PIcks of the week

Rock picks

Tonight: Paula Cole performs at Berklee; stellastarr* is at the Middle East with Illinois and Ra Ra Riot; Solas plays at the Somerville Theatre; Rusted Root performs at Avalon with Quintus; Slayer plays Lupo's with Unearth; Ray Mason is at Tir Na Nog. Tomorrow: the Winter Cutting Edge of the Campfire kicks off at Club Passim; Rickie Lee Jones is at the Somerville Theatre; the Apples in Stereo play the Paradise with openers Casper & the Cookies; Michael Wolf is at Ryles; the Molenes are at Toad, the Stinkin Linkins play the Abbey, Shaun and Suzi's Annual Mardi Gras Ball, which benefits the New Orleans Musician's Clinic, is at T.T. the Bear's; Jim Weider's Project Percolator is at the Natick Center for the Arts; Tom Glynn and Miss Tess play at Toad.

Jazz picks

Tonight: The Danilo Perez Trio, led by the poised, Panamanian-born pianist who's played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter, opens a two-night engagement at the Regattabar. Tuesday: At Ryles, warm-voiced and engagingly quirky singer, songwriter, and bandleader Monika Heidemann, whose 2006 debut CD, "Bright," has occasioned critical hosannas. Also, dueling Fat Tuesday celebrations: Saxophonist Charles Neville, of the famous brothers, and fine vocalist Henri King, both New Orleans natives, at Bob's Southern Bistro; and funky saxophonist John Ellis, who has lived and played in the Crescent City, parties with his quintet at the Regattabar. Wednesday: Talented singer Tierney Sutton at Scullers. Thursday: The Artie Shaw Orchestra under the direction of virtuoso clarinetist Dick Johnson, Shaw's hand-picked successor, at Scullers.