by Giovanni Russonello

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival – the area’s biggest jazz-related event of the winter – has a noble mission: to promote America’s classical music by bringing the region’s top talent together with young musicians, all under one roof. Even if the roof is that of a Hilton Hotel, rather than a jazz club or concert hall, the end result is well worth experiencing. There’s just so much great music going on at the festival all weekend.

That’s why we figured you might need some help making sense of it all. So here’s CapitalBop’s full Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival guide. Our CB picks are just below, with brief descriptions, and the full listings are further down the page. (Just because something isn’t a CB pick doesn’t mean we think it’s unworthy; our picks are simply the music we know and love the best.) Updated: At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a map of the Metro-accessible location. The festival kicks off Friday afternoon, and runs through mid-day Monday, when it concludes with a jazz brunch.

As far as pricing goes, all-access passes will run you $225, but more economical options are available: admission to a single evening’s performances costs $50, and invidual shows are priced at $20 apiece. Updated: Atrium shows are free. Find full ticketing info and purchase passes here. Now, without further ado, the CapitalBop guide …

CB PICKS

Friday, Feb. 18

• Integriti Reeves, MAJF Club, 6 p.m. | This young Howard University graduate student will be paying tribute to one of her idols, Ella Fitzgerald. Reeves’ singing voice is steeped in classic swing and bebop singers, with obvious Billie Holiday undertones, but her attitude and attention-grabbing style are singular and worthy of standalone attention. She performs here with three other immensely talented, young D.C. musicians: Noble and Nathan Jolley on piano and drums, respectively, and Eric Wheeler on bass. (Read CapitalBop’s interview with Reeves here.)
• Nasar Abadey and Supernova, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 7 p.m. | Abadey is a spiritually motivated drummer whose constantly forward-pushing swing seems to set down roots and tear them up all at once. His group, Supernova, includes D.C. all-stars Joe Ford on saxophone, Allyn Johnson on piano and James King on bass. (Read CapitalBop’s interview with Abadey here.)
• Aaron Seeber Quintet, Atrium, 9 p.m. | Aaron Seeber, 18, recently enrolled in SUNY-Purchase as a jazz studies major. But clearly, he already knows a thing or two about playing jazz. A veteran of Paul Carr’s renowned local Jazz Academy of Music (where Seeber played in the big band and combo), the hard-charging drummer is coming full circle with this major performance at the festival that Carr directs.
• Jimmy Heath, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 10 p.m. | An NEA Jazz Master, saxophonist Jimmy Heath played a major role in helping to define the sounds of bebop, hard-bop and post-bop. Heath worked with Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Gil Evans and – of course – his brothers Albert and Percy, in the legendary Heath Brothers band. This concert will be the major event of the festival.
• Lenny Robinson and MadCurious, MAJF Club, 11 p.m. | Robinson, a stalwart drummer on the D.C. jazz scene, has a joyful and powerful swing, and a fiercely witty knack for syncopation. In this trio, he’s joined by the inexpressibly inventive, premier musicians Brian Settles on saxophone and Tarus Mateen on bass.

Saturday, Feb. 19

• Willard Jenkins with Rusty Hassan: book signing and interview, Washington Room, 1 p.m. | Willard Jenkins is a widely respected jazz journalist who co-wrote the great pan-Africanist jazz piano player Randy Weston’s autobiography, African Rhythms. Jenkins discusses the process with WPFW DJ Rusty Hassan and signs the book.
  
• High School Jazz Band Competion Finals, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 5 p.m. | MAJF Executive Director Paul Carr is a huge proponent of jazz education (as founder and head of the Jazz Academy). And he’s made education a major part of the festival, mostly by inviting high school bands to perform and compete within it. The finalists in the competition perform here for the trophy and cash prize.
• Bobby Broom Trio, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 7 p.m. | Broom is a deeply soulful bop guitarist who cut his teeth performing for many years with Sonny Rollins. He’s also got loads of experience as a leader, recording more than half a dozen albums under his own name.
• Bootsie Barnes, Tim Warfield & Quamon Fowler, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 8:30 p.m. | These three tenor titans will square off in the Tenor Saxophone Summit. Barnes, a longtime Philadelphia sax legend, has a reedy and hard-blowing tone; Warfield is a silky but fearlessly innovative player who’s among the most respected in the world; and Fowler plays soul- and gospel-inflected jazz that’s captivating and spiritual.

