Saturday, February 16, 8 p.m., 519 Bangs Ave. John Buckingham, tuba, and Amy Sheffer, voice John has been a performer of avant garde jazz in New York City since the 1960s. In 1971, he was part of the Carla Bley ensemble that debuted her legendary, epic-length work, "Escalator over the Hill," a three-LP set. He performed and recorded as part of the Bill Dixon University of the Streets Orchestra and the Bill Dixon Quartet ("Thoughts," 1987, and "Son of Sisyphus," 1988). He also frequently performs with his own ensemble, lately consisting of tuba, clarinet and voice. John is a resident of New York City and Ocean Grove, N.J. TICKETS