2009 SMF: Bobby Lee Rodgers & Friends  ****

This one-night-only summit meeting of seriously talented rock, funk, blues, jazz and soul musicians comes courtesy of Savannah’s own Rodgers, a singer-guitarist whose phenomenal chops, eclectic taste and easygoing demeanor has earned him plenty of accolades and a sizable cult following nationwide. It’s also helped him build an enviable Rolodex of killer players who no doubt jumped at the opportunity to sign on for this relatively unexpected leap of faith on the part of the SMF’s Rob Gibson.

The Savannah Music Festival director offered Rodgers a chance to line up a dream band and craft a setlist that would take into account each member’s individual strong suits. The result: two separate 90-min. sets of genre-blurring jazz, rock and funk featuring his touring band The Codetalkers abetted by several special guests — including The David Grsiman Quintet’s Joe Craven and badass organist Ike Stubblefield, among others. This has the potential to be simultaneously one of the most accessible and out-there events in the entire 2009 SMF. Listen & Learn: bobbyleerodgers.com, savannahmusicfestival.org.  Fri., 8:30 pm & 11 pm, Charles H. Morris Center - ALL-AGES. 

2009 SMF: Garrick Ohlsson  *****

Last year, this acclaimed U.S. pianist —the first ever American to take the top award in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition— appeared as a guest soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for a frankly stunning display of dexterity, depth and feeling. Now he returns for a solo recital in the wonderful acoustic environment of the Lucas Theatre stage. A recipient of the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, he is noted for his “masterful” performances of the works of Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart, and has guested with several major U.S. orchestras as well as a number of internationally-known string quartets. No doubt the famously long reach of this “most versatile of  America’s important pianists” will be on display for his recital of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat major and Scherzo in B-flat minor. Listen & Learn: savannahmusicfestival.org. Thurs., 7 pm, Lucas Theatre - ALL-AGES.

Rose and the Rivals

Here’s an act that I’ve never seen in person and I’ve yet to hear any recordings of. Hell, I’ve never even seen a photo of them (or a charcoal sketch, for that matter). So, if it turns out they don’t actually exist, you’ll please forgive me. However, the mere notion of a local trio that describes itself as playing “rhythm-driven accordion ballads and spooky porch music” on a kitchen-sink grab-bag of instruments that includes harmonica, washboard, guitar and coffee can simply has to be Noteworthy, for better or for worse. The venue they’re gigging at —a casually upscale dessert bar and art gallery that specializes in fine wines, crazy-good fresh cakes, pastries and tarts, and an elaborate martini list— lends itself to quirky conceptual live entertainment such as this, and hopefully it can become an unpredictable, occasional outlet for the local music scene. Tues., 8 pm, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar. 

The Jimmy Wolling Band  ****

This highly entertaining and facile regional  acoustic combo plays so often of late at various bars, clubs, restaurants and festivals in our area that it’s easy to take them for granted. So, let this serve as a reminder: their road-tested mix of traditional bluegrass, Golden Age C&W, early Sun rockabilly and progressive “hellgrass,” is the foundation for one of the most enjoyable and rock solid string bands that’s reared its head in the Coastal Empire in the past two decades. Those who like their Bill Monroe straight-up will likely appreciate the reverence these guys (banjoist Wolling, bassist Tim Burke, guitarist Dennis Goldbaugh, mandolinist Spec Hosti and fiddler Scott Holton) pay to the classic form, while those who don’t stand on ceremony can easily cotton to things like their cover of Robert Earl Keen’s ever-so-sly “Barbecue.” Listen & Learn: myspace.com/bluegrassinsavannah. Fri., 10 pm, The Distillery - ALL-AGES.