Sunday, Feb. 20

• Allyn Johnson and Divine Order, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 3 p.m. | Johnson, a professor at UDC and longtime member of the beloved Young Lions trio, leads his own combo, Divine Order. The group is dedicated to exploring the intersection between jazz and gospel, and is inspired by Johnson’s life-long passion for the music of the Black church.
• Randy Brecker and the Jazz Academy Orchestra, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 7 p.m. | The youth orchestra of Paul Carr’s Jazz Academy is led by the world-renowned trumpeter Randy Brecker.
• Sharón Clark, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 8:30 p.m. | Vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. The seasoned veteran is indisputably one of today’s most talented singers from D.C.
• Paul Carr Quintet, Ronnie Wells Main Stage, 10 p.m. | There’s no better way to cap off the festival than with a performance from its well-loved executive director and musical curator, Paul Carr. The tenor saxophonist’s latest album, Straight Ahead Soul, blends soul music’s warmth into the straight-ahead jazz genre. Here he’ll perform with most of the musicians who recorded the album with him: guitarist Bobby Broom, pianist Allyn Johnson, bassist Michael Bowie and drummer Harold Summey. (Read CapitalBop’s review of Straight Ahead Soul here.)

FULL SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 18

• 2:30 p.m. | Robert Frost Middle School, featuring Ken Krohn, director | Performance Atrium
• 4:00 p.m. | Maurice Lyles Quartet | Performance Atrium
• ?6:00 p.m. | Integriti Reeves, vocalist, featuring Noble Jolley, Nate Jolley and Eric Wheeler | MAJF Club
• 6:00 p.m. | Jazz Times Magazine “Before & After” (blindfold test), Larry Appelbaum with Jimmy Heath | Washington Room
• ?7:00 p.m. | Nasar Abadey and Supernova, featuring Allyn Johnson, James King and Joe Ford | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 7:00 p.m. | Jessies Soul Line Dancers | Jefferson Room
• 7:30 p.m. | Blake High School, featuring Brian Damron, director | Atrium
• 8:30 p.m. | Denise King | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 9:00 p.m. | Bruce Swaim Quartet | MAJF Club
• ?9:00 p.m. | Aaron Seeber Quintet | Atrium
• ?10:00 p.m. | NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, featuring Whit Williams, Tom Williams, et al | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• ?11:00 PM | Lenny Robinson and MadCurious, featuring Brian Settles and Tarus Mateen | MAJF Club
• 12:00 a.m. | MAJF Midnight Jam Session with the Wes Biles Trio | Ronnie Wells Main Stage

