by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

Alright, so maybe you didn’t win the ticket giveaway for Roy Hargrove’s shows during the week. Luckily, there’s still time to catch him at Blues Alley — he’ll be playing two sets a night all weekend. If you’d rather stick to U Street, there are some great things happening at Twins and Bohemian Caverns; you might not have heard the names at the top of the bill there, but they have strong concepts and personal styles. And at the Kennedy Center on Friday, the excellent trio of Geri Allen, Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington is performing — but both sets are already sold out. If you haven’t got tickets to that, maybe you should make this the Friday that you check out the weekly jam session at Ulah Bistro, which has been attracting flocks of musicians and late-night loungers for the past few months.

Though it’s the second Sunday of the month, CapitalBop’s not hosting a D.C. Jazz Loft this weekend. After a run of three consecutive Sunday shows at the G40 Art Summit, we’re regrouping and getting ready for a full next few months. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

cb picks:

• ACS (Allen, Carrington, Spalding), Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
• Allison Crockett, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Roy Hargrove, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Mickey Bass & Manhattan Burn Unit, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Kristine Key, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | The smooth-voiced and wistful singer Kristine Key performs here with DeAndrey Howard on trumpet, leading his Collector’s Edition ensemble in her support. The combo features Vince Smith on keyboard, Blake Meister on bass and Ron Compton on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Herb Scott, Chez Billy, 7 p.m. | The soulful alto saxophonist Herb Scott is one of D.C.’s most arresting young powerhouses. He appears here with a combo featuring the bassist Steve Novosel, a longtime eminence on the local scene. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Chez Billy website

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

Jacqui Simmons, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Jacqui Simmons sings jazz standards with a heartfelt and elegant presentation. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yamomanem, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

Lavay Smith, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 8 p.m. | Lavay Smith sings in a creamy croon over her eight-piece “little big band,” the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, which owes its debt to the early 20th century jazz of New Orleans and classic swing. $25 cover, $15 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues website

ACS (Allen, Carrington, Spalding), Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | The pianist Geri Allen, the bassist Esperanza Spalding and the drummer Terri Lyne Carrington first came together to form the rhythm section for Carrington’s “Mosaic Project” album, a conscientious effort at spotlighting an all-female cast of jazz musicians. But they’ve stuck together as a touring trio, and they’re a fiery ensemble. The group wanders between a post-modern standards trio approach – whereby any classic tune is fair game, but must be anatomized and reconstituted – and a bristling, funk-under-the-covers strategy that recalls some of Allen’s best trio work from the 1990s. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets $38. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Allison Crockett, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | For those who have been following the jazz internet’s most popular – and circular – debate of the past two years, let’s put it to rest: #BAM exists. (That is, “Black American Music,” the big-tent term that Nicholas Payton coined as an alternative label for much contemporary jazz.) And it’s what Allison Crockett sings. She’s got the laggard rhythm of an Erykah Badu, the dance instinct of a Chaka Kahn, and the maverick relationship to the jazz canon of a Lizz Wright. Here she performs with some of D.C.’s strongest musicians:
Andrew Adair on piano, Zack Pride on bass and John Lamkin on drums. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Roy Hargrove, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | One of the best trumpeters to arrive after Wynton Marsalis, the 43-year-old Roy Hargrove has an affinity for sharp but husky melody, carried across genres. In his old band Crisol, he offered a modernist’s approach to Afro-Cuban jazz. In the group RH Factor, he explores the boundaries between jazz, funk and hip-hop. He’s at Blues Alley all week with his quintet, an outstanding band built on the scaffold of a young rhythm section that has neo-soul with kinetic post-bop mingled in its bloodstream. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Mickey Bass & Manhattan Burn Unit, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The bassist Mickey Bass, who played off and on with Art Blakey during the 1960s and ’70s, walks a brisk and sauntering bass line with comfortable grace. In addition to his work with Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, he has recorded with such giants as Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley and Jimmy McGriff. Here Bass leads his own small ensemble, Manhattan Burn Unit. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, 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

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

Jam Session, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m. | U Street restaurant Ulah Bistro has stepped up to fill the void that Utopia left open last year, when it closed to make way for the construction of a new condos complex. That restaurant housed the block’s most reliable, convivial jam sessions. Ulah gives a taste of that energy once a week, late on Friday nights. This week, the fleet keyboardist Todd Simon is leading the session, with Blake Meister on bass and the excellent Kush Abadey (who tours and records with Wallace Roney) on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

cb picks:

• Allison Crockett, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Roy Hargrove, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Mickey Bass & Manhattan Burn Unit, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. 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

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

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, straight-ahead versions of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Allison Crockett, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | For those who have been following the jazz internet’s most popular – and circular – debate of the past two years, let’s put it to rest: #BAM exists. (That is, “Black American Music,” the big-tent term that Nicholas Payton coined as an alternative label for much contemporary jazz.) And it’s what Allison Crockett sings. She’s got the laggard rhythm of an Erykah Badu, the dance instinct of a Chaka Kahn, and the maverick relationship to the jazz canon of a Lizz Wright. Here she performs with some of D.C.’s strongest musicians:
Mark Meadows on piano, Zack Pride on bass and John Lamkin on drums. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Roy Hargrove, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | One of the best trumpeters to arrive after Wynton Marsalis, the 43-year-old Roy Hargrove has an affinity for sharp but husky melody, carried across genres. In his old band Crisol, he offered a modernist’s approach to Afro-Cuban jazz. In the group RH Factor, he explores the boundaries between jazz, funk and hip-hop. He’s at Blues Alley all week with his quintet, an outstanding band built on the scaffold of a young rhythm section that has neo-soul with kinetic post-bop mingled in its bloodstream. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Mickey Bass & Manhattan Burn Unit, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The bassist Mickey Bass, who played off and on with Art Blakey during the 1960s and ’70s, walks a brisk and sauntering bass line with comfortable grace. In addition to his work with Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, he has recorded with such giants as Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley and Jimmy McGriff. Here Bass leads his own small ensemble, Manhattan Burn Unit. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

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

Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 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

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 13

cb picks:

• Akua Allrich, Blind Whino: SW Arts Club, 4 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

Jazz Brunch, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Performer TBA. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website

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

Todd Simon, Kellari Taverna, 12 p.m. | The sturdy and swinging pianist Todd Simon performs every Sunday in a duo setting; his accompanists vary from bass to guitar to saxophone, depending on the week. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Kellari Taverna 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, 6:30 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

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

Blue Moon Big Band, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 8 p.m. | The Blue Moon Big Band revives the music and fervently swinging style of the 1940s, when orchestral dance music was pop. $10 cover, $15 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues website

Roy Hargrove, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | One of the best trumpeters to arrive after Wynton Marsalis, the 43-year-old Roy Hargrove has an affinity for sharp but husky melody, carried across genres. In his old band Crisol, he offered a modernist’s approach to Afro-Cuban jazz. In the group RH Factor, he explores the boundaries between jazz, funk and hip-hop. He’s at Blues Alley all week with his quintet, an outstanding band built on the scaffold of a young rhythm section that has neo-soul with kinetic post-bop mingled in its bloodstream. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Bobby Muncy, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The saxophonist Bobby Muncy writes snaky tunes influenced by 20th century classical and alternative rock, as well as jazz. He appears at Twins with a strong, straight-ahead quartet. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz 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

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