How many ways can music move? There’s no definitive answer to this Zen koan, but you could have a good time conducting research in the coming week, which brings us shows by two new-wave groove collectives (SML and Kneebody, each with a new album this year); an eclectic juggernaut, reunited (Béla Fleck & the Flecktones); and a few custodians of the swinging mainstream (Joe Farnsworth, Emmet Cohen, Bria Skonberg). Pick your propulsion, and let’s go.
Spotlight: SML — Thursday, Solar Myth
When SML dropped its 2024 debut, Small Medium Large, the group’s admixture of loopy groove, staticky texture and shifting timbre came on like a transmission from some outer reaches. Behind the music was a method: rangy collective improv whittled down to size, based on a trove of live tape capturing the alert interactions of Josh Johnson on alto saxophone, Gregory Uhlmann on guitar, Anna Butterss on bass, Jeremiah Chiu on modular synth and live sampler, and Booker Stardrum on drums.
How You Been, from this year, fortifies SML’s formula with bracing results. The album was pieced together from six shows in four cities, but unfurls as a coherent whole, suggesting a contemporary heir to the Musique concrète funk of producer Teo Macero, maybe with a nod to Brian Eno besides. Or as Pitchfork recently suggested in a glowing review: “It’s a jazz masterclass taught in the Düsseldorf School, an amalgamation of Miles Davis’s On the Corner and Herbie Hancock’s Sextant for the Ableton generation.” It’s no surprise that the band’s show at Solar Myth is sold out — see about the wait list, or hang at the merch table to catch a vibe.
Dec. 11 at 8 p.m, Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, sold out; more information.
Charles Altura & Jonathan Paik — Tuesday, Black Squirrel Club
The Jazz Gallery’s Joyce Wein Mentoring Series pairs established artists with up-and-comers, often to fruitful effect. In this case, the mentor is Charles Altura, a guitarist known for his brisk, evocative work in bands led by Terence Blanchard and Chick Corea. The younger player is Jonathan Paik, a pianist originally from Los Angeles, with training at the New England Conservatory. Their meld has been beta-tested in various small rooms in New York, and it should come alive at the Black Squirrel Club.
Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah Street, $20-$25; tickets and information.
Kneebody — Wednesday, Solar Myth
A steady-working band for almost 25 years, Kneebody favors a sleek variation on jazz-rock, endlessly maneuverable in its interplay. Reach is a satisfying new studio album that captures the current incarnation of the group, with Nate Wood managing both drums and electric bass at the same time. The front line, as ever, features Shane Endsley on trumpet and Ben Wendel on saxophones, with Adam Benjamin handling chordal and coloristic duties on keys.
Dec. 10 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $30 advance, $35 day of show; purchase tickets.
Joe Farnsworth Trio — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
The straight-ahead jazz tradition has a couple of effective ambassadors in drummer Joe Farnsworth and pianist Emmet Cohen, who hail from different generations but adhere to the same principles of brightly swinging exuberance. (For a good illustration of their hookup, consult “You Already Know,” an uptempo Cohen tune on Farnsworth’s latest album, The Big Room.) The two groove-meisters settle in here for a weekend run with bassist Philip Norris.
Dec. 12 and 13 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, $100 and $120 on Friday, $35, $105 and $125 on Saturday, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
Béla Fleck & the Flecktones — Friday, Miller Theater
Back in 2008, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones made an offbeat holiday statement, Jingle All the Way, that ended up winning the Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. Now most of the band’s original lineup — with Fleck on banjo, Victor Wooten on electric bass and Roy “Future Man” Wooten on his SynthAxe Drumitar — has reunited for a Jingle All the Way tour, which will branch beyond holiday fare. (The mandolinist and singer-songwriter Sierra Hull has joined them as a sub for harmonica player Howard Levy.) As on the album, guests will include saxophonist Jeff Coffin and the Tuvan throat singing group Alash.
Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Miller Theater, 250 South Broad Street, $62-$117.88; tickets and information.
Bria Skonberg — Saturday, Ware Center for the Arts, Lancaster; Dec. 16, World Cafe Live
Christmas Is…, the peppy new digital holiday album by trumpeter and singer Bria Skonberg, splits the difference between classic and contemporary: here’s where to look for a fond new take on “Sugar Rum Cherry” (Duke Ellington’s boozy riff on a Tchaikovsky theme) as well as a laid-back lounge version of “Santa’s Coming For Us” (a peppermint bon bon by the Aussie pop star Sia). There can be no doubt that spirits will be running high during Skonberg’s seasonal tour, which touches down in Lancaster before winding its way to Philly.
Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Ware Center for the Arts, 42 North Prince Street, Lancaster, $17-$25; tickets and information.
Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street, $35-$53.65; purchase tickets.
