1. Anders Nilsson Group

Date: Friday, January 20, 2012
Time: 8pm
Venue: Barbes (376 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY)
Ticket: $10
Genre: Jazz/World/improve

Line up: Anders Nilsson – guitar, Brahim Fribgane – oud and percussion, Daniel Kelly – piano and synth, David Ambrosio – bass and Satoshi Takeishi – drums and percussion

Guitarist Anders Nilsson moved from his native Sweden to New York in 2000 and has made an impression as a versatile guitarist and band leaser. He performs regularly with singer Fay Victor as well as with William Parker, Sabir Mateen, Paquito D’Rivera, Eugene Chadbourne and many others.

2. The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Turns 10

Date: Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21, 2012
Time: 8pm
Venue: Peter Jay Sharp Theatre/Symphony Space  (2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York, NY 10025-6990)
Tickets:  $100/$80/$60
Genre: Cuban and Latin Jazz

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra have defined the cutting edge in big band Afro Latin jazz for a decade. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the best moments from their earliest Jazz at Lincoln Center beginnings to their latest commissions. A special world premiere will celebrate the commitment the Orchestra has made towards progressing this vital art form. Their album 40 Acres And A Burro is currently nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album!

For the January 20 performance only, a star-studded lineup of some of the world’s leading musicians will join the ALJO on stage in celebration of its 10th anniversary, including Ray Santos, Randy Weston, Dafnis Prieto, Claudia Acuña, Donald Harrison, Edmar Castaneda, and Fernando Otero, among others.

Benefiting the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s non-profit organization committed to Afro Latin jazz performance, education, and preservation. $100 tickets include admission to post-performance VIP party.

3. Gripping and Friends at Don Pedro!

Date: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Time: 8:00
Venue: Don Pedro (90 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206)
Ticket: $5
Genre: noisy world trashy rock/indie rock

A night of Avant experiMENTALism and indie rock, come brave the cold, let the sound beat away your chill…

Line up: Gripping (w. Jim Hoey/ Serious Heart Attack on guitar, Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi/SoSaLa on sax & vocal, April Centrone/NY Arabic Orchestra, The Secret Chiefs 3, SoSaLa on drums and percussion, and Dylan Ricards/Serious Heart Attack on bass), Tenrec and Multitudes (tba).