Donny McCaslin

Sat., Jan. 29, 8 and 10 p.m., $20-$22, Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.

by Shaun Brady

[ jazz ]

Saxophonist Donny McCaslin just doesn't go in much for drama. That's not a comment on his playing; McCaslin's tenor is both brawny and supple, given to inventive flights that have garnered him featured roles in bands as diverse as Maria Schneider's vivid orchestra and Dave Douglas' eccentric quintet. But as a leader, McCaslin doesn't indulge in the heady conceptual constructs of many of his peers, instead content to simply turn out an impressive string of top-notch releases. Each one of his recent recordings explores a slightly different style: the Latin inflections of In Pursuit, the pianoless trio of Recommended Tools followed by the horn arrangements of Declaration. His latest, Perpetual Motion (Greenleaf Music), finds him in an electric mood, which he'll be sure to continue here with keyboard wizard Uri Caine in the band.

Sat., Jan. 29, 8 and 10 p.m., $20-$22, Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.