TODAYHe’s a modern classicAlto saxophonist Kenny Garrett...

TODAY

He’s a modern classic

Alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett brings his quartet to Catalina Bar & Grill this weekend. Garrett has been considered one of jazz’s top alto saxophonists since he joined Miles Davis’ band in 1986. Garrett remained Davis’ saxman until the trumpeter’s death in 1991. More recently, he worked with Roy Haynes on his “Birds of a Feather” Charlie Parker tribute CD and tour, in addition to recording his own critically praised 2003 album, “Standard of Language.”

Kenny Garrett Quartet, Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. today. $18 to $30. (323) 466-2210.

* Also 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

FRIDAY

A struggle to do good

Furious Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of “The God Botherers,” Richard Bean’s dark comedy about two British foreign aid workers struggling to do good works in a fictionalized African nation that is part Muslim, part Christian.

“The God Botherers,” Balcony Theatre Upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Opens 8 p.m. Friday. $15 and $24. (626) 356-7529.

* Runs 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays; ends April 24.

Faithful teacher

Recovered and rested after a bout of exhaustion that knocked her out of action in December, Marianne Faithfull is back for a master class in pop-music soul baring. From swinging London ingenue to vengeful survivor, Faithfull has cut a distinctive course through the decades, and she’s kept things fresh on her latest album, “Before the Poison,” by collaborating with such indebted heirs as PJ Harvey and Nick Cave. On her current, brief tour, the singer has been blending the new material into a career retrospective.

Marianne Faithfull, Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 9 p.m. Friday. $32.50. (323) 464-0808.

Out for revenge

The runner-up at Cannes last year to Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Park Chan-Wook’s revenge thriller “Oldboy” shook up the esteemed French festival’s establishment but won the hearts of the Quentin Tarantino-led jury. An example of Extreme Asian cinema -- violent genre films that test the limits of taste -- “Oldboy” stars Choi Min-Sik as a man seeking retribution after being mysteriously held prisoner for 15 years.

“Oldboy,” rated R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language, opens Friday at Landmark’s Nuart, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, (310) 281-8223; and Edwards University 6, 4245 Campus Drive, Irvine, (949) 854-8818.

SATURDAY

True art patrons

From 1556 to 1658, three generations of great and respected emperors not only improved the way of life on the Indian subcontinent but also fostered the arts to create one of India’s most beloved painting styles. “Origins of Mughal Painting” showcases the works commissioned by the three royal courts and includes paintings leading to the evolved Mughal painting style.

“Origins of Mughal Painting,” San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, San Diego. Opens Saturday. Adults, $9; students and seniors, $7; ages 6-17, $4; 5 and younger, free. (619) 232-7931.

* Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, except 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays. Ends Aug. 28.

Balinese temple rituals

In a benefit performance for the upcoming World Festival of Sacred Music, the acclaimed Gamelan Cudamani group -- a major music and dance ensemble from Indonesia -- will present “Odalan Bali: An Offering of Music and Dance” at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The haunting bell-like tones of the instruments and the delicacy and shimmer of the dancing give ancient Balinese temple rituals an unearthly power. When the company appeared locally three years ago, a Times review found the performance “superbly coordinated and as compellingly entertaining as any Western ballet.”

“Odalan Bali: An Offering of Music and Dance,” Royce Hall, UCLA campus, Westwood. 8 p.m. Saturday. $15 (students, seniors) to $35. Special $75 benefit tickets include VIP reception. (310) 825-2101.

Forming their own school

Berlin-based artists Annette Kelm, David Lieske, Michaela Meise and Jan Timme organized their own group show at Marc Foxx Gallery, titling it “The Berlin School of Art School” in jest, because there really isn’t an important art academy there at the moment. Their conceptual-based, politically minded works take the form of wall installations, photographs, video and neon sculpture.

“The Berlin School of Art School,” Marc Foxx Gallery, 6150 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Opens Saturday. (323) 857-5571.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ends April 23.

SUNDAY

Visiting:

A Chopin winner

Chinese pianist Yundi Li was only 18 when he won the 2000 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. He makes his American Youth Symphony debut as the soloist in Chopin’s First Piano Concerto as part of the orchestra’s 40th annual gala benefit concert. Alexander Treger will conduct. The program will also include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and the world premiere of “Dreams and Whispers of Poseidon” by the orchestra’s composer-in-residence, Lera Auerbach. Deeply affected by last year’s deadly tsunami in South Asia, Auerbach has dedicated her new work to the “memory of the lives taken by the sea on Dec. 26, 2004.”

Yundi Li, American Youth Symphony, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. 6 p.m. Sunday. $10 to $100. (310) 234-8355 or www.AYSymphony.org.