Donvonte McCoy performs tonight as part of the Take 5! series at the American Art Museum. Giovanni Russonello/CapitalBop
by Luke Stewart
Editorial board
The Smithsonian Institution has a long legacy of immortalizing history in innovative ways, and tonight it will begin a run of diverse and challenging jazz performances that aim to do just that.
The Smithsonian’s Take 5! series isn’t news – for years, it has presented a free jazz concert at the American Art Museum on the third Thursday of every month. But starting tonight and continuing indefinitely, the series will take on a new focus, bringing some of the most prominent D.C.-area musicians to pay homage to their musical heroes. It’s an excellent way to present the music of some of jazz’s lesser-known legends to a wide audience while spotlighting hometown talents.
The idea began as a collaborative effort between jazz historian Bertrand Uberall and Smithsonian Public Programs Coordinator Laurel Fehrenbach. Friendly conversations turned into brainstorming sessions with musicians, and suddenly all the elements were in place for a set of performances. Continue reading
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Jazz Night’s 12th Anniversary Celebration, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | If ever a D.C. jazz tradition deserved a birthday celebration, Jazz Night surely does. This tradition began as an experiment exactly 12 years ago, and continues today. Every Friday night, Westminster Presbyterian Church’s “Jazz Night” is a hub for fish frying, communing and jamming on straight-ahead jazz. This week’s birthday bash band features the legendary Buck Hill, Arnold Sterling and Antonio Parker on saxophones, Vince Evans on piano, Herman Burney on bass and Nasar Abadey on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. 
