Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman
Last time he was in the Twin Cities, adventurous jazz pianist Mehldau collaborated with mandolin master Chris Thile, the new host of "A Prairie Home Companion." This time Mehldau is teaming with saxophonist Redman, in whose quartet he cut his teeth in the 1990s. Considered one of the more influential jazz pianists of this century, Mehldau usually works with his own trio. However, he's doing a three-city duo collaboration with Redman, who, like Mehldau, is a masterful improviser.
Sept. 25-26 Dakota Jazz Club, $25-$50, dakotacooks.com
Sigur Rós
Iceland's beloved ambient rock outfit is rolling toward its first album in three years by scaling back to smaller venues and stripping down on the road. The band will perform strictly as a trio this fall — sans the strings players and everything — previewing new tracks and reinventing old faves in two distinct sets. It's still offering the visual component that helped make its shows memorable going back to the mesmerizing 2001 show at the Woman's Club.
Sept. 29, Orpheum Theatre, $53.50-$83.50, Ticketmaster.com
Brian Wilson
Bill Pohlad's terrific 2014 film "Love and Mercy" gave fans a penetrating view into the genius and strangeness of the Beach Boys' guiding light. The musical icon has a new memoir due this fall, "I Am Brian Wilson," that chiefly explores his second act, mostly as a solo artist. But in concert he's revisiting one of the crowning achievements of his first act — "Pet Sounds," the glorious, ambitious 1966 album that is often rated as one of the top rock albums of all time.
