Music critics' picks

Anyone deep into the local music scene ought to perk up and listen to the tunes drummer David Uosikkinen and friends are rerecording for "In the Pocket: Essential Songs of Philadelphia." Available (along with a cool documentary) at http:

Anyone deep into the local music scene ought to perk up and listen to the tunes drummer David Uosikkinen and friends are rerecording for "In the Pocket: Essential Songs of Philadelphia." Available (along with a cool documentary) at http://songsinthepocket.org and sure to be performed Tuesday at this "rotating crew's" jam session, the latest project entry celebrates the Philly/Brit connections Todd Rundgren was making with the Nazz on "Open My Eyes" - oh-so-Who-like at the outset yet also boasting a playfully left-field "lounge song interlude like the Association," noted guitar player Eric Bazilian. Rob Hyman, Rick DiFonzo and William Wittman also played on this energized remake, and Jeffrey Gaines nailed the vocal. All will be onstage, too, along with Richard Bush and Greg Davis, having a fine time while raising money for Settlement Music School.

Upstairs at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7 p.m. Tuesday, $13, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

- Jonathan Takiff

Although a relative newcomer to the music industry, soulful R&B singer Chrisette Michele has done a lot since getting her start in 2006 singing the hook on the Jay-Z song, "Lost One." Her 2007 debut, "I Am," gained her critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for the song "If I Have My Way," then a win a year later for the single "Be OK." Michele's second album, "Epiphany," was her most successful commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She's currently touring in support of her third studio album, "Let Freedom Reign," which debuted at No. 25 on the charts when it was released in November.

Keswick Theatre, 291 Keswick Ave., Glenside, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $42.50, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com.

- James Johnson

The Concretes, like every great Swedish band, have an ear for pop that runs through their ABBA DNA. The Stockholm sextet has more than a decade of Supremes-inspired heartbroken hooks under its belt but took a break for three years as frontwoman Victoria Bergsman left the group to focus on her folkier project, Taken By Trees. Drummer Lisa Millberg took over vocal duties on the group's latest, "WYWH" (Friendly Fire Recordings).

Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 p.m. Monday, $13, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.

- Sara Sherr

2010 was a developmental year for Daniel Peterson, a longtime member of Bobby Zankel's Warriors of the Wonderful Sound big band. Thanks to a grant from the American Composers Forum, the Philadelphia-based saxophonist/composer developed an album for his inventive octet Truth & Consequence. The CD's release will be celebrated at this performance.

Presser Hall, Settlement Music School's Mary Louise Curtis branch, 416 Queen St., 7:15 p.m. tomorrow, free, danieltpetersonmusic.com.

- Shaun Brady

Curtis' 20/21 Contemporary Ensemble is an elite group of young musicians dedicated to promoting new music. For this special program, co-hosted by Curtis and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, they've invited the renowned German composer Matthias Pintscher to conduct.

He'll lead his own "Songs from Solomon's Garden," the "Five Neapolitan Songs" by famed composer Hans Werner Henze (a mentor of the 40-year-old Pintscher) and Ravel's ravishing "Three Poems of Stephane Mallarme." The vocal soloists are Jazimini MacNeil, Julian Arsenault and Evan Hughes.

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad & Spruce streets, 8 p.m. Wednesday, $23, 215-567-8080, www.pcmsconcerts.org.

-Tom Di Nardo