Jazz

Guitarist Jeff Parker maintains a pretty strong presence in Chicago, which is something we should all be grateful for. What's unfortunate is that he's only made two records as a leader--we're talking about one of the most exciting and original guitarists of the past 15 years. His most recent outing is the 2004 Thrill Jockey release The Relatives, which veers away from the austerity of his 2003 trio recording for Delmark, Like-Coping, thanks to the plush electric piano of a fellow named Sam Barsheshet.

By and large, Flat Planet is a sublime melding of jam-jazz, R&B and Indian/Pakistani music. It's the kind of musical convergence that's not easy to pull off, but Haque -- a guitarist of Pakistani and Chilean descent probably best known for his membership in Garaj Mahal -- and his group manage it organically.

Seems like every musician who moves away from Chicago makes a pledge to sustain the musical relationships made here and keep collaborating from afar. But few have kept that promise as assiduously as reedist Aram Shelton, who moved to Oakland in August 2005 and has returned regularly, maintaining his roles in several terrific Chicago groups. The trio Dragons 1976 doesn't play much now that bassist Jason Ajemian lives in New York, but two other superb bands Shelton is part of will perform during his visit this weekend.

It's been a very good year for drummer Mike Reed. His quartet People, Places & Things earned widespread praise, and he's finally getting some of the recognition he deserves for his behind-the-scenes work programming the Pitchfork and Umbrella music festivals. A little lost in the shuffle was The Speed of Change (482 Music), the second record from his quintet Loose Assembly.

I met Freddie Hubbard many years ago backstage at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday. A few people warned me that he could be an asshole. He was a sweetheart.

My favorite yearly music bash, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, just announced its lineup for 2009 and I'm stoked about Aretha Franklin headlining the second weekend, April 30-May 3, which I annually attend. I've never seen the Queen of Soul and can't imagine a better place than the Big Easy for it to finally happen.

Raphael Saadiq and Dr. John are both on tour at present, peddling different brands of regressively delightful music to packed, loyal audiences. The Doctor (Mac Rebennack, to get technical) and Saadiq (né Wiggins) wear their influences on their sleeves and dress in full-on vintage: Rebennack in voodoo regalia, Saadiq in a chickadee-yellow suit and oversize horn-rims.

The distinction, of course, is that the Saadiq's throwback pose is provisional; the Doctor's is dynastic.

Another sign that the recession has been going on a lot longer than a month: Two local record stores are going bye-bye. In fact, Open Mind Music -- which moved to Market Street a couple years back in the hopes of staving off extinction -- is already gone, having shuttered its doors last month. (The store will apparently sell its remaining underground hip-hop, freaky techno, and oddball rock at the Other Shop on Divisadero and online.) Now comes the news that the 24th Street location of Streetlight Records is going kaput after the holidays.

The Deal: 31-year-old releases second studio effort as 14-song, double CD.

The Good: You can't complain about a lack of material here - the first disc is nine songs lasting roughly 50 minutes; the second disc is five tracks and runs just under 20 minutes. Yamagata's smoky vocals evoke plenty of emotion and her songwriting is superb. I started to give up on "Little Life" as a slow and sleepy number, but two minutes in Yamagata's vocals really kick in and the song gets a new life. "Sunday Afternoon" is a nine-minute epic that goes from lone piano moments to kicked-up choruses full of strings and heartfelt singing to a brief moment of exploratory instrumentation reminiscent of Pink Floyd. It's no wonder why she's worked with artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams, Jason Mraz, Connor Oberst and Mandy Moore. The musical layers add just the right flavor when needed - found in the form of string sections or horns. Her voice goes well with the whispered style of LaMontagne on "Duet." The second disc is five songs - including a few more upbeat pop songs that show her diversity as a singer, songwriter and artist. Yamagata can set a mood in slower songs and bring the right energy for the faster ones.