CRITICS’ PICKS

MUSIC

What: Great American Songbook Trio When: Saturday, 2 p.m. (doors at 12:30) Where: Hermann’s Jazz Club Tickets: $20, or $10 for students Why: It pays to be prepared, especially when you’re in a group performing songs from the Great American Songbook. But when the talented trio assembled to do so at an all-request concert includes singer-pianist Louise Rose, bassist Joey Smith and drummer Kelby MacNayr, there’s room for some spontaneity. The skill level of these three local legends is such that fans who call for jazz standards from the early 20th century won’t prompt even the slightest bit of hesitation. Sit back and watch the sparks fly. — Mike Devlin

MUSIC

What: Vancouver Island Metal Festival When: Friday through Sunday Where: Various venues

Tickets: $10-$20 daily, or $60 for a festival pass at CAVITY Curiosity Shop, Supreme Echo or Lyle’s Place

Why: There will be headbanging this weekend as several notable metal bands arrive for shows at Sugar nightclub, Logan’s Pub and V-Lounge as part of the Vancouver Island Metal Festival. The top draws are North Carolina’s Weedeater (appearing Friday at Logan’s Pub) and Britain’s Diamond Head (Saturday, V-Lounge), the latter of which saw metal giants Metallica cover four songs from their catalogue, including the favourite Am I Evil. — Mike Devlin

FILM

What: I Called Him Morgan Where: Movie Monday, Eric Martin Pavilion When: Monday, 6:30 p.m. Admission by donation Why: If you missed this Victoria Film Festival highlight, it’s worth checking out Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collins’s unconventional documentary about the tragically short life and death of the enigmatic jazz trumpet player and Blue Note recording artist of the title. Suffused with a score of jazz standards and glorious black-and-white cinematography of New York then and now, this mesmerizing flashback is a revealing, mystifying and selective recollection of the jazzman’s illfated relationship with his widow and convicted killer, Helen Morgan. — Michael D. Reid