Jazz

In a pop world dominated by computerized beats and voices, trombonist Jim McFalls is helping to secure a place for the acoustic, improvisational sounds of jazz. For 27 years, he has been preserving the music's legacy through performance. FACULTY CONCERT / / 8:15 p.m. Tuesday / / Center for the Arts Recital Hall / / 410-704-2787

Jeff Chang closes his jazz saxophone solo with a post-bebop flourish on a recent Monday night. "How was that?" he says happily to an audience of 10 or so at An Die Musik. "`Like Sonny' by John Coltrane. I told you it's a great tune." Chang, 30, plays alto saxophone in a quartet with Devin Arne, 21, on guitar, Blake Meister, 22, on bass and Shareef Taher, 24, drums. The group plays each Monday night at An Die Musik. Henry Wong, the eclectic proprietor, says he reserves Mondays for Peabody Conservatory jazz musicians so they can get experience performing.

Vocalist Ruby Glover, a vibrant link to Baltimore's rich jazz heritage, died Saturday, a day after collapsing onstage during a performance at the Creative Alliance in East Baltimore. On Friday night, Ms. Glover was thrilled to see a full house gathered for a House of Ruth benefit where she was among the performers. With her silver cropped hair, Ms. Glover, 77, appeared as radiant and polished as ever on stage, recalled friend Megan Hamilton. Emcee Stan Stovall from WBAL-TV introduced Ms. Glover, who performed with the Tom Reyes Trio.

Winard Harper's natural gift for percussion became evident at an age when most children can't yet read. At 4 years old, as his older brother listened to records in their Baltimore home, Harper would drum on whatever was in sight. His family saw musical potential in him that ended up spawning a 25-plus-year jazz career. From playing drums with his brother's band in clubs at age 5 to performing with the likes of Ray Bryant and Jimmy Heath, Harper has experienced a lifelong passion for jazz, especially jazz percussion.

Twenty free shows have been added to the lineup for the Paetec Jazz Festival to enliven the open-concert atmosphere over the Inner Harbor, starting Aug. 9. A diverse lineup will headline the festival's free shows. Among the performers are the new-school funk act Soulive; the blues-rock guitarist Anders Osborne; the Latin jazz Rumba Club; a jazz trombone ensemble, Bonerama; and the blues-rock fusion of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the jam band Rusted Root. The previously announced ticketed portion of the festival will be at Pier Six Pavilion and feature smooth-jazz acts Boney James and Jonathan Butler (Aug.

At first blush, it's a bit hard to believe William Rhodes' art studio on St. Paul Street doubles as his home. Almost everything in the building is his creation. The three-story house in lower Charles Village breathes whimsy and oozes artsy textures even as you step through the front door of St. Paul Art and Design Studio. Just inside the house, the shine of the hardwood floor catches you off guard. Is it wet? The beams are the color of Sunday-morning sweet-maple syrup, and stretch from the large living room to a slightly smaller dining room.

Some time after 8 p.m. on June 23, a 10-foot, inflatable beach ball painted to resemble a globe will descend from the ceiling of the James Rouse Theatre, lowered by members of Squonk Opera. As the ball drops, audience members may notice that a detailed map of Columbia adorns this miniature world. If past experience is any guide, theatergoers will begin to bat the globe around, giving a different twist to the official city motto, "It's all here, now." COLUMBIA: THE OPERA / / 8 p.m. June 23 / / Wilde Lake High School, Columbia / / 410-715-3089 Columbia Festival highlights The Columbia Festival of the Arts, which opens Wednesday, runs through June 23. Here are a few highlights: LakeFest: The three-day festival features live performances from musicians and dancers, as well as a craft mart, children's activities and fireworks displays on Friday and Saturday, among many other things.

An art perfected by the late Charlie Byrd, who drew legions of fans to the Maryland Inn's King of France Tavern -- jazz continues to flourish in Annapolis. Attorney Elana Byrd and her husband, bassist Joe Byrd -- Charlie's brother -- are at the forefront of the local jazz scene with their weekly jam sessions at 49 West and in monthly concerts at Loews' Powerhouse. Its third floor can accommodate 100 patrons in a cozy, cabaret setting. The $20 cover charge and reasonably priced drinks provide an affordable evening.

The CDs on this week's playlist offer mostly refined, smoothed-out approaches to pop, soul and fusion. One artist streamlines her exotic style, while another uses a bitter breakup as inspiration for his debut. One pays a vapid tribute to his musically rich hometown, as another introduces her fiery sound to the mainstream. Zap Mama, Supermoon --Marie Daulne, the one-woman musical global village best known as Zap Mama, highly polishes her approach on this meandering CD. Sure, she still mingles an array of sounds -- worldbeat, James Brown-inspired funk, a touch of lounge jazz -- and an African rhythmic pulse supports it all. But the overproduced tracks nearly obliterate Zap Mama's raw, spell-casting, onomatopoeic vocals.

