David Torn Prezens, London
David Torn describes himself as a "composer, texturalist, guitarist, producer and whatnot" and he has collaborated with David Bowie, Tori Amos and Sting among many stars, written film scores (The Departed soundtrack was a recent one) and taken avant jazz detours. These two shows feature the cracking band - with saxophonist Tim Berne and his partners Craig Taborn (keys) and Tom Rainey (drums) - that recorded Torn's acclaimed album for ECM. Episodes on the Prezens album veered from blues grooves such as an avant jazz Green Onions and runs through airy alto figures over tabla-like rhythms, drum beat chatters under flaring guitar sounds (Torn sometimes crosses Hendrix and the Norwegian Terje Rypdal), heavy metal licks, and free sax flurries over churning Fender Rhodes sounds. It will be fascinating to hear how such an inventive studio project works as a live show.

· Vortex, N16, Sun 13 & Mon 14; The Seven Artspace, Leeds, Tue 15

Basquiat Strings, London
Cellist Ben Davis's ambition with the Mercury-nominated Basquiat Strings was to create a rich but accessible mix of the rhythmic energies of dance music, the spontaneity of improv and jazz, and the lyricism of both classical strings groups and east European cafe music. It was a tall order, but Davis already had a substantial cross-idiom reputation and experience to match, and he was closely connected to the innovative F-ire Collective players (this is the last night of F-ire's January's mini-festival) for whom stylistic frontiers have little meaning. Drummer Seb Rochford is frequently an inspirational Basquiat guest.

· Pizza Express Jazz Club, W1, Sat 12