Saturday, Feb. 19

• 09:00 a.m. | Robert Frost Middle School, featuring Ken Krohn, director | Atrium
• 10:00 a.m. | Blair High School (Lab), featuring Michelle Roberts, director | Atrium
• 10:00 a.m. | Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers: Line Dancing Workshop | Jefferson Room
• 11:00 a.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Washington Lee High School, featuring Alex Robinson, director | Atrium
• 11:00 a.m. | Jimmy Heath: Book Signing and Interview, “I Walked with Giants: The Autobiography of Jimmy Heath” | Washington Room
• 11:00 a.m. | Jazz for Small Boppers with Eric Byrd (interactive jazz performance that introduces children, ages 4 and up, to jazz music) | Truman Room
• 11:30 a.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Blair High School, featuring Michelle Roberts, director | Atrium
• 12:00 p.m. | Michael Thomas Quintet | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 12:00 p.m. | Columbia Jazz Band | Atrium
• 12:00 p.m. Paul Carr Listening Party, “Straight-Ahead Soul” and interview with WPFW’s Miles Willis | Washington Room
• 1:00 p.m. | Lenore Raphael Trio | MAJF Club
• ?1:00 p.m. | Willard Jenkins with Rusty Hassan, book signing and interview, “African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston” | Washington Room
• 1:00 p.m. | MAJF Junior JAM Session, featuring Jazz Academy Combo as house band | Jefferson Room
• 1:00 p.m. Reginald Cyntje, trombone master class | Truman Room
• 1:30 p.m. | Play: “Sistas Can Sang – A Tribute to Female Legends in Jazz and Blues,” featuring Lavenia Nesmith, Janine Gilbert-Carter, Bonnie Harris, Kristine Key, Dottye Williams | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 1:30 p.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Albert Einstein HS, featuring Joan Rackey, director | Atrium
• 2:00 p.m. | Freddy Cole, master class | Washington Room
• 2:00 p.m. | Quamon Fowler, saxophone master class | Truman Room
• 2:00 p.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Fairfax HS, featuring Kenny Rittenhouse, director | Atrium
• 2:30 p.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Walter Johnson HS, featuring Christopher Kosmaceski, director | Atrium
• 3:00 p.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Mountain Ridge HS, featuring David Kauffman, director | Atrium
• 3:00 p.m. | Amy Shook, bass master class | Truman Room
• 3:00 p.m. | Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers: Hand/Steppin Dance Workshops | Jefferson Room
• 3:30 p.m. | Harold Mann Quintet | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 3:30 p.m. | The Mike Kamuf Little Big Band | MAJF Club
• 3:30 p.m. | Bobby Broom, Masterclass on the Role of the Guitar In Jazz | Washington Room
• 3:30 p.m. | MAJF HS Band Competitor: Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS, featuring Marshall White, director | Atrium
• 4:00 p.m. | Lenny Robinson, drum masterclass | Truman Room
• ?5:00 p.m. | High School Jazz Band Competion Finals, featuring top three high school bands | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 5:00 p.m. | The American University Jazz Orchestra | Atrium
• 6:00 p.m. | Chad Carter | MAJF Club
• 6:00 p.m. | Baker Middle School Jazz Band, featuring Mike Kamuf, director | Atrium
• 6:00 p.m. | Interview: Larry Appelbaum with Freddy Cole | Washington Room
• ?7:00 p.m. | Bobby Broom Trio | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 7:00 p.m. | Jazz Academy Ensemble | Atrium
• 7:00 p.m. | Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers: Motown Revue Showcases | Jefferson Room
• ?8:00 p.m. | Blues Alley Youth Jazz Band, featuring Michael Bowie, director | Atrium
• ?8:30 p.m. | Tenor Saxophone Summit, featuring Bootsie Barnes, Tim Warfield, Quamon Fowler | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 9:00 p.m. | Larry Brown Quintet | MAJF Club• 9:00 p.m. | Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers: Request Your Favorite Dance | Jefferson Room
• 10:00 p.m. | Freddy Cole | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 11:00 p.m. | Zach Brown Trio | MAJF Club
• 12:00 a.m. | MAJF Midnight Jam Session with the Wes Biles Trio | Ronnie Wells Main Stage

Sunday, Feb. 20

• 11:00 a.m. | Gospel Brunch with the McDaniels Gospel Choir, directed by Eric Byrd | Atrium
• 12:00 p.m. | Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers: Gospel Line Dance Lessons | Jefferson Room
• 1:00 p.m. | Kirk Whalum: Interview with Candy Shannon on “Gospel Meets Jazz” | Washington Room
• 1:30 p.m. | Vince Evans and the Gospel Roots | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 1:30 p.m. | Whitman High School Combo | Atrium
• 2:00 p.m. | Leslie Summey | MAJF Club
• ?3:00 p.m. | Allyn Johnson and Divine Order | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 3:00 p.m. | Josh Bayer Jazz | Atrium
• 3:00 p.m. | Randy Brecker: Interview with Eric Byrd | Washington Room
• 3:30 p.m. | Tamm E. Hunt, vocalist, with the Bobby Watson Band, featuring Bobby Watson, saxophone; Curtis Lundy, bass; Orrin Evans, piano; Eric Kennedy, drums | MAJF Club
• 4:00 p.m. | The Levine School Jazz Band | Atrium
• 4:30 p.m. | Kirk Whalum | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 6:00 p.m. | Chelsey Green and the Green Project | MAJF Club
• ?7:00 p.m. | Randy Brecker and the Jazz Academy Orchestra | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 7:30 p.m. | Diane Daly | MAJF Club
• ?8:30 p.m. | Sharón Clark | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 9:00 p.m. | Cloudburst, featuring the vocalese arrangements of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross | MAJF Club
• ?10:00 p.m. | The Paul Carr Quintet, featuring Bobby Broom, Allyn Johnson, Michael Bowie and Harold Summey | Ronnie Wells Main Stage
• 12:00 a.m. | MAJF Midnight Jam Session with the Wes Biles Trio | Ronnie Wells Main Stage

Monday, Feb. 21

• 10:30 a.m. | Jazz Brunch with Pepe Gonzalez | Atrium

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