Local underground music wonders The Andreas Kapsalis Trio’s second album, “Original Scores,” takes its haunting melodic cues from experience composing film scores, including the 2006 Sundance premiere “Black Gold.” Toss this up with a heady dose of flamenco-influenced guitar, blues, African and Arab influence, the eight-finger virtuosity of Kapsalis and two jazz percussionists and you’ve got the magic formula. The culprit is Kapsalis’ extraordinary guitar-playing technique: an accident at the age of 18 caused him to learn to play admirably with one hand, which explains why watching him live is comparable to a circus act. His hands fly over the instrument in wild abandon, often using one hand to tap against the instrument while the other (or sometimes both) does a mad dance on the stem strings. Watching him perform a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Money” makes you wonder why anyone would settle for playing guitar in a conventional manner. (Marla Seidell)
February 28 at Evanston Space, 1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, (847)492-8860, and March 8 at the Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway, (773)878-5552.
Cooling It: A Preview of Colleen Green at Cole’s Bar When Green strums power chords or chiming notes on top of her backing track, you might think you’re at Ramones karaoke night and Madonna is taking her turn.
Brutal Finesse: A Preview of King Crimson at Ravinia There have been few new compositions from King Crimson these past two decades, but the live arrangements of songs from its catalog are often strikingly different than the recorded versions.
