THURSDAY JULY 22



JAZZ UNDER THE STARS

Trumpets 5, a five-trumpet combo with a jazz rhythm section of piano, bass, and drums, graces this free series of summertime jazz concerts. Syd Potter, Jay Thomas, Jim Sisko, Vern Sielert, and Andy Omdahl man the trumpet frontline. Free star charts are distributed at each performance, so after the gig you can peer into the telescope of PLU's Keck Observatory and survey the night sky. Outdoor Amphitheater, PLU campus, near Eighth Ave S and Wheeler St S, Tacoma, 253-535-7602, 7 pm, free.

FRIDAY JULY 23



SCMS SUMMER FESTIVAL

Schubert's dusky Octet, scored for strings and winds, anchors this concert of chamber music. Brahms' Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major, op. 99 and the Sonata for Oboe and Piano in D Major op. 166 by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) round out the program. Apart from the umlauted ë, Saint-Saëns has three claims to fame: his posthumously popular Carnival of the Animals, an outsize Third Symphony, and an ability to write more music than most people could concoct (or critically assess) in six lifetimes. Pianist Jeremy Denk and violinist Scott St. John kick things off in the chapel with Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano, op. 80. Lakeside School, 14050 First Ave NE, 283-8808, 7 pm, $7-$35.

SATURDAY JULY 24



VISHAL NAGAR

This unusual recital focuses on the tabla. When played well, this pair of small North Indian drums can dilate our sense of time with long sequences of ever-additive, timbrally kaleidoscopic rhythms. Don't bother counting, just listen and be transported. Urmila Nagar accompanies on the harmonium. Brechemin Auditorium in the Music Building, UW campus, 685-8384, 7 pm, free.

TWO BASSES & SPOONS

I only remember two things from last summer's most memorable party: the witty lass who deemed Metro Transit "the dating shame train," and Artis the Spoonman. Best known for collaborating with Soundgarden, Artis served up a set of fine freely improvised music with an indomitable array of spoons and then politely listened to me prattle endlessly about field recording. This time, Artis teams up with two brash bassists, Michael Bisio and Dustin Riecan. Office Products, the Portland-based duo of David Chandler and Doug Theriault, rank among the best electro-experimentalists in the region. Essential. Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union St, 329-4224, 8 pm, $8.

GRETA MATASSA QUARTET

Matassa, a sassy vocalist with a commanding set of pipes, sings standards, old chestnuts, and snazzy originals. Tula's, 2214 Second Ave, 443-4221, 9 pm, $12.

WEDNESDAY JULY 28



FLOYD STANDIFER GROUP

Trumpeter Standifer and his group serve up well-stewed, savory bop standards. If you're lucky, he'll croon a tune, too. Some were surprised that Standifer won Earshot's award for Northwest Vocalist of 2003, but I still remember his stirring rendition of "Everything Happens to Me" at Bumbershoot last year. New Orleans Restaurant, 114 First Ave S, 622-2563, 8 pm, free.