January 13-19, 2005

music

soundadvice

Mat Maneri Quintet

The name on the marquee may belong to violist/violinist Mat Maneri, but this quintet boasts a particularly strong frontline of boundary-pushing improvisers. Altoist Tim Berne is a hard-driving staple of the New York downtown scene, and Craig Taborn's chameleonic keyboard work veers from ambient tonalities to Hendrix-like electric guitar screeching. Don't expect too many quiet moments between the barrages of invention.
—Shaun Brady
Fri., Jan. 14, 8 p.m., $12-$15, Slought Foundation, 4017 Walnut St., 215-222-9050.

Elvis Birthday Bash

Hard to believe that the King would have turned 70 this month. Diehards can celebrate his birthday with what's being billed as a "reverent glance" at rock's first icon. Two impersonators — Mike Albert, who reenacts Elvis in his early rockabilly incarnation, and Scot Bruce, who captures the later "Vegas-y" Elvis — are both backed by the seasoned Big E Band. Expect passionate singing, and hip-swiveling galore.
—Nicole Pensiero
Thu., Jan. 13, 8 p.m., $28.50, Keswick Theatre, Easton Rd. and Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650.

Ray LaMontagne

Former shoe factory worker Ray LaMontagne emerged out of nowhere last year with a stunning debut album, Trouble, which had the 31-year-old cabin-dwelling Maine resident fending off comparisons to everyone from Van Morrison to Tim Buckley. With a voice that's somewhere between a howl and a sob and deeply soul-laden songs, LaMontange's shadowy past has seemingly only contributed to his mystique, and his talent.
—Nicole Pensiero
Tue., Jan. 18, 8 p.m., $15.50, with Willy Mason, The TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

Yohimbe Brothers

Vernon Reid and DJ Logic have always broken the boundaries of what a black artist is supposed to play. Logic's been the de facto DJ of jam bands and jazz revisionists, and Reid's one of the greatest go-to guitarists in the game. Together, they mix music as potent as their name implies (the Yohimbe root is "nature's Viagra").
—Andrew Parks
Thu., Jan. 13, 9 p.m., $17, with Moqita and a special solo set by DJ Logic, Tritone, 1508 South St., 215-545-0475.

Philadelphia Orchestra

Christoph Eschenbach inaugurated his "Late Great Works Festival" with a grand flourish, a reading of the last numbered symphony, the ninth, by Mahler, who seemed to die a hundred slow deaths. The festival continues this week with a rare local performance of Act III from Wagner's swan song, Parsifal.
--Peter Burwasser
Fri. and Sat., Jan. 14 and 15, 8 p.m., $25-$110, Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce sts., 215-893-1999.

-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there