THURSDAY OCTOBER 13
JIMMY BENNINGTON
This wide-ranging drummer teams up with two alumni of Al Hood's now-legendary weekly jazz workshops, saxophonist Dick Valentine and bassist Steve Wanaka. Expect straight-ahead tunes and fierce free-improvisation. Blue Moon Tavern, 712 NE 45th, 545-8190, 9 pm, free.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 15
THE END OF THE AFFAIR
I haven't seen Jake Heggie's freshly revised opera based on the Graham Greene novel, but I'm always excited to see a violation of the Sixth Law of Opera: Thou shalt not remount or revive any opera by a living composer. Through Sat Oct 29. See www.seattleopera.org for full dates and times. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St, 389-7676, 7:30 pm, $45–$127.
THE ESOTERICS
Singing music inspired by Islam, this a cappella tackles "Mombasa matatu meditation" by Vancouver composer Hussein Janmohamed, Bern Herbolsheimer's "Kader kiç (Night of Destiny)," and a large cantata, Twelve Qur'anic Visions, by the group's director Eric Banks. Also Sun Oct 16 at Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle at 3 pm. St Joseph's Church, 732 18th Ave E, 935-7779, 8 pm, $10–$20.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16
PHILHARMONIA NW
Most pre-Berlioz classical music is often performed at venues that are too cavernous, so I'm glad conductor Roupen Shakarian is leading a meat-and-potatoes classical program at such an acoustically appropriate venue. On the program: Mozart's Magic Flute Overture, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the excellent Byron Schenkman, and Haydn's Symphony No. 99, which, like many Haydn symphonies, probably has a dumb nickname that I'm forgetting right now. St Stephen's Church, 4805 NE 45th St, 522-7144, 2:30 pm, $10/15.
WALLY SHOUP
Shoup, a combustible improviser who mixes it up with punchy riffs, squalling bursts, and abrupt asides, teams up with saxophonist Paul Flaherty and drummer Chris Corsano. A sage of the old school, Flaherty is a hard-charging, torrential blower, so batten down as all three whip up a free jazz hurricane. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave at E Union St, 322-1533, 8 pm, $5–$15 sliding-scale donation.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19
BILL RIEFLIN
Here's my nominee for sleeper gig of the week. Rieflin, who has drummed for Ministry, Pigface, and just about everybody else under the sun, hosts a night of "improvised instrumental slow music." A slew of special guests are expected to appear, including REM's Peter Buck, Fred Chalenor, Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Pearl Jam), King Crimson kingpin Robert Fripp, and the utterly enigmatic Hector Zazou. How slow is slow? I'm hoping for 7 beats a minute or a guitar chord every 30 seconds. Crocodile Cafe, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611, 9 pm, $8/$10.
INTERFERENCE
If you're impatient for next week's Earshot Jazz Festival, try Vancouver New Music's four-day mini-fest. Avant guitarist Fred Frith teams up with two staples of Montreal's thriving "musique actuelle" scene, Pierre Tanguay and Jean Derome. Also slated for the festival: Kaffe Matthews, Janek Schaefer, Joane HĂ©tu, Dianne Labrosse, and many others. See www.newmusic.org for details. Through Sat Oct 22. Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC, 604-606-6400, 7:30 pm, $10/15.