Stern parents have oft-warned about the dangers of a career in music — as though it's the art form itself that causes problems rather than any potentially dangerous lifestyle choices associated with it.

But the artists themselves will tell you Music (with the capital "M") is a glorious, sustaining energy. Look no further than the eternally creative and adventuresome jazz guitar icon Pat Martino. Now 74 and a survivor, at the turn-of-the-century, of a near-fatal and debilitating brain aneurism, Martino relied on his own music to recover magnificently.

That he's just as gifted and full of ideas as ever is beautifully evident on his 2017 album, "Formidable," which coalesces a lifetime spent exploring hard bop, free jazz, fusion and soul in one package. On Friday and Saturday, Martino brings his Trio to Old Lyme's Side Door Jazz Club. Exult in music as a life force.

Pat Martino Trio, 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme St., Old Lyme; $55; (860) 434-0886.