You know that we are closing in on Christmas when three of this week’s musical events aim to jingle your bells. On Saturday, for example, singer Allan Harris returns to town to celebrate Christmas – Nat “King” Cole style of course. In the past, the Brooklyn-born, deep-voiced singer released a tribute to Cole recorded at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. More recently, he has holiday disc out titled Dedicated to You: Allan Harris Sings a Nat King Cole Christmas. And it’s the release of that CD (recorded live in KUVO’s Phyllis A. Greer Performance Studio) that Harris celebrates on Saturday at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln.

The disc features Harris supported by Eric Gunnison, Mark Simon and Paul Romaine, with fellow vocalist Rene Marie sitting in on “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” So, don’t be surprised if Marie joins Harris at Dazzle as well. The sets on Saturday from Harris, who has also recorded a tribute to the Black cowboys of the West, are at 7 and 9 p.m. ($15, 303-839-5100).

Before Harris performs on Saturday, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones bring their holiday show to the Paramount Theater, 1621 Glenarm, on Friday at 8 p.m. Fleck and friends (Victor Wooten, Future Man and Jeff Coffin) are joined on this holiday tour by the Alash Ensemble, a quartet of Tuvan throat singers that has recorded with Fleck. To save you a trip on Google, Tuva is a central Asian nation that was absorbed into the old Soviet Union in 1944 and now remains a part of the Russian Federation.

While Fleck’s music covers a variety of musical categories (and he has multiple Grammy Awards to prove the point), his banjo playing is consistently recognized in Down Beat magazine’s annual poll of critics. Fleck and company Jingle All the Way to the Paramount at 8 p.m. ($25-$44, 303-623-0106). On Saturday, the Fleck and The Flecktones also perform in the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek at 7:30 p.m. ($58-$78, 888-920-2787).

In addition to the concert at the Paramount on Friday, Fleck will also conduct a workshop earlier on that day at Swallow Hill, 71 E. Yale. The workshop starts at 12:30 p.m. ($75 to participate/$20 to observe, 303-777-1003). Interestingly, PBS and the National Geographic Channel are in town to film the workshop and the concert as part of the show The Road to a Grammy.

The holiday sounds are also ringing out tonight when pianist Purnell Steen offers the Soulful Sounds of Christmas at Dazzle ($15). Trumpeter Hugh Ragin, bassist Fred Fuller and drummer Todd Reid are among those joining Steen at 7 and 9 p.m. And in between Steen and Harris, Dazzle serves up bassist Ken Walker in a tribute to guitarist Wes Montgomery at 7 and 9 p.m. ($12). Usually, Walker brings his sextet to Dazzle, but this time around, it’s the bassist’s quartet on stage. In addition to Walker, the foursome features guitarist Dave Corbus, pianist Jeff Jenkins and drummer Romaine.

Montgomery, who was born in Indianapolis in 1925 and died of a heart attack at the age of 43, was both a great player and one who found a good deal of commercial success. For this tribute, Walker focuses not on the guitarist’s popular hits but instead on the music he made with pianist Wynton Kelly’s trio on live albums such as the 1962 Riverside release Full House and the 1965 Verve album Smokin’ at the Half Note. Kelly’s trio consisted of his fellow members of Miles Davis’ rhythm section, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb.

On the subject of smokin’, the Fred Hess Big Band makes another appearance at Dazzle on Monday night at 7 p.m. ($12). Saxophonist Hess is an outstanding composer/player whose large-ensemble disc Hold On is anything but an ordinary journey through the big-band tradition. In January, Hess returns to the studio with the big band for a follow up to Hold On, focusing on his more extended compositions. And, on Monday night, you can get a preview of the shape of the sounds to come. Hess’ big band has received considerable critical praise – and rightly so.

Also, on Sunday, singer Lynn Skinner offers her Winter Solstice Concert (with pianist Bob Schlesinger and bassist Ron Bland) at Wystone’s World Teas, 7323 W. Alaska Drive, at 6 p.m. ($12/$10 students and seniors, 303-239-6021). Before the concert at Belmar in Lakewood, there’s a reception at 5 p.m. with complimentary tea and refreshments.  Additionally, Sunday finds saxophonists Jim Stranahan and Joe Anderies leading a quintet at Dazzle at 7 p.m. ($15).

Along with performing with pianist Steen tonight, trumpeter Ragin leads his Latin Soul Express band on Friday at Jazzmatazz, 1612 E. 17^th Ave., at 8:30 p.m. ($10, 303-333-3503). On Saturday at 8:30 p.m., the new lounge on 17^th has the Don Grove Quartet with singer Eli Owens ($10).  

Normanprovizer@aol.com