Any appearance by either violinist Laurie Anderson or bassist Christian McBride should be cherished, but to hear them together — accompanied by cellist Rubin Kodheli — is potentially an even more special event. Anderson is the avant-garde musician-artist who — beyond “O Superman,” the 1981 breakthrough song that startlingly merged the worlds of technology, art and pop music — has always restlessly ignored the boundaries of genre to create music (and even musical instruments) that is unusual, expressive, and ultimately hopeful and humanist. As a musician, educator and radio host, McBride has alternated his straight-ahead jazz revitalizations with forays into pop and classical music. In recent years, Anderson, McBride and Kodheli have joined forces for wildly improvisational games like “Play the Image,” in which they take audience suggestions to evoke such merriment as a UFO landing and James Brown taking a yoga class.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; Tues., Jan. 21, 8 p.m.; $48-$133. (323) 850-2000, laphil.com.

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