by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” our list of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. The DC Jazz Festival is behind us (alas), but the smaller-scale – and more esoteric – Nordic Jazz Festival comes to town this weekend for a series of shows at Twins Jazz. On Sunday night, the festival puts up its own dueling event on the House of Sweden’s glamorous rooftop, featuring three Scandinavian jazz groups on one bill. Our preferred Nordic fest shows and all our other favorites have a  label. As always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

cb picks:

• Alan Palmer’s New Soil, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Andrés Thor, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Jazz in the Garden, Deanna Bogart, 5 p.m. | For this installation of the popular Jazz in the Garden series, guitarist John Lee will lead a band of jazz-rock fusion musicians. Free. View event on calendar | Jazz in the Garden website

Arnold Sterling, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Baltimorean Arnold Sterling plays a bluesy alto saxophone in a style influenced by Sonny Stitt. At Westminster Presbyterian’s jazz fish-fry, this week he’s joined by a group of top-shelf bebop and hard-bop players: Matvei Sigalov on violin and guitar, Benjie Porecki on piano, Steve Novosel on bass and Percy Smith on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

L’Tanya Mari & Friends, 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

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, but it’s usually a very solid lineup. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Karrin Allyson, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m. Karrin Allyson is a jazz vocalist who hails from Kansas and Nebraska; she presents lyrics simply, straightforwardly and precisely, and often performs swingin’ jazz standards. Sometimes she wades into Brazilian, Latin jazz or more rockish tunes. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Lena Seikaly Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Dierdre Williams is a vocalist. Her clear and soulful articulation will be augmented by pianist Chris Grasso, bassist Michael Bowie and drummer Lenny Robinson – some of D.C.’s top talents. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Andréa Wood & Michael Kramer, Tasting Room, 8 p.m. | Singer Andréa Wood has started catching people’s ears since returning to D.C., her hometown, in 2009. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts graduate moves fearlessly up and down octaves, all the while maintaining a distinct sense of purpose. She can explore the upper register in a beguiling waft, or plunge into the basement with buoyant, swelling articulation. Wood and guitarist Michael Kramer play Brazilian and classic jazz standards every week as background fare at the Tasting Room, a wine bar in Friendship Heights. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tasting Room website

Alan Palmer’s New Soil, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Pianist and Washington, D.C. native Alan Palmer’s music is rooted in both his experience performing with the greats of classic jazz and his commitment to exploring and valuing all manner of music across the spectrum of African-American history. Nothing is a better testament to both of these elements of his artistic identity than New Soil, Palmer’s current group. Its music defies any genre label. Suffice it to say that it is urban, gritty, fervid, cool, boppish, swingin’, go-go-infused, and stirring. $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Sin Miedo, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Sin Miedo is an energetic, nine-piece Salsa band that plays highly danceable Afro-Cuban jazz, Mambo and Samba. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa Bistro website

Andrés Thor, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | In this, the inaugural show of this weekend’s 6th Annual Nordic Jazz Festival, Icelandic guitarist Andrés Thor’s seeping, ruminating chordal playing takes center stage. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker has long been a regular performer at HR-57, and when the club moved to H St. NE earlier this year, he played at opening night. Parker’s playing refers to John Coltrane’s tenor technique, but his aggressive tone and rhythmic inclinations are more contemporary, bringing neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker’s style on the horn often nods toward another one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every week leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads this straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums, at the new Black Fox Lounge. 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. Donvonte’s joined every Friday by the talented, Billie Holiday-indebted singer Integriti Reeves. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndrey Howard’s Collector’s Edition, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Trumpeter DeAndre Howard’s weekly engagement at Utopia brings hordes to the restaurant and bar every Friday night. He and his small group, Collector’s Edition, play standards with a friendly, inviting touch, and they add to the positive vibes already flowing throughout the room — especially when Howard tosses aside the trumpet to sing a spontaneous blues. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

cb picks:

• Alan Palmer’s New Soil, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th Street Lounge 10:30 p.m.
• Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 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 Quartet, 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

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s 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

Lena Seikaly & Potomac Jazz Project, Extra Virgin Restaurant, 7:30 p.m. | Vocalist Lena Seikaly sings jazz standards with a confident and playful demeanor, displaying a haziness reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding as well as a deference to traditional greats. 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 | Extra Virgin’s website

Nancy Scimone, Henley Park Hotel, 7:30 p.m. | Nancy Scimone reaches into the jazz and popular American songbooks during this weekly gig at the Henley Park Hotel in downtown D.C. She’s typically joined by a pianist. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Henley Park’s website

Dee Stone & Charles Wright, Black Fox Lounge, 7:30 p.m.| Dee Stone and Charles Wright play soul and funk. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

