The Kennedy Center kicks off its much-anticipated jazz season this weekend with two performances, including one by Dr. Lonnie Smith. Courtesy h-bomb/flickr
by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board
A murmur of anticipation has surrounded the Kennedy Center’s jazz program since last fall, when the organization announced that it would name the young visionary Jason Moran as artistic adviser for jazz. This weekend, the center’s first jazz season with Moran at the helm gets underway with performances from two longtime masters of the keyboard: Mulgrew Miller and Dr. Lonnie Smith. They’re both playing at the KC Jazz Club, which means the shows stay relatively affordable (ticket prices don’t exceed $30).
Next week we’ll publish a fresh CapitalBop interview with Moran, but in the meantime you can find details on all this weekend’s performances in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” a listing of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. Our favorites have a 
label, and as always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
cb picks:
- Mulgrew Miller Trio, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
- Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
- Heidi Martin, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
- Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
Michael Thomas, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Since moving here from Philadelphia, the trumpeter Michael Thomas has become a frequent bandleader in the region. His tenaciously swinging sensibility tends toward the Jazz Messengers’ strain of uncompromising hard-bop, and his searing tone and dipping-and-diving improvisations have a lot in common with the work of Lee Morgan. He performs at this week’s edition of Westminster Presbyterian’s Jazz Night, alongside Zach Graddy on tenor saxophone, Darius Scott on piano, Kent Miller on bass and Frank Williams on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website
CaShandra J, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | CaShandra J sings jazz standards and originals with a combo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile
Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | Commanding vocalist Karen Gray sings laid-back renditions of jazz standards in a drumless trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Potomac Jazz Project, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a jazz combo led by bassist Stan Hamrick that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. The cast of supporting musicians tends to rotate. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Yamomanem, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Yamomanem Jazz Band plays a faithful take on New Orleans jazz, conjuring the days of King Oliver and early Louis Armstrong with its lush brass section. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Mulgrew Miller, Kennedy Center, 7:30 p.m. | To kick off the Kennedy Center’s much-anticipated new jazz season – the first with Jason Moran as musical adviser – one of the music’s greats will perform. The pianist Mulgrew Miller got his start in the 1980s as a member of bands led by Betty Carter, Woody Shaw and Art Blakey; ever since, he’s defined a distinct personal style, with heavy dashes of McCoy Tyner, bebop greats, and even funk styles. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets vary ($26-$30), no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile
Paige Martin Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Paige Martin, who contributed to the latest album by the U.S. Air Force’s jazz band, takes a straightforward approach focused on strength and projection. Here she leads her own combo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website
Rachelle Ferrell, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Rachelle Ferrell sings a canny mix of Black musical forms, not unlike some of the people she used to sing backup for: Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle and George Duke. A solo star since the 1990s, she’s possessed of an impressive, more than six-octave range. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwartz-Bart, a native of Guadeloupe, didn’t discover a love for his instrument until he was 24. It didn’t take him long to quit his job in the French government and have a go at a career in music, where he found quick success. His playing is fleet but grounded, and an effective stimulus for his combo. You might hear a bit of JD Allen in Schwartz-Bart’s broad and watery tone, but you’ll find more of Joshua Redman in his snaky melodic lilt. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $23 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile
Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every Friday night leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile
Alfredo Mojica, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Alfredo Mojica, who sang at Bossa for years with the group Sin Miedo, unites salsa, jazz and Latin American balladry. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile
Heidi Martin, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The gifted D.C.-via-New York vocalist Heidi Martin this weekend performs a collection of her slyly expressive compositions. As a singer, Martin emits messages complex but clear, with an essence of mourning and resilience that hints at Billie Holiday and delicate control that’s not unlike Joni Mitchell’s. She’s one of D.C.’s treasures. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile
ELEW, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the pianist Eric Lewis had stints in the early-2000s with Wynton Marsalis and the late Elvin Jones, but recently coined a new moniker, ELEW, and even his own new genre, rockjazz. Indeed, he’s the only one playing it. Rockjazz is essentially a way of reworking pop tunes for the solo piano, with special attention to keeping all their grandeur, and volume, intact. There’s very little jazz involved. But when he gets in front of an attentive audience, Lewis does intersperse a great deal more traditional jazz (it’s a good thing – he can play as few can). No matter how you feel about rockjazz, it’s sure to be a rollicking ride. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website
Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads a straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile
Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m. | Arguably the city’s best jazz trumpeter, Donvonte McCoy plays every Friday and Saturday at the hip 18th St. Lounge. He likes to mix in some funk as well during the lounge gig, and he’s liable to inflect a touch of Chuck Brown-esque groove into his combo’s treatment of classic bop tunes by the likes of Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
cb picks:
- Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
- Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8 p.m.
- Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
- Heidi Martin, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
- Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
Jam Session with Peter Edelman, Columbia Station, 4 p.m. | Pianist Peter Edelman, a constant presence on the D.C. jazz scene for years now, leads an afternoon jam session every Saturday and Sunday. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile
Charles Woods, Johnny’s Half Shell, 6 p.m. | Saxophonist Charles Woods plays and has recorded in both free and straight-ahead jazz styles, but for his regular gig at Johnny’s Half Shell he keeps things within the traditional bop realm. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Johnny’s Half Shell website
District Jazz Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | A self-described “cool swinging jazz trio,” the District Jazz Trio is saxophonist Seth Popkin, pianist Dan Nathan and bassist Roger Rosa. The group plays jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Mark Mosley Trio, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | Baltimore guitarist Mark Mosley plays a slick hand as a smooth jazz guitarist, but he can also hunker down on serious bop. He performs laid-back straight-ahead here with his trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Full Ascent, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | This jazz band plays in a number of traditional styles, from hard-bop to Dixieland to calypso. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website
Triple Double, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Consisting of Joey Whitney on tenor sax, Ed Gallagher on guitar, Alan Pachter on bass and Tom Reed on drums, the Triple Double Jazz Band plays straightforward
Dr. Lonnie Smith, Kennedy Center, 7:30 p.m. | The organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith is credentialed in both straight-ahead jazz and funk. He can also forge one of music’s most incisive and rousing blends of the two. Here he is joined by a pair of young and visceral musicians, the guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and the drummer Jamire Williams. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets vary ($26-$30), no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile
Akua Allrich Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba are two strong influences that bubble up in Akua Allrich’s Afrobeat- and jazz-infused music. The Howard University graduate, who composes many of her own tunes, is a strong and effervescent singer who wields a signature sense of earthbound optimism. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website
Rachelle Ferrell, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Rachelle Ferrell sings a canny mix of Black musical forms, not unlike some of the people she used to sing backup for: Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle and George Duke. A solo star since the 1990s, she’s possessed of an impressive, more than six-octave range. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | Lyrical bassist Steve Synk, a music major at the University of Maryland, leads a young trio that explores music ranging from standards to originals, groove-based contemporary jazz to swinging bop. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile
Jaques Schwartz-Bart, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwartz-Bart, a native of Guadeloupe, didn’t discover a love for his instrument until he was 24. It didn’t take him long to quit his job in the French government and have a go at a career in music, where he found quick success. His playing is fleet but grounded, and an effective stimulus for his combo. You might hear a bit of JD Allen in Schwartz-Bart’s broad and watery tone, but you’ll find more of Joshua Redman in his snaky melodic lilt. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $23 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile
Heidi Martin, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The gifted D.C.-via-New York vocalist Heidi Martin this weekend performs a collection of her slyly expressive compositions. As a singer, Martin emits messages complex but clear, with an essence of mourning and resilience that hints at Billie Holiday and delicate control that’s not unlike Joni Mitchell’s. She’s one of D.C.’s treasures. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile
ELEW, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the pianist Eric Lewis had stints in the early-2000s with Wynton Marsalis and the late Elvin Jones, but recently coined a new moniker, ELEW, and even his own new genre, rockjazz. Indeed, he’s the only one playing it. Rockjazz is essentially a way of reworking pop tunes for the solo piano, with special attention to keeping all their grandeur, and volume, intact. There’s very little jazz involved. But when he gets in front of an attentive audience, Lewis does intersperse a great deal more traditional jazz (it’s a good thing – he can play as few can). No matter how you feel about rockjazz, it’s sure to be a rollicking ride. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website
Cubista, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Cubista is a salsa band that plays at Bossa every Saturday. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile
Jeron White, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | Bassist Jeron White leads a straight-ahead jazz combo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile
Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m. | Arguably the city’s best jazz trumpeter, Donvonte McCoy plays every Friday and Saturday at the hip 18th St. Lounge. He likes to mix in some funk as well during the lounge gig, and he’s liable to inflect a touch of Chuck Brown-esque groove into his combo’s treatment of classic bop tunes by the likes of Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
cb picks:
- Jazz Brunch: Reginald Cyntje, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m.
