Frederick Experimental Music Association hosts Mini-Fest

Sep. 18—LAFAYETTE GILCHRIST SOLO

8 p.m. Sept. 22

New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St. Frederick

Lafayette Gilchrist returns to Frederick, presenting a solo piano program at New Spire Arts that distills a century of African American music through his unique 21st-century sensibility. Gilchrist creates an exhilarating, kaleidoscopic soundscape with original compositions that draw on Jelly Roll Morton's Latin tinge, Fats Waller's stride, Duke Ellington's elegance and Thelonious Monk's quirky swing, as well as funk and go-go rhythms. Gilchrist's solo concerts are an affirmation of soul, swing and grooves, essentials of American music. $25.

JANEL & ANTHONY

8 p.m. Sept. 23

Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick

Janel Leppin (cello) and Anthony Pirog (guitar) are stalwarts of the DC new music scene. In addition to their duo, they both play in Leppin's acclaimed Ensemble Volcanic Ash, and other groups. Janel is a conservatory-trained cellist, steeped in North Indian and Persian music, as well as rock and Americana. Pirog studied jazz at Berklee, subsequently exploring the outer limits of sound and tapping the roots of American music. They draw from numerous traditions, using an electronics-laced palette to create beyond-category music that is inviting and robust, teeming with engaging melodies and vivid textures. $15.

TREVOR WATTS & JAMIE HARRIS

Oct. 26

New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St. Frederick

Trevor Watts is a globally recognized jazz and world music pioneer. In the 1960s, the English saxophonist permanently expanded the parameters of jazz, co-founding Spontaneous Music Ensemble and leading the equally groundbreaking Amalgam. In the early 1980s, Watts formed the first of several ensembles under the Moire Music banner, blending rhythms from Africa and Asia with jazz-steeped virtuosity, and performing on six continents. Now in its third decade, Watts' duo with percussionist Jamie Harris distills 60 years of Watts' immersion in diverse music traditions with ear-grabbing themes, infectious grooves, and an uplifting vibe. A rare opportunity not to be missed. $25.