Wynton Marsalis, Greensky Bluegrass, Sun Ra Arkestra, and more musicians tour Philly this weekend
The Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra comes to town with Iraqi oud player Naseer Shama, and there's bluegrass at the Met, metal in Fishtown and Atlantic City and the Sun Ra Arkestra in Delaware.
This weekend’s concert picks feature a jazz orchestra paired with an Iraqi oud player at the Academy of Music and a jazz Arkestra at the Arden Gild Hall in Delaware. Plus a leading jamgrass band, a roots-rock double bill in Bucks County, and hair metal in Fishtown.
1. Sarah Borges and Miss Tess
Promoted as The Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Co-Headlining Tour, this jaunt teams up two formidable women with roots-rock inclination. Borges is out on the road in support of her crunching, Neil Young-ish album Together Alone, which was produced by her band mate, Joan Jett-Del Lords guitarist Eric “Roscoe” Ambel. The Moon Is An Ashtray, the sixth album by Miss Tess released in 2022, favors a satisfyingly warm vintage Southern R&B and soul sound. $21.50-$29.50, 8 p.m., 1/20, Sellersville Theater, 18 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, st94.com
2. BoomBox feat. Back Beat Brass
BoomBox is Zion Rock Godchaux, son of former Grateful Dead members Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux. As BoomBox, along with partner Russ Randolph, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama based Godchaux makes electronic music steeped in funk, soul, blues and reggae. Ethno featuring Jeff Franca of Thievery Corporation open. $22-$35, 8:30 p.m., 1/20, Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, ardmoremusichall.com.
3. 9 Dead
There’s a high volume quintuple bill at Anchor Rock Club this weekend. It brings a measure of metal mayhem to the Jersey shore. Headliners are Gloucester City’s 9 Dead, whose self titled debut kicks off with “Abysmal Stupor” — the ideal fit for your dark mid-winter mood. Also on the bill presented by promoter Emma Sanborn are Sunburner, Float Omen, Plead the Widow’s Cause, and Papier-Mache. $13.32, 7:30 p.m., 1/20, Anchor Rock Club, 247 S. New York Ave., Atlantic City, anchorrockclub.com.
4. Bobby Zankel & the Wonderful Sound Time Travelers
Avant garde saxophonist and composer Bobby Zankel is playing two nights at Solar Myth in South Philly. Usually the Philadelphia musician’s ensembles are billed at the Warriors of Wonderful Sound. His new band, with long-time collaborators William Parker and Chad Taylor and fresher faces like sax player Isaiah Collier, makes a point of being intergenerational. Thus, they are the Wonderful Sound Time Travelers. These are seated shows. $35, 8 p.m., 1/20-1/21, Solar Myth, 1131 S. Broad St., arsnovaworkshop.org.
5. Greensky Bluegrass
The Kalamazoo, Mich. quintet Greensky Bluegrass stands alongside acts like Billy Strings, Trampled by Turtles, and Yonder Mountain String Band. All “jamgrass” bands that stretch acoustic bluegrass out to appeal to the jam band community. Their 2022 Stress Dreams addressed pandemic anxiety, and along with an immersive light show, they’re known for reaching out to classic rock fans with covers Pink Floyd and John Prine. $32, 8 p.m., 1/21, Fillmore Philadelphia, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com.
6. Sun Ra Arkestra
Marshall Allen & the Arkestra head to Delaware at a time when the Sun Ra brand is highly visible, what with the adventurous Germantown-based band effortlessly moving from swing to electronic music releasing a new studio album Living Sky. This amidst a continuing string of re-issues of the work of the visionary artist also known as Herman “Sonny” Blount. $33.99, 8 p.m., 1/21, Arden Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, Wilmington, ardenconcerts.com.
7. Karl Blau
Karl Blau made his name in the underground as an indie songwriter with a never ending stream of DIY albums that he began releasing in the late 1990′s. After putting out the cheekily titled Introducing Karl Blau — an album of cover songs — in 2016, Blau moved to the Germantown, Philadelphia, where he has continued his prolific ways. Last year, he put out an overlooked, moody, country-leaning album called Love & Harm. He’s playing Saturday with his band Country Gravel, and Wolf Van Elmand, Sam Rise and Noah Roth as opening acts. $15, 8 p.m., 1/21, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com
8. Heaven’s Edge
The legend of Heaven’s Edge — a standout of the 1980s Philadelphia hair metal scene alongside Cinderella — includes an incident at Empire Rock Club in Northeast Philly in which bassist George G.G. Guidotti was shot in the abdomen by a patron while on stage. The band broke up in 1993, then reunited 20 years later. Guidotti died of cancer in 2019, but the band has regrouped with new bassist Jason Gulino. Frankenstain 3000 open. Brooklyn Bowl’s Spread the Warmth coat drive, in partnership with Change Church, is encouraging fans to bring coats to shows between now and Feb. 3. $25, 8 p.m., 8/21, Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia, 1009 Canal St., brooklynbowl.com/philadelphia
9. Hot Club of Philadelphia
The Philly band led by guitarist Barry Wahrhaftig, takes its cues from the 1930s Hot Club of France Quintet that included Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, swing their way into the upstairs The Loft at City Winery for an afternoon show billed as a Gypsy Jazz Brunch. Phyllis Chappell is featured vocalist. $15-$20m 12 p.m., 1/22, City Winery Philadelphia, citywinery.com/philadelphia.
10. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Naseer Shamma
Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra didn’t make it to Philadelphia on their crowd pleasing holiday music tour this season. But, here they are in January stretching out on an intriguing run with Iraqi oud player Naseem Shamma in an event that’s billed as Middle East Meditations. The band will play composition by Marsalis, Shamma, and other orchestra members. $25-$99, 7 p.m., 1/22. Academy of Music, kimmerlculturalcampus.org.