- Joe Morris Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 p.m.
- Lyle Link, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
Gospel Brunch, The Hamilton, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. | Every Sunday morning, the Hamilton presents two sets of rafters-raising gospel, along with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Two separate shows at 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | The Hamilton website
TBA, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Performer TBA. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website
Jazz Brunch: Reginald Cyntje, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m. | Twins Jazz’s new Sunday Jazz Brunch initiative revolves around the magnetic powers of Reginald Cyntje’s trombone. Last year, he released his debut CD, “Freedom’s Children: The Celebration,” a glimmeringly hopeful record immersed in the warm, danceable rhythms of Cyntje’s native U.S. Virgin Islands. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile
Harlem Gospel Choir, Howard Theatre, 12 p.m. | The talented Harlem Gospel Choir, which has been active since 1986, performs a Sunday brunch show every week at the Howard Theatre. Either an all-you-can-eat buffet or an a la carte menu are available. Doors open at noon, and the music starts at 1:30 p.m. Tickets vary ($35 for all-you-can-eat or $20 for admission and a la carte options in advance, $45 or $30 at the door). View event on calendar | Howard website
Jam Session with Peter Edelman, Columbia Station, 4 p.m. | Pianist Peter Edelman, a constant presence on the D.C. jazz scene for years now, leads an afternoon jam session every Saturday and Sunday. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile
D.C. Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6 p.m. | This jazz jam presents a friendly, relaxed environment where professionals and amateurs can play together. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Dahlak profile
Potomac Jazz Project, Laporta’s, 6:30 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a quartet that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. It’s led by bassist Stan Hamrick, and its rotating lineup often features some of D.C.’s best musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Laporta’s website
Joe Morris Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 p.m. | The guitarist Joe Morris avoids scales or almost any sort of melodic rut, and he does it with an acerbic finesse. Here he appears in a combo with Marco Eneidi on alto saxophone and free jazz’s premier cult hero, William Parker, on bass $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile
DC Choro, Grill from Ipanema, 7:30 p.m.| DC Choro is a sextet that plays Brazilian music drawing on European folk traditions. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Grill from Ipanema profile
Mike Flaherty’s Dixieland Jazz Direct, Zoo Bar Café, 7:30 p.m.| This combo specializes in traditional New Orleans-style jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Zoo Bar website
Lyle Link, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | With a presentation that’s always strong and often sultry, saxophonist and flautist Lyle Link grabs you, tells you the music is about feeling as much as it’s about hearing. This soulful and sophisticated player has been a mainstay of D.C.’s jazz scene for over 10 yeas, and he’s had a major hand in its revitalization. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile
Bill Heid, Black Fox Lounge, 8 p.m. | Bill Heid plays piano and sings blues songs and jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge profile
Rachelle Ferrell, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Rachelle Ferrell sings a canny mix of Black musical forms, not unlike some of the people she used to sing backup for: Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle and George Duke. A solo star since the 1990s, she’s possessed of an impressive, more than six-octave range. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every Sunday night leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” no cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile 
[…] only be found through osmosis.) For his first season as adviser – which began last weekend with two stellar shows at the KC Jazz Club – he’s planned a handful of programs that blend jazz with other ideas. […]