Music this week

Live music and more, tonight through Thursday, compiled by Tom Di Nardo, Shaun Brady, Sara Sherr, Laurie T. Conrad and Damon C. Williams.

POP

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Benefit: Testifying for a good cause, Philly's own Dixie Hummingbirds, plus Willa Ward and the Johnny Thompson Singers, Marie Knight, Odetta and the Huff Singers will raise you up! Proceeds go toward a memorial for gospel singer/guitarist Tharpe's unmarked grave in Northwood Cemetery and local music scholarship programs. Keswick Theatre, Easton Road and Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 8 tonight, $30 and $42, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com.

Leslie Gore: It's been her party since she was 16. Now she's 62, and the pop songstress who paved the way for everybody from Pat Benatar to Madonna is still making strong, independent music. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7:30 tonight, $30 and $45, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

Richie Havens: His husky voice and singular guitar tunings transform every song he sings into something uniquely his own. He's got more than 25 albums to his name, but nothing beats the rare energy of his live sets. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7:30 tomorrow, $28, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

Raul Midon: It's a nice, nice time for R&B, especially if your ears were schooled in the '60s and '70s. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Midon brings on smooth vocals and crisp, Latin-tinged backbeats for a new take on the classic sounds. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 8 p.m. Tuesday, $28, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

ALTERNATIVE

Friday, I'm In Love: DJ Deejay of Michael Jackson vs. Madonna fame hosts this post-punk monthly with music by the Cure, the Smiths, Depeche Mode, and "good hair, bad hair, mascara." M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 10 tonight, $7, 215-739-5577, www.themanhattanroom.com.

Turnaround vs. Immediate: Former Delta 72 frontman and current Cat Power guitarist brings back his soul party, joining Immediate's mod classics and guest DJ Jayson Musson of Plastic Little. Barbary, 951 Frankford Ave., 10 tonight, $7, www.myspace.com/thenewbarbary.

West Philadelphia Orchestra: Fifteen of Philly's jazz, classical and experimental musicians jam Eastern European-style to benefit Project Theater Project's production "March of the Falsettos." With the March Hare, Victory & Good Hunting, and the Absinthe Drinkers. Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 7 p.m. tomorrow, $5-10, all ages, 215-573-3234, www.shermanarts.org.

Ravens and Vultures: Lady DJs supreme Darshana and Chetana Borah come out from behind the decks for this electro-folk project. With Dragons of Zynth and Ape School. Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8 p.m. tomorrow, $8, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.

Queen Diamond: Couldn't make this up if I tried: an all-female King Diamond tribute band. With a CD release show for the Hydrogen Hellhorses, the Dark Lords of Stonehurst and A Day of Pigs. Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St., 9 p.m. tomorrow, $8, 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

Hell Under The El: The prefix-less rock-'n'-roll night features regulars Whiskey Livin, the rockabilly acoustics of the Shock, reggae band Cheezy & the Crackers, and El Fuego. El Bar, 1356 N. Front St., 9 p.m. tomorrow, $7, 215-634-6430, www.myspace.com/hellundertheel.

Make Yr Break: Monthly queer hip-hop party works it with DJ Bunnystyle and a photobooth. Bubble House, 3404 Sansom St., 10 p.m. tomorrow, 215-243-0804, www.myspace.com/makeyrbreak.

'Eagle vs. Shark' DVD Release & Costume Party: Come to this screening of the tale of two social misfits dressed as your favorite animal and get a free drink. Balcony, 10th and Arch streets, 7:30 p.m. Monday, $3, 215-922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com.

Mirah and Spectratone International: Bryn Mawr native and singer/songwriter Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn debuts "Share This Place," a multimedia performance based on the lives of insects featuring stop-motion animation by Seattle animator Britta Johnson. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 8 p.m. Monday, $18, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

HIP-HOP

Solomonic Sound: One of the premier sound systems in the city. Catch this crew in motion with its trademark blend of dubs, roots, dancehall and lover's rock reggae. Bubble House, 720 Arch St., 9 tonight, free, 215-243-0804, www.solomonicsound.com.

Groove House: Fans can cool out to smooth, lounge-like R&B and cook hip-hop during this set, which features performances by L. Julius, Alaina Nelson, Santalina and the All-Star Cast. North By Northwest, 7165 Germantown Ave., 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $10, 215-248-1000, www.nxnwphl.com.

King of Kings/Lord of Lords Showdown: With a theme like that, this must be a can't-miss gig. With Megatone, Outlaw Wonder and the Solid Gold International sound system. Winston Irie hosts. Club William Penn, 5712 Ludlow St., 10 p.m. Sunday, $5, 21+, www.caribbeanbeatz.com.

