THURSDAY, JANUARY 12
Marsha Ambrosius The sweetly singing half of UK duo Floetry, R&B and slow jam hip-hop songstress Marsha Ambrosius, released her solo debut last year. Late Nights & Early Mornings features co-writing credits by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill, a grooving cover of Portishead’s “Sour Times,” and an overall vibe Ambrosius has described as sensual, sincere and seductive. The LP debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. (Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center, downtown Tampa)

Diamond Dust w/Spencer Anemik/Brent Byrd/Greg Varney Diamond Dust is a twangy folk-rock duo from Vancouver made up of singer-songwriter Josée-Anne St-Onge and guitarist Craig Hare. This is a stripped-down acoustic tour that also stops at Sacred Grounds on Saturday. (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa)

The O’Jays A vocal R&B group that originally formed in 1963 and had their first hit that same year, “Lonely Drifter.” The O’Jays scaled back from five singers to three in the ’70s, introduced some soulful appeal to their sound, released eight albums between ’72 and ’79 that landed in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, and topped the Hot 100 charts with their single “Love Train” in ’73. Singing showmen Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and Eric Grant are backed by a full band. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13
Dirty Black Halo CD Release Show w/L.A. Pussycat/Le Teaze Burlesque Troupe/Solar Exposure/16 Penny Much like the bands they claim to be influenced by (Motley Crüe, Guns n’ Roses and the like), Dirty Black Halo produces cock-strutting hard rock with crunchy guitars, heavy hammering drums and vocals delivered in a growl, high-pitched sneer or metallic howl by frontman John Hale. DBH recently signed to Nashville-based FNA Records and presents their new LP, Burning at the Edge of Dawn, at this release show. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Tab Benoit w/Beth McKee The Cajun guitar rockin’ bluesman makes his quarterly stop in town for another round pimping his seventh studio LP, last year’s Medicine, which was co-produced by singer-songwriter Anders Osborne (due in Clearwater this February) and named among USA Today’s Top Albums of 2011. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Andy Matchett & The Minks w/The Semis/Alexander & the Grapes/Michael Christmas Andy Matchett & the Minks bring the climactic parachute party along with their rootsy alt rock and upbeat indie-pop drive. The Semis deliver psyche-surf swagger and riff-and-reverb angst. From Alexander & the Grapes, a serving of laid-back folk pop and alt-country twang. And Michael Christmas kicks it all off with their lo-fi garage fuzz. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg)

Matt Hires Tampa-based pop rocker Matt Hires is among the fortunate few who landed a major label record deal with his feel-good breezy sound, raspy-robust vocals and tender hook-laden songwriting. He recently returned from a national tour with Alexander & the Grapes and Rachel Platton to promote his new Live Sessions EP, the follow-up to his 2009 F-Stop/Atlantic debut, Take Us To The Start. He plays a free acoustic in-store at 8 p.m. (Microgroove, Tampa)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14
Doug & Telisha Williams She has a clear and commanding drawl that’s earned her comparisons to Loretta Lynn and Nanci Griffith, and she sometimes plays upright bass while he sings back-up and harmonies and complements her with bluesy, country guitar rhythms and swaying Americana melodies. Husband-and-wife duo Doug and Telisha Williams have written and played together since high school in their hometown of Martinsville, Va., “where boarded up factories stand as monuments to how fast the world can change.” Their music is inspired by the everyday folks they’ve known and the world they live in. Sets include covers by Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and originals like “Learning to Drink Whiskey” and the title track off their latest LP, Ghost of the Knoxville Girl, their response to the Louvin Brothers’ ode, “Knoxville Girl.” (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg)

Blind Boys of Alabama w/Thomas Wynn and the Believers A joyous and resonant outpouring of gospel vocal harmonies soar over swinging grooves by the talented group that first formed in 1939 at Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind, and is partially made up of blind members (including current lead pipes Jimmy Carter). The five-time Grammy winners explored the ties between traditional country and gospel music in 2011’s Take the High Road, with guest spots by artists like Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Hank Williams, Jr., and Nashville heavyweight Jamey Johnson, who also co-produced the record. It’s definitely music with a spiritual foundation, but don’t let that deter you from checking it out; you don’t need to believe in anything to be moved by their uplifting performances, and they throw in plenty of modern music along with the standards — Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” by My Morning Jacket, Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and even Tom Waits’ “Down in the Hole,” among others. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Gregg Allman Band w/Jaimoe Jasssz Band Allman Brothers Band hasn’t been here since their 40th anniversary tour stopped at Ruth Eckerd in 2009; I guess they figure an annual multi-day fest in North Florida is enough to placate their Bay area fans. But those looking for a Southern-fried fix before Wanee can get it with sole surviving namesake Gregg as he rolls into town to promote his seventh solo LP, Low Country Blues (Rounder Records), which finds the singer/keyboardist bringing his own style to songs by the blues giants that influenced him — Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam and BB King. Warm-up support by Jaimoe Jasssz Band, a jazz-blues combo led by founding ABB member/drummer Jasssz. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

