Mon, June 28, Ava Mendoza

When it’s all said and done, I adore solo-guitar play probably more than any other instrumentation. And Oakland-based guitarist/composer Ava Mendoza, whose solo record Shadow Stories is out now, really does a great job of exploring the guitar’s neck in new, experimental, jazz-infused ways, but without that wall of abstraction that’s often so difficult to permeate. You’ll hear a little Django Reinhardt, a little Nels Cline, and a bit of Mendoza’s own clunky-yet-swift styling. This show is also an EP release for Ross Hammond, who will be performing solo and also as a duet with Mendoza. 1414 16th Street, www.avamendozamusic.com.