Roadtrips

The Menudo of African-American gospel, spirituals, and hymns, Sweet Honey in the Rock, are in the midst of a tour celebrating a quarter-century of sacred, a cappella musicmaking. Since 1973 more than 20 women have rotated through the ensemble's membership. The Grammy-winning group, who include five singers and a sign-language interpreter, play John M. Greene Hall at Smith College (800-477-6849) in Northampton on March 27; partial proceeds benefit Western New England public radio station WFCR.

For the big names in jazz, check out the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton, which hosts drummer T.S. Monk and band performing the music of his illustrious father on March 27. Jazz's premier bassist, Christian McBride (who at 25 is already being touted as the heir to Mingus), hits the same room on March 30.

You can hear some great rockabilly the way it was meant to be heard -- as the backdrop to some smoky billiards hall -- in the Green Room at Snookers (401-351-POOL) in Providence. Snookers is home to a weekly hepcat hootenanny and is where the top two roots 'billy outfits in Boston (and the nation at large) will take up shop this weekend. On March 27 it's the Cranktones, who damn near started the whole Boston rockabilly revival; the next night it's Scollay Square's the Racketeers, who'll be hawking their homonymous debut at all the big European rockabilly revivals later this year.

Ye olde original ska band, the Skatalites, have become such fluent players that they're practically a Jamaican jazz outfit; they slide back through New England with third-wavers Let's Go Bowling and the Invaders opening on April 2 at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge, and on April 3 with the Agents at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence.

And since the shows here last year by Testament were such a yawn, '80s thrash guy fellow travelers Overkill -- who pretty much summed up the problem when they took their name -- have been exiled to the hinterlands of Rhode Island, where they'll be at the Met Cafe (401-861-2142) on April 2.

--C.C.