Julian Hipkins Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Drummer Big Joe Maher plays boogie-woogie and blues, and sings in a playful drawl. His band is rounded out by smooth-toned, skillful saxophonist Marshall Keys, Andrew Adair on piano and Eric Harper on bass. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Karrin Allyson, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m. | Karrin Allyson is a jazz vocalist who hails from Kansas and Nebraska; she presents lyrics simply, straightforwardly and precisely, and often performs swingin’ jazz standards. Sometimes she wades into Brazilian, Latin jazz or more rockish tunes. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Alan Palmer’s New Soil, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Pianist and Washington, D.C. native Alan Palmer’s music is rooted in both his experience performing with the greats of classic jazz and his commitment to exploring and valuing all manner of music across the spectrum of African-American history. Nothing is a better testament to both of these elements of his artistic identity than New Soil, Palmer’s current group. Its music defies any genre label. Suffice it to say that it is urban, gritty, fervid, cool, boppish, swingin’, go-go-infused, and stirring. $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Tonbruket, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Tonbruket is a prog band led by Swedish bassist Dan Berglund that has more in common with sigur rós than with Charlie Parker. The band’s members have played in noteworthy, diverse bands such as Soundtrack of our Lives, E.S.T. and Wildbirds & Peacedrums. The performance at Twins is the second in this weekend’s 6th Annual Nordic Jazz Festival. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker has long been a regular performer at HR-57, and when the club moved to H St. NE earlier this year, he played at opening night. Parker’s playing refers to John Coltrane’s tenor technique, but his aggressive tone and rhythmic inclinations are more contemporary, bringing neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker’s style on the horn often nods toward another one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Palanke Music Company, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Led by vocalist and guitarist Jaime Andrés Salazar, a.k.a. Gato, Palanke Music Company is tropicalia meets electro meets Samba meets Afro-Cuban jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Dee Stone & Charles Wright, Black Fox Lounge, 9:15 p.m. | Dee Stone and Charles Wright play soul, blues, jazz and rock. The first set of every performance is usually comprised of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

Kaos Theory, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Kaos Theory is a smooth funk band. No cover, 1-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

Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed heads up one of the swinginest shows on U Street every Saturday night. His sound drips with the blues, and from the bell of this 20-year-old’s horn seem to rise the ghosts of Coleman Hawkins and Dexter Gordon. With the Washington City Paper’s 2010 Best New D.C. Jazz Musician award under his belt, Balbed can always be expected always to deliver the goods. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

The Hang, Bohemian Caverns, midnight | Bohemian Caverns’ late-night jam, The Hang, is hosted by a different band every week of the month. The kitchen remains open until 1 a.m., so there’s a chance to get a late bite without having to traipse to Ben’s Chili Bowl. $7 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

SUNDAY, JUNE 19

cb picks:

• Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
• Nordic Jazz on the Rooftop, House of Sweden, 6 p.m.
• Nikolaj Hess, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.

Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Marshall Keys’ saxophone can sing the blues or swing hard to the rhythms of bebop; the native Washingtonian is a fluid, graceful player. He plays every Sunday brunch at Acadiana. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. But as far as jazz brunch goes, it’s hard to top the Jolleys’ music. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Potomac Jazz Project, Bayou, 12:30 | The Potomac Jazz Project takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. In a trio incarnation this evening, the group is led by bassist Stan Hamrick. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bayou profile

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

Carl Grubbs Ensemble, Anacostia Art Gallery, 4 p.m. | Carl Grubbs is a talented saxophonist who plays soprano, alto and tenor; he’s as indebted to free and Latin jazz as he is to the bebop tradition. His mercurial melodic barrages have punch and verve. This show is the second installation of an exciting new series called East River Jazz, in which Baltimore jazz musicians are presented at the Anacostia Art Gallery. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Anacostia Art Gallery website

Nordic Jazz on the Rooftop, House of Sweden, 6 p.m. | Most of this weekend’s Nordic Jazz Festival is going down at Twins Jazz on U Street – including a performance there by Nikolaj Hess’s band this evening – but the series’ other three groups are making a special appearance on the roof of the House of Sweden. They are the Icelandic guitarist Andrés Thor and his trio, the Norwegian piano trio In the Country and prog-jazz innovator Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket, from Sweden. Nordic jazz typically blends darker, ominous folk tonalities with some of American jazz’s improvisational and harmonic elements. Each of the three groups at this event has a deft and singular way of conveying this meld. Free hors d’ouvres and a cash bar will be available. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | House of Sweden website

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 | View 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

Rachel Panay, Black Fox Lounge, 7:30 p.m. | Rachel Panay sings straight-ahead with the Cleveland Park Jazz Quartet. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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

Origem, Bohemian Caverns, 8 & 10 p.m. | This local band plays electric Brazilian jazz, mixing samba, bossa nova, forro, afoxe, maracatu, and partido alto. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover in advance, $15 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar |Bohemian Caverns profile

Nikolaj Hess, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Danish pianist Nikolaj Hess plays and writes a wide range of jazz and its off-shoots, employing a dim-lit, dense personal touch. He has worked with a number of legends, including Lee Konitz, Benny Golson and Fela Kuti. This event is part of the third night of the Nordic Jazz Festival. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile

Karrin Allyson, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Karrin Allyson is a jazz vocalist who hails from Kansas and Nebraska; she presents lyrics simply, straightforwardly and precisely, and often performs swingin’ jazz standards. Sometimes she wades into Brazilian, Latin jazz or more rockish tunes. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 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

Cheryl Jones Trio, Utopia, 9 p.m. | Singer Cheryl Jones has a weekly engagement every Sunday at Utopia, where she sings with depth, force and clarity. Jones is equally likely to sing jazz standards, pop tunes or gospel classics. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

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