As you might’ve guessed from the size of the music section, there are a friggin’ lot of shows in Calgary this week. Sled Island and the Calgary Jazz Festival are both in full swing and have scooped up most of the city’s concert venues — or, in some cases, locations that only vaguely resemble concert venues, but will more than do in a pinch.

Last week, this column spotlighted some worthwhile shows during Sled Island’s first couple of days. This week, we’ve got Sled (mostly) covered elsewhere, so it’s time to spotlight the last half of Jazz Fest.

On Thursday, June 25, you’d be foolish to miss Mose Allison. As mentioned in our interview with him last week (see ffwdweekly.com for details), Allison is a blues and jazz pianist who has had an enourmous influence on the shape of modern hard rock. His songs have been covered by The Clash, The Who, The Rolling Stones and countless others, and he’ll be joining another blues legend, James Cotton, at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Saturday sees the Branford Marsalis Quartet hit the Jack Singer. A member of one of jazz’s most notable families, Brandford has performed with everyone from Miles Davis to Herby Hancock to Sting and the Grateful Dead.

Or, on the same night, you can check out Pianorquestra at the Martha Cohen Theatre. The group’s unique approach — five musicians playing the same piano all at the same time — promises a unique experience, to say the least. They’re sharing a bill with Joyce, one of the most celebrated singers to come out of Brazil… well, ever.

Lastly, but possibly most exciting, the festival will take over Olympic Plaza on Saturday and Sunday to spotlight a staggering assortment of Calgary talent. With performances by Lynn Olagundoye, the Simon Fisk Trio, Urban Divide, The Polyjesters, Sinistrio and many, many more, these afternoon and evening performances are a perfect way to get introduced to Calgary’s jazz, funk and soul communities. Plus, they’re all free — you can’t argue with that.