4.25-4.27: Straight-ahead masters, a tribute to Charles Mingus & more -

Both Kenny Barron and the Clayton Brothers belong to the last generation that experienced jazz’s mid-century heyday. In the past few decades, both have taken the hard-bop tradition and bent it to their own personal styles: Barron, who plays on Friday at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, has a prodding and constantly shifting approach to band leading, much like his tack as an accompanist; the Clayton Brothers, performing at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Sunday, are masters of warm harmony and hard-driving groove. (More about their music here.)

D.C. has its own powerful straight-ahead jazz tradition, and the pianist Allyn Johnson is one of its most important scions; he brings a combo to Bohemian Caverns on Friday and Saturday. (If you’re not familiar with Johnson, check out CapitalBop’s detailed profile.) Michael Bowie, increasingly known for his work with the ambitious fusion band Siné Qua Non, celebrates another “Baron” of the music on Friday at Westminster Presbyterian, with a bill dedicated to the music of Charles Mingus. And for anyone interested in an avant-garde angle on tradition, the seminal pianist Matthew Shipp presents a consideration of Duke Ellington at the Caverns on Sunday. You can also find our full listings at CapitalBop’s D.C. jazz calendar. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, APRIL 25

cb picks:

Airmen of Note, American History Museum, 3 p.m.
Michael Bowie, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m.
Kenny Barron Platinum Quintet, Clarice Smith PAC (UMD), 8 p.m.
Allyn Johnson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
U St. Jazz Jam, Dukem, 11 p.m.

Airmen of Note, American History Museum, 1:30 p.m. | The National Museum of American History celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with free performances every Friday afternoon. This week, the Airmen of Note — the Air Force’s big band — performs its repertoire, ranging from classic mid-20th-century music (think Glenn Miller) to more contemporary jazz. The band is buoyed by a few especially strong improvisers, including Tedd Baker on tenor saxophone and David McDonald on drums. Free. View event on calendar | Museum website

Michael Bowie, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Maybe you’ve noticed something when listening to Siné Qua Non, the well-thought-out fusion quintet that blends inspiration from Spanish guitar music with Caribbean rhythms and jazz improvisation, among much else: The band’s bassist and de facto leader, Michael Bowie, sways with his instrument, finds the grime in its resonant bosom, and draws out a colorful pulse. He doesn’t play this stuff like it’s a constellation of big ideas, which it is. You might not have thought to have Bowie lead a Charles Mingus tribute, but there’s commonality: The Baron liked his conceptualism deep-fried, and he had an almost tumultuous way of wresting beauty from the bass. Here Bowie will explore his legacy with help from an expert brigade: Paul Carr on tenor saxophone, Reginald Cyntje on trombone, Andrew Adair on piano and Lenny Robinson on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Charles Rahmat Woods Duo, Firelake Grill, 7 p.m. | The saxophonist Charles Woods plays in both free and straight-ahead jazz styles, but for his regular gig leading a low-key duo at Firelake Grill, he keeps things within the traditional, swinging realm. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Firelake Grill 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

Triple Double, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

Night & Day, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Night & Day Trio plays traditional, swing-oriented jazz, featuring Renée Tannenbaum on vocals, Mike Suser on piano and vocals and Dennis Johnson on saxophone. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yellowjackets, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Yellowjackets are one of the last ensembles standing from the years when jazz-rock fusion, R&B and smooth jazz signed a fated armistice. The group’s current lineup includes Russell Ferrante on keyboards and synthesizers, Bob Mintzer on reeds, Will Kennedy on drums and Felix Pastorius on bass. The lineup, at least, is solid. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $30 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Zydeco Boogaloo, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | In Zydeco Boogaloo, a handful of notable District-area improvisers and composers draw inspiration from the bright-tinted, rhythmically boisterous music of Cajun Louisiana. The band includes the drummer Harold Summey (a quiet presence on the scene these days, but a wondrous player), the pianist Tim Whalen, the trombonist Matt Niess and the trumpeter Graham Breedlove. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Bonnie Harris, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | The veteran vocalist Bonnie Harris performs with a spare, bass-piano backing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Loews website

Kenny Barron Platinum Quintet, Clarice Smitih PAC (UMD), 8 p.m. | It’s easy to underestimate Kenny Barron. His moment of prominence and influence began in the late 1960s, just as jazz was exiting the public eye stage right. And his most important work has been as a sideman — with Yusef Lateef, Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Ron Carter, countless others. But there’s something that serial sidemen possess, and it’s especially becoming of a pianist: Barron hears sonic spaces and moments of repose, however small, as enormous opportunities. Find his sawtooth harmonies, prying at the sangfroid of a groove, reaching in like a claw and unfurling a handful of new possibilities for his fellow improvisers. Here Barron appears with his Platinum Quintet, a ferocious collective that’s fit to live up to the ambitious appellation: Tim Warfield on saxophones, Lionel Loueke on guitar, Linda Oh on bass and Terreon Gully on drums. Tickets $45, $32 for subscribers, $10 for students and youth. View event on calendar | Clarice Smith website

Allyn Johnson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Allyn Johnson, arguably the District’s most respected pianist, spent years mastering his instrument in churches and jazz bands around D.C. He has divined a personal approach to uniting glide and percussiveness. Here he leads a stellar combo of local musicians, featuring Nasar Abadey on drums and Steve Novosel on bass. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $20 cover online, $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

Ajay Parham, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Ajay Parham is a smooth, deep-voiced vocalist who sings R&B with inflections of jazz. But on the bandstand at HR-57, where he’s long been a stalwart performer, Parham often tries his hand at jazz standards. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 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

U St. Jazz Jam, Dukem, 11 p.m. | The U Street Jazz Jam, which began at Ulah Bistro last year and quickly became the weekend’s most happening area hang, is now at Dukem. The session offers a spark-plug atmosphere, and attracts cameos from some of the city’s top improvisers. A rotation of bands handles house duties every week. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, APRIL 26

cb picks:

Allyn Johnson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Kevin Mahogany, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.

