The first weekend of the new year gets off to a brisk start. Among the highlights:
Victor Goines. The eminent clarinetist-saxophonist long has been a key player in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and serves as director of jazz studies at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Amid this whirlwind of activity, he manages to play club and concert hall engagements across the Chicago area, each exploring a distinct facet of his art. For this one, Goines will present two programs. On Friday evening, he’ll offer “The World of Clarinet: The Music of Benny Goodman, Buddy DeFranco, Artie Shaw and Sidney Bechet.” On Saturday night, he’ll present “Modern New Orleans Music,” covering work from the 1960s to the present. Goines will be joined by pianist Jo Ann Daugherty, bassist John Sims and drummer Clif Wallace. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Court (on the promenade); $20-$25; 312-344-1270 or www.wintersjazzclub.com.
John Moulder. In a city thick with jazz guitarists, Moulder stands out for the ferocity of his expression, the complexity of his harmonic vocabulary and the scope of his conception. He brings all of this to bear in many contexts, but nowhere more vividly than when leading his own ensembles. This time he’ll front an all-star Chicago sextet featuring trumpeter Orbert Davis, saxophonist John Wojciechowski, bassist Larry Gray, drummer Paul Wertico and pianist Jim Trompeter. 9 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway; $15; 773-878-5552 or www.greenmilljazz.com.
Trumpet Summit. What an exuberant way to herald the new year: A convening of Chicago horns featuring Quentin Coaxum, Marques Carroll and Justin Copeland. They’ll play music associated with trumpeters Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Wynton Marsalis, as well as original compositions. 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St.; $15; 312-642-6805 or www.andysjazzclub.com.
Roy Hargrove. The trumpeter winds up his extended, turn-of-the-year residency at the Jazz Showcase. Hargrove’s annual engagement has become a rite of the season in Chicago, audiences savoring his old-school lyricism twinned with a hard-bop sensibility. He’s leading a quintet. 8 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday at the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court; $30-$55; 312-360-0234 or www.jazzshowcase.com.
East Hubbard Quartet. Trombonist Luke Malewicz has established a welcome home for the East Hubbard Jazz Orchestra at Andy’s Jazz Club, where the band has been in residence for the past couple of years. During January and February, a smaller contingent will hold forth, with various East Hubbard brass players fronting the rhythm section. Malewicz will do the honors for this engagement, in the company of bassist Matt Ulery, drummer Lucas Gillan and pianist Andrew Lawrence. 5 and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St.; $10-$15; 312-642-6805 or www.andysjazzclub.com More Top Picks Sony Srs Xb32
Eric Schneider. Where Chicago saxophonist-clarinetist Schneider gets the energy to run the wee-hours slot Friday nights at the Green Mill — in addition to all his other appearances — remains something of a mystery. But we can be thankful for it, because Schneider embodies classic swing traditions and repertoire, having absorbed them by working alongside legends such as Count Basie and Earl Hines. This long-running engagement stands as a Chicago treasure, Schneider leading a quartet featuring pianist Dennis Luxion, bassist Steve Hashimoto and drummer Rick Shandling, with various musicians dropping by to sit in. 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway; no cover; 773-878-5552 or www.greenmilljazz.com.
Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater. Chicago blues legends of the mid-20th century are in increasingly short supply, which makes Clearwater’s presence among us something of a gift. On this occasion, Clearwater will celebrate his 83d birthday, likely in the high-energy, hard-driving manner that long has been his signature. 8 p.m. Saturday at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; $20-$34; 847-492-8860 or www.evanstonspace.com.
Stein/Ward/Revis/Black. The New Year will see the launch of a band staffed by bass clarinetist Jason Stein, alto saxophonist Greg Ward, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jim Black. They’ll play music penned by Stein and Ward. Considering the lineup, this could be an auspicious moment. 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; $10; www.constellation-chicago.com.
Andy Brown. A Chicago guitarist who consistently proves the power of understatement, Brown does nothing to call attention to himself and everything to cast a spotlight on the melodic contours and harmonic underpinning of the songs he performs. He’s playing Winter’s Jazz Club every other Sunday with a rotating cast of colleagues. For the first Sunday of the year he’ll be joined by bassist Stewart Miller and drummer Bob Rummage. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday at Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Court (on the promenade); $10; 312-344-1270 or www.wintersjazzclub.com.
“Live in Central Park (Revisited): Simon & Garfunkel.” Two accomplished cabaret artists, Johnny Rodgers and Lee Lessack, offer their take on a celebrated moment in pop music history. 7:30 p.m. Friday at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights; $40-$45; 847-577-2121 or www.metropolisarts.com.
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
Twitter @howardreich