October's Angel City Jazz Festival casts wide net with Thumbscrew, Pharoah Sanders and more

The Angel City Jazz Festival has always cast a wide net in its lineup, which reliably looked to transcend boundaries musical and generational. With nine performances over the next three weekends from Santa Monica to downtown, its geographic reach continues to expand as well. Again setting aside a multi-act one-day centerpiece, the festival draws heavily from the jazz vanguard, including a saxophonist who helped forge the spiritually charged sound of free jazz in the '60s, Pharoah Sanders. Below, what to watch for in Angel City's fall offerings: What to watch for: Gordon is a young pianist who studied at UCLA before winning this performance slot in the festival's young artist competition, but keep an ear out for our city's connection with the Windy City in a band that includes guitarist Larry Koonse, pianist Josh Nelson and saxophonist Josh Johnson, whose star has continued to rise since his Angel City performance last year. What to watch for: German-born saxophonist Laubrock has a rich history of collaboration with Rainey, who in addition to playing drums on her recent albums "Ubatuba" and the live duet "Buoyancy" is also her husband.