Giovanni Russonello

Giovanni Russonello

has published 247 posts

A co-founder of CapitalBop, Giovanni Russonello has also served as a music writer and critic for the New York Times. He teaches writing as a lecturer at New York University's School of Professional Studies and hosts a weekly radio show on WPFW 89.3 FM on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. He is currently at work on a biography of Gil Scott-Heron. Reach Giovanni at [email protected]. Read him at giovannirussonello.tumblr.com or nytimes.com/by/giovanni-russonello.

Author Archives: Giovanni Russonello

Audio | Poets reflect on the legacy of Amiri Baraka, lyrical warrior and preeminent jazz historian

Editorial board The poet, jazz critic, activist and playwright Amiri Baraka was a man of letters — which, for...

January 22, 2014 1

Weekend in Jazz | 1.17-1.19: Westminster Presbyterian celebrates 15 years on the scene

Editorial board Westminster Presbyterian might represent the best kind of D.C. institution: positive, rooted, embracing of new faces and...

January 17, 2014 0

Riffin’ at the Atlas continues with D.C.’s guitar god, Anthony Pirog

This Thursday our monthly series, Riffin’: CapitalBop Listening Sessions at the Atlas, welcomes its first local artist. Anthony Pirog...

January 14, 2014 0

Weekend in Jazz | 1.10-1.12: Jazz and comedy, Ralph Peterson’s drum dynamism & the D.C. Jazz Loft

Editorial board On Friday evening, the saxophonist and composer Jonathan Parker convenes a lively celebration of jazz and comedy...

January 10, 2014 0

Show announcement | D.C. Jazz Loft on Sunday: Noble Jolley, Jamal Moore, Prather’s Groove Orch.

There was a time when you thought there was nothing more dizzying and mercurial than a Wayne Shorter solo....

January 8, 2014 1

Weekend in Jazz | 1.3-1.5: Heidi Martin’s tribute to Abbey Lincoln; a surplus of sax talent

by Giovanni Russonello Editorial board The instrument of the moment this weekend is the saxophone: sultry local players Lyle Link...

January 3, 2014 0

Album review | Allyn Johnson & Sonic Sanctuary: The Truth is revealed

by Giovanni Russonello Editorial board If you want to get to know a local jazz scene, or a new...

December 30, 2013 0

Album review | Reginald Cyntje spreads the Love with a gentle message

by Giovanni Russonello Editorial board The trombonist and composer Reginald Cyntje isn’t against didacticism, and he doesn’t have to...

December 30, 2013 0

Weekend in Jazz | 12.27-12.29: Next generation on U St.; Monty Alexander & Freddy Cole at other clubs

by Giovanni Russonello Editorial board You’re no longer floating on a chiming cloud of good cheer, Christmas tunes wagging...

December 27, 2013 0

Weekend in Jazz | 12.20-12.22: Hometown heroes playing holiday shows all over the city

by Giovanni Russonello Editorial board One hidden advantage to the holiday season: Touring musicians come home to be amongst...

December 20, 2013 0

CapitalBop,Inc, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving jazz in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2010 and run by young cultural organizers and musicians, CapitalBop grows audiences and builds community around jazz because we believe it is important to the city’s historic identity as well as its contemporary culture. CapitalBop.com is an online magazine and resource designed to help everyone from newcomers to diehards connect with the city’s thriving live jazz scene and musicians. We present grassroots shows that unite diverse audiences while showcasing jazz in nontraditional, outside-the-box scenarios. Our emerging education program seeks to connect D.C.’s great teaching artists with children across the city, helping them access their own creativity by tapping them into the rich cultural legacy of their hometown.