Eight Gigs: Donny McCaslin Group

A wizard with a tenor saxophone, Donny McCaslin settles in with a trio for a cozy four-day residency at the Mondavi Center, Wednesday night through Saturday. As creative as he is skilled, the 48-year-old paints a colorful sound that blends modern jazz with discernible components of funk, rock and electronica. McCaslin is touring in support of Fast Future, set for release on March 31 as a follow-up to Casting for Gravity, which earned the horn man a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Solo. Performing with different players on every stop of the tour—including the El Cerrito High School Band in May—McCaslin has enlisted keyboardist Jeff Babko and bassist Matt Clohesy. 9399 Old Davis Road, www.donnymccaslin.com.