar , 4540 Baltimore Ave.
This weekly musician-run jazz & experimental music series never disappoints. Tonight… New York Is Still Now (Chris DiMeglio on trumpet, Ras Moshe on tenor, Brad Farberman on guitar, and Dave Miller on drums) and a solo performance from guitarist Chris Forsyth.
9 p.m., $5