Frida Kahlo wrung out of her tortured body fantastic and beautifully transformative imagery, which continues to resonate across multiple artistic disciplines in numerous and unexpected ways today. The Mexican painter used surrealism not as an airy escape but as a way of focusing on heavy themes, and yet she also subverted realism to uncover the richly magical world of nature that surrounds and is within us. Based in New York, Chilean-born saxophonist-composer Melissa Aldana is the latest musician to become enraptured by Kahlo's way of seeing things, and she brings to town an homage ? featuring a jazz suite inspired by the artist's life and paintings, including Love's Embrace of the Universe, Earth, (Mexico), I, Diego, and Mr. Xólotl ? she calls Visions for Frida Kahlo.

The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Thurs.-Fri., March 12-13, 8 p.m.; $44-$66. (818) 677-8800, thesoraya.org.