Organic: Hip-hop takes a back seat to soul with this show featuring Raheem Devaughn, who will perform in support of his new album, "Love Behind the Melody." Songstress Ndambi will perform as well. North By Northwest, 7165 Germantown Ave., 7 p.m. Thursday, $25, 215-248-1000, www.nxnwphl.com.

CLASSICAL

Philadelphia Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach kicks off the Leonard Bernstein festival with the Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" and Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Francesca da Rimini." The big premiere is Jennifer Higdon's Concerto 4-3, written for the red-hot bluegrass group Time for Three. Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Broad and Spruce streets, 8 p.m. tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday, $10-$113, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.

Takacs String Quartet: Brilliant ensemble returns with three quartet gems: Haydn's Op. 74/2, Beethoven's Op. 59/3 and the searing Bartok No. 5. Independence Seaport Museum, Columbus Boulevard and Walnut Street, 3 p.m. Sunday, $22.50, 215-569-8080, www.pcmsconcerts.org.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Pinchas Zukerman conducts Weber's "Oberon" Overture and Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, soloing in the Beethoven Violin Concerto in between. Grand Opera House, 828 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del., 3 p.m. Sunday, $47-$51, 800-374-7263, www.grandopera.org.

Philadelphia Orchestra chamber musicians: Five of the ensemble's string players - violinists Hirono Oka and Yumi Ninomiya Scott, violist Che-Hung Chen, cellist Ohad Bar-David and double-bassist Emilio Gravagno - play an arrangement of Mendelssohn's Sinfonia No. 7 and Brahms' Second String Quintet. Music director Christoph Eschenbach joins in on their day off, playing the piano part in Schubert's beloved "Trout" Quintet. Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, 3 p.m. Sunday, $19-$29, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.

Philadelphia Orchestra winds: Five great principal players - oboist Richard Woodhams, flutist Jeffrey Khaner, clarinetist Ricardo Morales, bassoonist Daniel Matsukawa and hornist Jennifer Montone - join pianist Kiyoko Takeuti in a rare outing. On the bill, Hindemith's Op. 24/2 Kleine Kammermusik, Irving Fine's Partita, Ludwig Thiulle's Sextet and Samuel Barber's flowing "Summer Music." Independence Seaport Museum, Columbus Boulevard and Walnut Street, 8 p.m. Monday, $22.50, 215-569-8080, www.pcmsconcerts.org.

Tokyo String Quartet: Internationally acclaimed group performs Beethoven's Op. 18/1 Quartet and the local premiere of the Second Quartet, titled "Primera Luz," by the 34-year-old Russian-born composer/pianist/author Lera Auerbach. Curtis alumnus and principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Anthony McGill joins in on the Weber Op. 34 Clarinet Quintet. Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, 8 p.m. Thursday, $22.50. 215-569-8080, www.pcmsconcerts.org.

Philadelphia Orchestra: The Bernstein festival led by Christoph Eschenbach continues with Lenny's First Symphony, the "Jeremiah," as well as the Schumann Second Symphony. There's a second Jennifer Higdon premiere, "The Singing Rooms," with violinist Jennifer Koh and the Philadelphia Singers. Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce streets, 8 p.m. Thursday, plus Jan. 18-19, $10-$113, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.

JAZZ

Steve Lehman Quintet: Alto saxophonist displays his compositional wizardry in creating complex material for his stellar band – trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, vibraphonist Chris Dingman, drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist Matt Brewer. They make it look easy and sound blistering. Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., 8 p.m. tomorrow, $12, www.arsnovaworkshop.com.

Antfarm Quartet: Yes, they have a singer, but don't call Paul Jost a frontman; the Jersey-based foursome are a collective, and Jost, a multi-instrumentalist himself, is a musician's vocalist, just one among four strong voices, along with pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Tim Lekan and drummer Bob Shomo. The Quartet is celebrating the release of its second CD, "Dialogues, pt. 2," out on Philly label Dreambox Media. Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 8 and 10 p.m. tomorrow, $15, 215-568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com.

Jaimie Branch Trio: Young (24) trumpeter is an up-and-coming voice on the crowded Chicago free-jazz scene. Here she's leading an improvising trio with cellist Daniel Levin and drummer Tim Daisy. Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., 8 p.m. Sunday, $10, www.arsnovaworkshop.com.

Little Women/ Where From Here? A pair of young groups exploring the outer limits of modern jazz: Little Women, consisting of saxophonist Darius Jones and Travis Laplante, drummer Jason Nazary and guitarist Ben Greenberg, is a raucous quartet applying prog-punk attitude to free-jazz methods. Where From Here? is a sextet dedicated to realizing composer/percussionist Aaron Siegel's music. Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 8 p.m. Thursday, free, www.arsnovaworkshop.com.

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