Donvonte McCoy, 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

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 (Bethesda), 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

Kevin Mahogany, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Kevin Mahogany comes from Kansas City, Mo., where jazz and the blues are more inextricable than perhaps anywhere else. His baritone is a deep well, full with cooking oil or molasses, and slightly reminiscent of Joe Williams’. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary ($26-30), no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Zed’s Café, Trio 33 1/3, 8 p.m. | The trombonist Gary Gill, the bassist Harry Walker and the drummer Robin Ghertner perform flaring, sensitive and combustive free jazz with their Trio 33 1/3. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Zed’s Café website

Integriti Reeves, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | The vocalist Integriti Reeves is enamored with the work of classic jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s Billie Holiday that Reeves emulates the most, singing ballads with a sibilant, brooding tone. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Loews website

Cubano Groove, HR-57, 9 p.m. | No information available. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

Dan Pappalardo Trio, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | The area native Dan Pappalardo is currently a jazz bass student at Oberlin Conservatory. He returns to D.C. this weekend for a couple performances, including this one with a straight-ahead trio featuring Shea Pierre on piano and Miles Labat on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

SUNDAY, APRIL 27

cb picks:

Clayton Brothers, Bethesda Blues & Jazz, 7:30 p.m.
Brad Linde’s Team Players, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
Matthew Shipp Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 8:30 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

George Oakley Group, Redwood Restaurant, 11 a.m. | George Oakley invests all the reeds he plays – saxophone, clarinet and flute – with a whispering coolness. In this weekly brunch gig, he performs with a laid-back trio featuring Scott Giambusso on bass and Nick Lipkowski on guitar. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Redwood 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

Nguyen Nguyen, Ulah Bistro, 12 p.m. | Nguyen Nguyen plays jazz piano and sings in a scruffy, boyish tone. At Ulah Bistro’s weekly brunch, he mixes jaunty covers of jazz standards with his own compositions, and his combo stays at a background level. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah Bistro

DC Jazz Singers Jam, Black Fox Lounge, 5 p.m. | The DC Jazz Singers Jam is a new endeavor, organized by the local show presenter and jam session enthusiast Jeff Stacey and hosted by the pianist Mark Meadows. In the Black Fox Lounge’s basement performance area, it offers singers an early-evening opportunity to commune and compete. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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

D.C. Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6:30 p.m. | The D.C. Jazz Jam presents a friendly, relaxed environment where professionals and amateurs can play together. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Dahlak profile

Updated: Matthew Shipp Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 8:30 p.m. | Matthew Shipp is a contemporary powerhouse in jazz. For almost 30 years, he has forged a path of innovation informed by tradition, with a strong sense of conceptual expression. Shipp explores his musicality by way of an array of popular art forms, from hip-hop to indie-rock to electronica. This show at Bohemian Caverns, which finds him joined by his regular trio mates, Michael Bisio on bass and Whit Dickey on drums, is designed as a special tribute to Duke Ellington. It’s part of Transparent Productions’ “Sundays at 7 at the Caverns” series. Two separate sets at 7 & 8:30 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. [Words by Luke Stewart] View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Victor Dvoskin Duo, Tabard Inn, 7 p.m. | The bassist Victor Dvoskin leads a straight-ahead jazz duo every Sunday evening at the Tabard Inn restaurant. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tabard Inn 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

Clayton Brothers, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 8 p.m. | Centered on the brothers Jeff and John Clayton (saxophone and bass, respectively), the Clayton Brothers is a quintet that mines the hard-bop tradition with verve and playful confidence. John brings formidable talents as a composer and arranger, having worked for the Count Basie Orchestra during some of the legend’s last years, while Jeff’s broad career includes stints with acts ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Earth, Wind & Fire. The band includes John’s famous son, the fastidious pianist Gerald Clayton, as well as Terell Stafford on trumpet and Obed Calvaire on drums. Two separate shows at 7 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets $25. $10 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues & Jazz website

Brad Linde’s Team Players, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The enterprising area saxophonist Brad Linde, whose conscientious and beam-like sound descends cleanly from his cool jazz idols, is always introducing new ensembles and new ideas. Here’s one for you: Team Players is, for now, a quartet that focuses on the original music of its members, as well as repertory from some of jazz’s most iconoclastic idols from the 1950s and ’60s — the sort of musicians whose legacies depend heavily on the advocacy of devotees like Linde: Paul Motian, Warne Marsh, Eric Dolphy. In addition to Linde, the group includes Billy Wolfe on tenor saxophone, Aaron Quinn on guitar and Deric Dickens on drums. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $12 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins 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