The first of two local concerts with guitarist Dean Roberts. Tonight, the New Zealander is joined by Michael Zerang (percussion) and Jim Baker (synthesizer).

In his early work with the group Thela, Roberts (b.1975, New Zealand) led the Auckland-based trio through two discs of intense art rock on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label. Thela split up in 1996, and since then Dean has pursued a more atmospheric sound, recording on his own under the name White Winged Moth. In the moth material, he uses digital editing to meld guitar with cello, bass, piano, percussion and electronics. The effect is an intriguing one-man exploration of the legacy of British improv ensemble AMM.

Michael Zerang (b.1958, Chicago, Ill.) has been a percussionist and composer since 1976, focusing on improvised music, free jazz, contemporary composition and international musical forms. He has collaborated extensively with contemporary theater, dance and other multidisciplinary forms. He has over 50 titles in his discography and has toured nationally and internationally since 1981 with an ever-widening pool of collaborators.

Jim Baker (b.1950, Chicago, Ill.) has been playing in and around town and elsewhere for decades, mostly on piano and ARP synthesizer—and mostly as an improviser, teaming with Fred Anderson, Ken Vandermark, Michael Zerang, Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom, Steve Hunt, Edward Wilkerson, Jr., David Boykin, Rob Mazurek, Guillermo Gregorio, Nicole Mitchell, Tortoise, Fed Lonberg-Holm and many others.