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THURSDAY 10/29

QUASIMODAL
A local trio with as many ties to Dublin and Tel Aviv as to Santa Cruz, Quasimodal is a diverse group of musicians brought together by a common love of the Central Coast. Made up of Sweeney Schragg on guitar, Chris Haskett on drums and Pete Novembre on bass, the group specializes in traditional folk numbers with a strong jazz influence. Classically trained and extremely well traveled, the crew has toured the world as both musicians and students, and the experience has made them one of the most polished acts to come out of Santa Cruz in some time. Kuumbwa; $12 advance/$15 door; 7pm. (Curtis Cartier)

FRIDAY 10/30

OZOMATLI
Stand on any street corner in downtown Los Angeles and from the passing cars, street performers and open shop windows will issue every kind of music under the sun. Eight-piece consortium Ozomatli celebrates this musical melting pot by squeezing elements of rock, funk, hip-hop, jazz, Tejano and reggae into its sound while still maintaining the sun-kissed SoCal vibe of the City of Angels. The group, in both music and membership, is in fact so diverse that it was recently named a Cultural Ambassador by the U.S. State Department. But at the end of the day, Ozomatli is more than just a spattering of ethnic influences. It's a fantastically talented set of musicians with a God-given knack for moving the dance floor. Catalyst; $24 advance/$28 door; 9pm. (CC)

FRI-SAT 10/30-31

SAMBADÁ
Masterfully combining the flavors of samba, reggae and funk for a smooth cocktail with a heavy kick and subtle aftertaste is SambaDá. With popping rhythms that draw influence from hip-hop and reggae styles popular in California and percussion styles from Brazil, the music unites the Americas as it lifts feet into dancing and voices to singing. Their most recent album, Salve a Bahia, was produced by Grammy nominee Greg Landau and features "Cadê Cadê," the song guaranteed not to get out of your head or from under your skin for days--not that you'd want it to. Moe's Alley; $15 Friday; $20 Saturday; 9pm. (Austin Sardella)

SATURDAY 10/31

FREQUENCY JONES
Funk and good taste have generally been the absolute inverse of one another. Funk has always been based on the spectacle and its own indulgences, and over time, the novelty has curdled to cheese. It could use a little freshening up. Fortunately, Santa Cruz's Frequency Jones knows just how to air it out. Upon returning from a trip to New Orleans, bandleader Renzo Staiano was inspired to form a funk outfit that sidesteps the kitsch and instead harks back to the genre's golden years. It is lean and limber dance music certain to keep the Halloween ghouls at bay. Crepe Place; $10; 9pm. (Paul M. Davis)

REBELUTION
It seems that every contemporary left-coast reggae act feels the need to drape its act in novelty or latter-day rock elements, making Santa Barbara's Rebelution an outlier. This is straight-up roots reggae, as fresh and crisp as a 12-inch out of Jamaica in the late '70s. Combining economical arrangements with can't-stop two-step reggae rhythms, Rebelution pays tribute to a bygone era with enough exuberance to avoid sounding like a nostalgia act. It's a refreshing return to basics that emphasizes a true fact: you don't need gimmicks when you can rock steady. Catalyst; $25; 8:30pm. (PMD)

EXTRA LARGE
Extra Large shows are always an occasion to party, but an Extra Large show on Halloween night is guaranteed to go off. This Santa Cruz band's energetic fusion of reggae, funk and world music is tailor-made to keep feathers shaking on the dance floor until the roosters crow. Expect the six-piece outfit to have a few special tricks up its proverbial sleeve as it holds court at this All Hallows Eve celebration, which features a costume contest that puts others to shame. Seven grand prizes will be awarded to costumes in various categories, including scariest, funniest and sexiest costume. Don Quixote's; $10; 8pm. (PMD)

SUNDAY 11/1

MYSTIC JAMMS BAND
The diverse backgrounds of the eight members of the Mystic Jamms Band could explain the dynamic energy of each performance. At the core is the animated duo Maya and Sage, who spent a year in southern India at Sri Kaleshwar's Soul University majoring in what they call "heart-rocking" music. In Sanskrit and English, their hymns are delivered as spiritual love songs, meditation and devotional music, all wrapped in a scintillating chorus of drums, guitar and righteous manifold harmonies that will kick your butt all the way to Nirvana. Cayuga Vault; tickets by donation at the door; 7:30pm. (Jaime Nabrynski)

MONDAY 11/2

TRIO 3
New Jersey jazz quintet Trio 3 takes a bit of a Marxist approach to making music. By giving each member equal freedom to experiment and solo at will, the team is able to put egos aside and achieve a more fluid and collaborative cool jazz sound. Celebrated musicians in their own right, Oliver Lake on multireeds, Reggie Workman on bass, and drummer Andrew Cyrille have each played with monolithic jazz names like John Coltrane, Lou Reed and Mary Lou Williams. Yet it's the group's combined efforts that have landed them the most praise and seen them shipped off to the far corners of the continent to play. Kuumbwa; $25 advance/$28 door; 7pm. (CC)