Lick Breast Cancer Benefit feat. L.A. Pussycat/Psyaxis/From This Fire/As Bridges Burn/The Dood/Autumns Pain/Variance/Rmistery/Adame It’s not just a snarky-sexy play on words — Lick Breast Cancer is actually the name of the charity. All proceeds from this local rock showcase benefit the nonprofit organization, which helps local families struggling financially due to battles with The Big C. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

Holy Ghost Tent Revival w/Greenland Is Melting/Poetry n’ Lotion Booming multi-voice harmonies, punchy banjo, electric and acoustic guitar melodies, foot-stomping rhythms and brassy trombone wails make up the vigorous mix of Dixieland/ragtime-seasoned Americana and roots rock crafted by Holy Ghost Tent Revival. The Greensboro, N.C. ensemble saw the departure of founding bassist Patrick Leslie late last year; keyboardist Kevin Williams has jumped onto the low end and the band is currently spreading their intoxicating good time music as a five-piece. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)

The Dead Kenny G’s A trio of relentlessly active musicians who’ve spearheaded the modern trend of super smart and heady jazz-fused rock — Skerik (sax of all tones, keys), Mike Dillon (drums, vibraphone, tabla, percs) and Brad Houser (bass, baritone sax) — formed Dead Kenny Gs in 2007 from the ashes of a previous group. Their funky, cheeky punk-jazz-kitchen sink sound is the antithesis of smooth and succeeds in their goal to deliver “musical subversion of the highest order.” Second LP Operation Long Leash (out last March via Royal Potato Family) was inspired by a covert CIA operation that financed the promotion of American Abstract Expressionism as a means to undermine the Soviet Union’s conformist ideals during the Cold War. Read more about DKGs HERE. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15
Kym Purling Trio The jazz composer and pianist recently re-located to LA, but has returned to his former home to play an afternoon jazz program with bassist Alejandro Arenas and drummer Mark Feinmanl; presented by Al Downing Jazz Association. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

MONDAY, JANUARY 16
Evanescence w/Rival Sons/Electric Touch You’ve heard the mainstream emo-gothic pop-nü metal-industrial rock of Little Rock outfit Evanescence — their 2003 album when 7x platinum, took home some Grammys, and that song, “Bring Me to Life,” was, like, everywhere for a really long time. The band went through several lineup changes, took a hiatus, and re-grouped in 2009 with singer/pianist Amy Lee remaining as the only holdout from the original mid-’90s lineup. Lee & Co. issued their self-titled third album in October; it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Rock Albums, Digital Albums, Alternative Albums, and the Hard Rock Albums charts. Rival Sons, from LA, bring a set of blues rock to warm up the crowd along with British-American rock band Electric Touch. (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center, downtown Tampa)

Meg Hutchinson A performance presented as part of the Straz Center’s Club Jaeb series spotlighting indie singer-songwriters in folk, Americana, alternative, country, and “other music that touches our lives.” Hutchinson is a folk artist with husky rich, mellifluous vocals and contemplative lyrics that wax poetic on the human condition and are carried on gently nuanced instrumental meanderings, all of it lending her sound a sense of soothing intimacy. Her last album was 2010’s The Living Side. (Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center, downtown Tampa)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17
In Flames w/Trivium/Veil of Maya/Kyng Well-regarded Swedish metal makers In Flames kick off 2012 with a U.S. tour, telling American fans to expect “riffs, sweat and beers so tasty that you’re ready to give up everything and move to Gothenburg. Just to have another fix…” Not sure if this means they’re bringing some tasty brews from their home to sell/share with fans, or that everyone will be drinking Swedish brews in their honor, but you can bet either way, if you’re going, you’ll be wearing it. Notable metal acts support, including Orlando’s own metalcore four-piece, Trivium. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18
HAHN-BIN A young, bright Korean-American violinist with hair that stands on end and seems to match his visually informed style of performing and fresh avant fusion of classical and post-modern music. HAHN-BIN studied with Itzhak Perlman at the Perlman Music Program and the Juilliard School, and lists among his influences opera singer Maria Callas, virtuoso pianist Vladimir Horowitz, Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and electro-experimental songstress Björk. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.

This article appears in Jan 12-18, 2012.