THURSDAY MAY 19

SAM RIVERS TRIO
Legendary saxophonist Rivers has been probing the boundaries of improvised music for almost half a century; he remains fresh, forward-thinking, and fiery. With drummer Anthony Cole and bassist Doug Mathews, who, unusually, double on saxes and bass clarinet. Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 547-6763, 8 pm, $12/$14.

THE TIPTONS
Propelled by the front line of Amy Denio and Jessica Lurie, this saxophone quartet swings and sways through lithe, Balkan-influenced arrangements. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave NW, 789-3599, 8 pm, $8.

FRIDAY MAY 20

WALLY SHOUP & TOSHI MAKIHARA
Percussionist and long-standing Shoup sparring partner Toshi Makihara is the only person I have ever heard clutch empty air as an audible percussion instrument. A nimble mix of vaudeville, performance art, and whispering grace, Makihara can indeed make music just by flicking his fingers. Wall of Sound, 315 E Pine St, 441-9880, 7 pm, free.

TALES OF HOFFMAN
Seattle Opera has done a wonderful job staging Offenbach's tale of an impoverished artist who drinks and falls in love far too often. Lavish colors (especially the Gatorade Green motif in Act I), all-around good singing (for the role of Hoffman, I prefer the livelier John Uhlenhopp to Vinson Cole), and crafty sets that adroitly blend the concrete and the abstract (the elongated bar and the gondolas silhouetted against an unforgettable blue gradient were my favorites) make this one a winner. Also Sat May 21; students can catch the Sun May 22 matinee at 2 pm for $15. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St, 389-7676, 7:30 pm, $42-$129.

SATURDAY MAY 21

SEATTLE CHORAL COMPANY
The SCC sing sacred music from the French Baroque, namely grand motets by Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726) who composed such relatively short pieces for an impatient Louis XIV. St Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave E, 363-1100, 8 pm, $8-$20.

ULTRA ELECTRO MAN
Led by former members of the immensely fun but now defunct noise Dada combo Monster Defiance Headquarters, Ultra Electro Man is "a semi-improv, noise band with jazz influences." Apparently a competitive eating contest will take place during the show too. The Beacon Pub, 3057 Beacon Ave S, 726-0238, 9 pm, free.

NW FREE JAZZ FESTIVAL
This second installment of this new festival pairs the feisty Jack Gold Quartet with the flagship ensemble of the Monktail Creative Music Concern, Non Grata. "Free" refers not to the price but to freedom from preconceived sounds, pre-arranged forms, solos, and genres. Expect loud, rowdy, and searing improvisation. Blue Moon Tavern, 712 NE 45th St, 545-8190, 9 pm, free.

SUNDAY MAY 22

SEATTLE PHILHARMONIC
I caught this group's meat-and-potatoes concert back in April; although I didn't care for the ear of corn proffered by A Lincoln Portrait, their buoyant Tchaikovsky made my week. On the program: Brahms' Symphony No. 1, Suppe's "Light Cavalry" overture, and Richard Danielpour's exciting 1990 triptych, The Awakened Heart, which delivers thrills like a network-news theme on steroids. Meany Hall, UW Campus, 528-6878, 3 pm, $8/$15.