MATTHEW McCOLL
Strange start times always befuddle me; a time like 7:45 is either a hint to show up early for parking or to gird your behind for a longer-than-normal program. Matthew McColl, cathedral guitarist at St. James, plays music from Scotland, Spain, and Brazil, by Stephen Kenyon, Joaquin Rodrigo, Paulo Bellinati, Boris Gaquere, and Carlo Domeniconi. Given the cathedral's spacious acoustics, this should sound great. St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave, 382-4874, 7:45 pm, $15.
AMY DENIO/GREGORY REYNOLDS
It seems like saxophonist/singer/composer Amy Denio spends most of her time playing with Balkan rockers Kultur Shock and composing for choreographers, so this solo performance of high-flying vocal and electronic improvisations may surprise some and send chills up your spine. Alto saxophonist Gregory Reynolds opens with a solo set, and duets with Denio close the show. Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union, 329-4224, 8 pm, $6.
PROGMAN COMETH
This three-day festival focuses on the Canterbury wing of progressive rock and features former members of soft machine, Hatfield and the North, Caravan, and Gong. Extended improvisation was a hallmark of the Canterbury groups, so it's no surprise that as prog-rock waned in the late '70s, many of the players wound up in jazz. Progman Cometh has lined up an impressive roster that includes musicians Allan Holdsworth, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Richard Sinclair, Pip Pyle, Phil Miller, Kevin Ayers, and Gong mastermind Daevid Allen. Also Fri Aug 16 at 7 pm and Sun Aug 18 at 2 pm. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave, 292-2787, 1 and 6:30 pm, $86.
SHIRLEY HORN TRIO
Championed by Miles Davis and Quincy Jones back in the '60s, Shirley Horn's smoky, velvet voice and adroit phrasing have only improved with time. Also Fri Aug 16 at 8 pm and 10 pm, and Sun Aug 18 at 7 pm. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave, 441-9729, 8 pm, $21.50/$25.50.
SUMMER FESTIVAL I
Kicking off Orchestra Seattle's four-night Summer Festival, conductor and harpsichordist George Shangrow and flutist Jeffrey Cohan tackle J. S. Bach's six great flute sonatas. Recital Hall at Benaroya, 200 University St, 682-5208, 8 pm, $15/$25.
AVRAM FEFER
This impassioned N.Y.C.-based saxophonist breezes into town and teams up with bass monster Michael Bisio and percussionist Greg Campbell. Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue at E Union, 329-4224, 8 pm, $8.
UNIVERSITY CHORALE
This outfit sings gospel spirituals, without--I hope--the excessive, word-disfiguring vibrato endemic to classically trained singers. Brechemin Auditorium, UW campus, 543-4880, 7:30 pm, free.
SUMMER FESTIVAL II
For the second night of their Summer Festival, Orchestra Seattle presents flute concertos by J. S. Bach and his son C. P. E. Bach. The curio of the program is a flute concerto by Frederick the Great, who, apart from ruling Prussia and fighting the Seven Years' War, composed music and wrote poetry. Recital Hall at Benaroya, 200 University St, 682-5208, 8 pm, $15/$25.