Fri., Oct. 11, J. Lately & J. Good
Bows and Arrows, 7:30 p.m., $5
Back in April, Oakland rapper J. Lately and Sacramento rapper J. Good collaborated on the PB&Js album. While individually both rappers are known for their laid-back flows and old-school boom-bap beats, together they produce an album that’s twice as relaxed, twice as raw and twice as old-school. These aren’t retro beats by any means. The production is top-notch, slicker than anything going around at the dawn of old-school hip-hop, but it has the same bare-bones aesthetic that the genre was built on. This show at Bows & Arrows is part of the PB&Js West Coast promotional tour. The duo will be joined by Sacramento rapper Chuuwee. 1815 19th Street, www.justlatelymusic.com.
—Aaron Carnes
Fri., Oct. 11, Narwhal
Shine, 8 p.m., $5
Harkening back to early Genesis, Pink Floyd and even Neil Young on “Open Road,” Narwhal’s progressive folk-rock sound blends electronica with guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion and mandolin. This quartet of songwriters and singers has been performing around the greater-Sacramento area for the past couple of years and will be joined by electro-acoustic instrumental quartet 4th World, whose work is influenced by trumpeter John Hassell, Brian Eno and Farafina, among others. Its sound is both ancient and contemporary, beckoning listeners to step into another time and place. Opening is Chad E. Williams, Sacramento guitarist, filmmaker, frequent contributor to Instagon and founding member of Garage Jazz Architects. 1400 E Street, www.facebook.com/narwhaltheband.
—Trina L. Drotar
—Steph Rodriguez
Mondavi Center, 8 p.m., $25-$49
Jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal has tickled the ivories for more than six decades. Over the years, he’s pioneered a rhythmic method of jazz piano solos—something that’s continued to stick out in an era of speedy bebop licks. The 83-year-old, who performs Saturday at the Mondavi Center, is also known for his keen sense of interplay with other musicians (check out the 1981 LP Ahmad Jamal/Gary Burton in Concert, for example). He’s also popular with a new generation of hip-hop artists—several have sampled his work; most notably, Pete Rock featured a sample of Jamal’s “I Love Music” on the Nas song “The World Is Yours.” 9399 Old Davis Road in Davis, www.ahmadjamal.net.
—Jonathan Mendick
