Marian McPartland
The Egg, Friday

From being a vaudevillian, to playing in her husband’s Dixieland band, to riding the waves of jazz’s evolution through swing, bop and into the beyond, Marian McPartland is one of jazz’s rare treasures. She began playing by ear at 3, went on to be classically trained, and has hardly stopped playing since. McPartland’s gift for extemporization is matched by the near-impossible amount of standards she knows by heart. She’s held down long-term club residencies in New York City, recorded well over 50 albums, and spent the last 25 years hosting Piano Jazz for NPR. She can play with anyone, and has played with nearly everyone, but this weekend she’s gracing us with her trio. (May 21, 8 PM, $24, 473-1845)

Kevin Mullaney CD release party
E.O’Dwyer’s, Friday

Kevin Mullaney, commonly referred to by friends as Six-Seven Kevin due to his impressive height, will celebrate the release of his debut album, Busman’s Holiday (which he clarifies on the inside cover of the CD case as meaning “a vacation during which one engages in an activity that is similar to one’s everyday work”) tomorrow (Friday) at Saratoga Spring’s E. O’Dwyer’s. Collaborators on the album include bassist Tony Markellis, guitarist Torey Adler, and drummer (and Mullaney’s longtime friend) Mike Maggliozzi. You can check out some of the music from the new CD on Mullaney’s Web site, www.67kevin.com. See him live (and buy the disc, if you’re so inclined) tomorrow night in the Spa City. (May 21, 10 PM, 583-6476)

The NY Rel-x, the Wednesday Night Heroes
Valentine’s, Saturday

Women in punk rock are not only a minority, but a good portion can be irritating as screechy singers. This, thankfully, is not the case when it comes to the NY Rel-x, whose women easily avoid that trap. Instead, theirs is a sound some liken to the pioneering, female-fronted punk acts like the Avengers and Vice Squad. Joining the NY Rel-x for a few shows are the Wednesday Night Heroes, who are touring far away from the polite confines of Edmonton, with their raucous sing-alongs—akin to Stiff Little Fingers or Dropkick Murphys (when they were good)—in tow. Also rocking downstairs are local yokels the Sleaze from up Saratoga way, and Albany’s Infected Minds. (May 22, 8 PM, 18+, $7, 432-6572)

Sirsy CD release party
Northern Lights, Saturday

Sirsy, the very popular band who bill themselves as “female fronted pop that rocks,” are celebrating the release of their fourth album, Ruby. The new CD features tunes like “By July,” “Hostage,” and “Blacker Than Blue,” which they will most likely perform as part of their CD-release performance at Northern Lights this weekend. But if you can’t make it to help the band celebrate on Saturday, you have two other chances: tonight (Thursday) is their New York City version of the release party, where they’re doing it up and the Red Lion. Tomorrow (Friday), the band will be back in our neck of the woods at Crossgates’ FYE store, where they will do an in-store performance and signing. At Northern Lights on Saturday, 28N and North Allen will open the show. (May 22, 8 PM, 16+, $5, 371-0012)

The Business, Roger Miret and the Disasters
Valentine’s, Monday

The Epitaph Records Punks vs. Psychos tour hits Valentine’s this week, and Roger Miret knows a thing or three about both. As leader of the legendary Agnostic Front, Miret has been, as they say, “in the shit” more than a few times. With the Disasters, he leans more toward classic punk-rock than brain-bruising hardcore, with a sound reminiscent of Rancid or the Clash, circa Give ‘Em Enough Rope. However, there’s no reason to pout, hardcore fans: The always hard-working Miret will be back on the road with Agnostic Front less than a week after the end of this tour. Also on the tour are the Business, a torchbearer of Great Britain’s second wave of punk, circa 1980. Like many great working-class punk outfits, the Business tackle sociopolitical issues with toothy guitar hooks and anthemic choruses. Just try not to raise a fist and sing along. (May 24, 7 PM, $10, 432-6572)

Hot Club of Cowtown
Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, Mass., Tuesday

Garrison Keillor has called Hot Club of Cowtown an “act of musical patriotism,” whatever the hell that means. More plainly, Cowtown—that’s violinist Elena Fremerman, guitarist Whit Smith and double-bassist Jake Erwin (they all sing)—are known worldwide for their combination of earnest standards, classic-sounding original material, and the occasional tongue-in-cheek cover tune (“Chip Away the Stone”). They have five albums of “swinging string jazz” to their credit, including their latest, Continental Stomp, which aptly describes the band’s activities as of late, as the band have performed in the U.K., Norway, and Alaska in 2004 alone. We’re not sure if these guys hail from the same Cowtown where the “cow beneath the sea” resides in the They Might Be Giants song, but then they also sang about the “ardor of arboreality” in the same song, and we’re pretty sure that’s just a bunch of nonsensical hooey. (May 25, 8 PM, $28, 413-528-3394)

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