Cory Pesaturo and his band will play at Chan’s Saturday at 8.

Ever since Cory Pesaturo picked up the accordion at age 9, he knew that he wanted to play jazz on it.

While it seems an unlikely instrument for jazz, Pesaturo says that in his childhood he was always changing the music that was in front of him all the time, “and with classical you get in trouble for that, and with jazz it’s like, ‘Ah, you’re supposed to.’ ”

Pesaturo, 21, of Cumberland, also plays saxophone and clarinet, on which he simply transfers the musical knowledge gleaned from his accordion studies. But accordion is it for him, and while he also plays classical, Italian and French music on it, he doesn’t see that his choice of instrument is any big deal. “I just play a unique instrument to play jazz on.”

Not exactly unique, in fact: “It’s kind of funny,” Pesaturo says, “because I’d say about 75 percent of professional accordion players end up becoming jazz accordion players. I don’t know why; it just is. Tons of accordion players end up being jazz accordion players, or at least they can play jazz, if not mainly. . . . It’s really fun to play jazz on, actually.”

It’s really fun to listen to the jazz on Pesaturo’s jazz disc, Change in the Weather. He runs through standards such as Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love?” and Jobim’s “Meditation,” and he flies through Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee,” all with a flair and restraint that belies his age. And he’s backed up by a killer band: The Fringe, with saxophonist George Garzone, drummer Bob Gullotti and bassist Peter Slavov.

“He’s really exceptional, very mature the way he plays,” Garzone says. “For the instrument he plays, he handles it in a very modern way.”

Pesaturo hooked up with Garzone at the New England Conservatory of Music, in Boston, where Garzone teaches and Pesaturo is a student. Pesaturo played some Italian songs for Garzone, and “he was almost getting emotional.” Since then, along with Change in the Weather, they’ve also recorded a disc of Italian duets, reflecting Garzone’s love for the music. “He’d call his mom during lessons and have me play stuff for her,” Pesaturo says.

That’s not the only high-pressure gig he’s conquered: After winning a national age-group competition when he was 11, he was invited to play at a reception at the Clinton White House, and impressed the president enough to get asked back four more times. Pesaturo and Bill Clinton still keep in correspondence, the accordionist says: “We’re trying to set up a duet, but I think he’s busy now.”

Pesaturo, who has also won the New England Cup accordion competition three times and the National Accordion Competition four times (including at age 15, the youngest ever to do so), is the only accordion player at the conservatory, and one of the few they’ve ever had. He’s in the Contemporary Improvisation department, basically because they couldn’t think of where else to put him. “I kind of dabble in all the departments.”

That’s analogous to his approach to the instrument. “It catches people’s eyes, and you can do anything with it. Most people think it’s only the polka box, but you can do totally everything.”

Cory Pesaturo and The Fringe are at Chan’s, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, Saturday night at 8. Tickets are $10; call (401) 765-1900.

Scottish sounds

North Sea Gas have been dealing the Scottish contemporary and traditional folk music for 27 years, and they continue to mix the solemnity of the old and the humor of the new, all with impeccable playing, on their latest disc, Rosslyn. They make a return visit to the Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., Cumberland, Sunday night at 7. Tickets are $12; call (401) 725-9272.

rmassimo@projo.com