Perhaps there's a dearth of great songs out there. Maybe artists just want to interpret the tunes they loved way back when. Whatever the reason, there has lately been a wave of tributes and tribute albums. In the past few weeks, we have seen the release of A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, a star-studded affair featuring the likes of Bjork, James Taylor and Prince interpreting the poetically complex songs of the singer-songwriter. There's also The Sandinista! Project, a song-for-song remake of the Clash's sprawling 1980 Sandinista!

"Yes, I'm crazy," Henry Wong is the first to admit. Since the first full season five years ago of An die Musik Live, an offshoot of his compact disc retail store in Mount Vernon, Wong has presented nearly 900 concerts. This weekend alone, six events are scheduled, most of them in the comfortable 80-seat concert room above the shop. One of these presentations is at the University of Baltimore, the latest spot to see the An die Musik flag planted. Wong has put together two appearances by the fine Poulenc Trio there, the first on Friday with exceptional soprano Hyunah Yu, the second in March with Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

SUNDAY GWAR: The thrash-metal band from Richmond, Va., has been around so long that its original intent as a satirical band with punk roots has given way to a louder, heavier outfit with a strong cult fan base. The group is now known more for its outlandish and somewhat horrifying costumes than its musical stylings and lyrics. It hits the stage at Sonar, 407 E. Saratoga St., at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. Go to ticketmaster.com. STREET BEAT FESTIVAL: This Federal Hill community festival includes activities for the little ones, a new area for dogs on leashes and live music from Cold Cold Heartbreakers, Digital Elvis, School of Rock All Stars, Psycho Killers and many more from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event is free.

Anyone who wonders why jazz and the movies are often called the quintessential American arts should check out Bruce Broder's exhilarating documentary about high school jazz bands, "Chops," at the Charles Theatre this weekend. It's a swinging, exuberant depiction of a Jacksonville, Fla., ensemble that makes it to the Essentially Ellington competition sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center. On one level, "Chops" simply demonstrates once again that the cinema is our aesthetic melting pot, capable of absorbing every form of pictorial, verbal or musical expression.

The 49 West Coffeehouse and Cafe back room is an intimate, homey space where music fans can experience, up-close, musicians' creative artistry. On occasion it's possible to hear music royalty, as we did June 14 when native Brazilians Duduka Da Fonseca on drums and Leonardo Cioglio on bass performed. They were joined by local favorites Chuck Redd on vibes and his brother Robert on piano. Remembering Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim seemed appropriate in Annapolis, where the late, great guitarist Charlie Byrd helped popularize his music.

It's summer, when live music fills the air at outdoor concert venues. The largest concert - Annapolis Symphony Orchestra's July 4 Spectacular - comes to AACC's Siegert Field at 8 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. and entertainment starts at 6 p.m. Rain date is June 28 at 8 p.m. For this and all outdoor concerts, it's smart to pack lawn chairs and a picnic basket. From Linthicum to Annapolis, a wide array of musical choices, including big band, rock, soul, jazz and bluegrass, awaits listeners of every taste at free outdoor shows.

Jazz@Lakers 10:30 p.m. [TNT] Kobe Bryant (left) and the Los Angeles Lakers can finish off Utah in Game 5. The problem the Jazz created by winning Game 3 was sort of like what you hear about shooting a bear: Be careful, because sometimes all that does is make him mad.

This week's list of Top 10 Places to Hear Jazz While You Eat comes from a guest poster: Barry Glassman, founder of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance. They're in alphabetical order, with the days he says you're likely to hear some good music. 1 Cafe de Paris in Annapolis (Tuesdays and Fridays) 2 Donna's Columbia location (7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays) 3 Joe Squared Pizza in Station North (most Sundays) 4 Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City (Thursday evenings) 5 Meli in Fells Point (Sunday evenings)

1 Marissa, Marisa: The Maryland women face Utah in the NCAA second round at Comcast Center (7 p.m., ESPN2), so let's recall My Cousin Vinny in honor of the Utes. 2 Other Utah team: Watch out for Yao Ming the passer. And, watch out for those Rockets, who face the Jazz (10:30 p.m., TNT). 3 Momentum: needed: With the playoffs not far off, the Capitals (vs. Toronto, 7 p.m., Comcast Sports-Net) are still stumbling around (5-4-1 in the past 10). 4 Stick it: A good early-season high school lacrosse matchup: No. 4 Boys' Latin at No. 12 Dulaney (4 p.m.)

Deron Williams scored eight of his 12 points in the third quarter and Carlos Boozer finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds as the Utah Jazz ended a three-game losing streak by beating the visiting Washington Wizards, 103-88, last night. Ronnie Brewer scored 13 despite playing only the second and fourth quarters as punishment for oversleeping and missing yesterday morning's shoot-around. Seven Utah players scored in double figures. The Jazz (42-26) had followed a 12-game winning streak by losing the last three of a five-game road trip and couldn't afford to slip up against the hapless Wizards.

One of the most underrated vocalists of her generation, Patti Austin has survived countless pop trends in her 50-plus years in music. The category-defying singer-songwriter, 58, made her professional debut at the famed Apollo Theater in New York when she was only 4. The next year, she was signed to RCA Records and guided by her "godparents," the illustrious Quincy Jones and legendary Dinah Washington. In her teens, Austin became an in-demand New York session musician and jingle singer.