Gigs to see, October edition

Here, after a hiatus, is a completely biased list of gigs you should see in Boston this month. Feedback is welcome.

Monthly events:

First Wednesdays with Jim Hobbs, (10/6 this month), 10:10pm, Lily Pad. Don't sleep on Jim.

Second Wednesdays with Allan Chase, Lily Pad

10/6- Chris Potter @ Regattabar

10/6- Kenny Werner @ Scullers

10/7- Florencia Gonzales Big Band @ Lily Pad

10/9- David Maxwell/Jim Hobbs duo @ Lily Pad

10/14- Joe Lovano's US5, Regattabar

10/15- Hugh Masakela @ Berklee Performance Center

10/15- Mike Reed's People Places and Things, Lily Pad

10/19- Fringe plus 3Play, Berklee Performance Center

10/23- Aubrey Johnson @ Ryles

10/28- Chucho Valdez @ Berklee Performance Center

10/29 & 30- Regina Carter @ Regattabar

Ran Blake Birthday Celebration at NEC

Tonight at New England Conservatory there is a celebration of the inimitable Ran Blake, 75 years young, featuring an all-star cast of current and former students, live music to wild films, and surely many surprises. I was fortunate enough to be at the 70th birthday (I'm not able to make it tonight) and it was a remarkable evening. John Medeski reflects with Ran in yesterday's Globe. It should be a great evening, and Happy Birthday Ran!

Must see gig: Fred Hersch, Jordan Hall, Wednesday 2/17, 8pm

Fred will be playing solo. As documented in the recent profile in the New York Times, we haven't heard much from Fred recently due to poor health, which makes this gig all the more exciting. I was lucky enough to see Fred's last Jordan Hall concert in 2002, and it was spectacular. I'm sure this will be the same.

Rosenwinkle @ Regattabar tonight

For the jazz nerd in all of us- Kurt Rosenwinkle brings his crack trio to the Regattabar tonight, presumably playing standards as he did recently at the Vanguard, and on an upcoming CD.

I did make the Meshell hit at the Middle East last night, and hope to blog about it. The review of the Highland Ballroom show in the Times a good primer for this tour, though the sound last night was much better than it was in New York.

Ben Monder tonight at Beehive

Last minute gig update- Ben Monder performs tonight at 9pm at Beehive in the South End. I have stuff until 10pm, but may stop by. And it's FREE. Not to be missed.

More April gigs to see

I hope to have a fuller list tomorrow, but highlights for this week:

Fly, with Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier and Ben Street are following their well;-hyped new record with two nights with Berklee students at Cafe 939, Wednesday and Thursday, and a more traditional Friday night at the Regattabar.  I'm going to try to make Thursday- get there early, it will be a mob scene, I expect.

The Tipton Quartet, featuring Lounge Lizard Jessica Lurie, will play with the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble at Dante's Club in Somerville (Map here).  The story behind the group is fascinating, and the playing is good too...

Gigs to see- March/early April

I missed a lot of good ones so far in March, but there's still plenty to check out

Best bets (three way tie)

3/20-21: Cassandra Wilson @ the Regattabar (waaay too expensive, but she is amazing)
3/28- huge bill of Quartet of Happiness, Scurvy, the amazing Mostly Other People Do the Killing and Ronald Reagan at the Cambridge Y
4/3- The Bad Plus with Wendy Lewis @ Berklee Performance Center

Other good stuff

3/24- Jeremy Pelt @ Regattabar (so far I'm not convinced of him. Somebody change my mind)
3/26- Christian Scott Quintet @ Scullers
3/26-7- Kenny Barron @ Regattabar
3/28- Eric Friedlander @ Lily Pad
3/28 Jenny Scheinmann @ Regattabar (somebody tell me why they all have to be on the same night?)
4/3-4/4- John Scofield @ Regattabar
4/15 Florencia Gonzales Big Band @ Ryles

I have my tickets to The Bad Plus, want to get to Chrstian Scott after what I heard at Newport and have to decide between all those gigs on the 28th- MOPDTK probably win.