Ron Carter’s Great Big Band, led by the legendary bassist Ron Carter, opens the free Charlie Parker Jazz Festival at Marcus Garvey Park on Aug. 22, which runs through Aug. 24.

Conor Hanick plays the entire Book Of Sounds by German composer Hans Otte in a free concert on Aug. 21 at The Glade on Little Island.  

Zar Electrik is a band based in Marseille that blends rock and electronica with traditional Moroccan and North African music. They play on Aug. 20 at DROM.

Iris Dement has made seven albums during a career that stretches back to the early 90s, and her songs have a country-folk quality to them. She plays at Sony Hall on Aug. 19.

It was 20 years ago that We Are Scientists burst out of the New York indie rock scene with their debut album 'With Love And Squalor'. The band plays in-studio for the Soundcheck Podcast.

The Hard Quartet is a band that includes Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement fame). They play free show on Sunday afternoon, 8/17, as part of Union Pool’s Summer Thunder series. 

Sunny Jain (of Punjabi dance band Red Baraat) leads his Wild Wild East ensemble, and the Queens-based Gamelan Dharma Swara plays their Balinese gamelan music at Bryant Park on Aug. 15.

Brooklyn Maqam presents Japanese violinist Megumi leading a Brooklyn jazz band in music inspired by Arab classical music at Barbès on Aug. 13.

New Orleans-based guitarist and bandleader Chris Christy leads his quintet through blues, hoedown, and jazz, just to name a few styles, when he plays at Jalopy on Aug. 13.