Wednesday: Phantom Ear Music Series
Curator Andrew Barker isn’t shy about framing Phantom Ear as a personal vehicle. “My reasons were mostly selfish, really,” he confides. “Performing in NYC over the last ten years, I’ve never liked being subject to the fickleness of promoters, or having to toe the line for a specific scene.” Still, Barker, a remarkably supple free-jazz drummer best known for his work with William Parker and Gold Sparkle Band, is doing his part to unify various local avant-gardes; a recent installment at Union Pool featured his own gritty improv trio with reed ace Sabir Mateen alongside the art-pop duo True Primes.
Next show: May 7 (myspace.com/phantomearmusicseries)

Thursday: Seven Concerts
Doing right by its austere name, Seven Concerts—helmed by electronics specialist Bryan Eubanks and bassist Andrew Lafkas—takes a minimal approach to booking. “We felt a need for a focused series, where one artist or group had the entire evening, free of the distractions of a shared bill,” Eubanks explains. Running at the Tank since this past October, Seven Concerts has given audiences extended face time with veteran mavericks like Phill Niblock, as well as younger artists like o.blaat. Sadly, the upcoming installment is the seventh and thus the last, for now. Nothing’s been announced, but we’re optimistic that Eubanks and Lafkas will start anew soon.
Next show: Thu 3 (rasbliutto.net/concerts/7concerts.html)

Friday: The After Party
Technically, the stage at the After Party is open to anyone brave enough to sing show tunes for strangers. But to make sure things get off on the right notes, the evening’s host—the irrepressible Brandon Cutrell—front-loads the lineup with ringers: Each week features guests drawn from Broadway and cabaret. (This Friday’s schedule includes Mary Poppins herself, Ashley Brown.) “When the first hour feels like a real show, it keeps people in their seats and excited—and drinking,” Cutrell explains. “Above all other things, we are a party on a late Friday night.”
Next show: Fri 4 (myspace.com/afterpartynyc)

Saturday: Red Desert Nights
When Tonic closed last spring, NYC’s underground-music scene lost a vital stage and gathering space. Enter Tom Surgal and Red Desert Nights, on the first Saturday of every month at Rehab. “No venue would book an eclectic range of acts in Manhattan,” Surgal says. “And being a native Manhattanite, I have a natural aversion to leaving the island.” So far Surgal has stuck to contacts built over his years as percussionist for the deep-improv duo White Out, bringing in regional artists as well as Dutch legend Han Bennink. Red Desert’s importance is clear every month; as bands like the searing local trio Sightings play, peers and avid fans commingle in the packed room.
Next show: Sat 5 (clubmidway.com)

Sunday: Freestyle Creative Music Series
Helming FCMS has given drummer Dee Pop a sobering perspective on the booking process, one that he’s recently shared with the artist friends he’s tapped to assist him. “Most of the curators have come back to me saying they couldn’t believe what pains in the ass some musicians were,” he says. “It’s good for musicians to see both sides of the coin—booking is a fairly thankless task.” Pop should know; he’s curated avant-jazz for years at venues ranging from the FCMS’s current home of Jimmy’s No. 43 to the now-defunct Internet Café and CBGB. He still oversees the series, but he’s passed booking duties to a monthly rotation of curators while he focuses on his jazz trio, Radio I-Ching, and postpunk quintet, Bush Tetras.
Next show: Sun 6 (freestylejazz.com)

Listen to sample tracks referenced in this article.

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