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Susan Werner, one of the busiest folk and acoustic performers on the circuit, pays a visit Saturday night to the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin's First Universalist Society Meetinghouse.

Tickets are $20 for the 8 p.m. concert.

Werner was raised in rural Iowa but began her professional music career in Philadelphia after studying classical voice at Temple University. Inspired by a Nanci Griffith concert, Werner left behind her opera training and began performing as a singer-songwriter at coffeehouses throughout the Northeast.

The rest, as they say, is history. Werner's latest CD, "The Gospel Truth," is not a gospel album but a collection of originals she describes as "hymns for the spiritually ambivalent."

Other places, other faces: The Blackstone River Theatre on Broad Street in Cumberland, R.I., presents Nova Scotian music and dance from The Barra MacNeils at 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is $15. For reservations or information call 401-725-9272.

The Tod Duarte Band flaunts its no holds barred rock and R&B stylings at 9 p.m. Friday at Steve's Backstage Pass, 15 School St., Taunton. Cover is $5.

Rick's Music, Route 44, Raynham, features songwriters in the round at 8 p.m. Friday, with Louie Leeman and Jeri Karan and Amy Ambrosiac of The Maybees. Admission is $8.

Stone Soup Coffeehouse hosts the Rhode Island Idol competition - a local equivalent of the Fox TV series, only with songwriters - at 8 p.m. Saturday in St. Paul's Church in Pawtucket. Admission is $11.

All that jazz

The Fat City Band plays at 8 p.m. Saturday at Chan's, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, R.I. Admission is $12. For information or reservations, call 401-765-1900.

The Blue Horizon Five, a hot variation of Stan McDonald's Blue Horizon Jazz Band, struts its stuff 7-10 tonight at Ma Glockner's, 155 Maple St., Bellingham. Cover is $10. (508-966-1085)

No Sunday Night Jazz this weekend at Steve's Backstage Pass in Taunton, but you can give Mom a jazzy night out Sunday, May 11 (Mother's Day) with dinner and a concert by Third Shift. Steve's and the Dragon Lady Chinese restaurant have teamed up for a dinner and entertainment combination for $25 per person. If you're not into fried rice, you can forgo the Chinese and pay a cover charge of $6. Details at www.stevesbackstagepass.com or call 508-824-3436 or contact The Dragon Lady directly. Showtime is 7-9 p.m.