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Interviews

The Spellcasters update the guitar sound of the ‘Anacostia Delta’ with tribute to Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan

Guitarists Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton were both known for stupefying feats of technical prowess on the Fender Telecaster; both have been called the “best unknown guitarist” in the world; and both called the Washington, D.C. area home in the 1970s and ’80s. They did not play exactly the same styles, but both played an […]

May 10, 2019 0

Announcing...

Brian Falkowski and Dan Kurfirst push the limits at our next DC Jazz Loft

In the May edition of our D.C. jazz loft, we’re bringing musical energy to suit the warming weather. This month’s bandleaders, saxophonist Brian Falkowski and percussionist Dan Kurfist, are stylistic agitators, ready to defy expectations at every turn. Don’t miss their double-bill at Rhizome DC this Sunday, May 12! DONATE IN ADVANCE You might have […]

May 8, 2019 0

News

Paul Carr named 2019 JJA jazz hero

The Jazz Journalists Association last month named longtime Washington, D.C.-area saxophonist, educator and festival organizer Paul Carr a Jazz Hero, making him the latest in a string of regional artists and organizers to receive the honor. The JJA Jazz Hero award recognizes “advocates, altruists, activists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact […]

May 8, 2019 0

The Month in Shows

5 May D.C. jazz picks

May might seem to be a lull in the jazz calendar, falling between the heightened activity of Jazz Appreciation Month and the adrenaline injection of the DC Jazz Festival in June — and yet a constant stream of great jazz shows continues to flow in the District. Spring is here, which means that the windows […]

May 2, 2019 0

News

Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation to host annual D.C. Jazz Leaders in Service Awards

The Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, the arts advocacy non-profit that organizes the Capitol Hill Jazz Jam and Hillfest, will host its third annual gala on Tuesday to honor major figures in the D.C. jazz community. The D.C. Jazz Leaders in Service Awards Gala, will be open to the public, and will be held at The […]

April 29, 2019 0

News

Fred Foss, a saxophonist, educator and advocate for young musicians, dies at 70

Fred Foss spent the early years of his career touring with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles and Abdullah Ibrahim. But it was after the saxophonist settled in D.C. — becoming a full-time educator in the public-school system, and a constant presence on the club scene — that he made his greatest impact. Foss […]

April 25, 2019 0

Announcing...

Angelica Sanchez brings her new, nine-piece orchestra to our Traveling Loft

The New York Times’s Nate Chinen once wrote that Angelica Sanchez enjoys “building structures and breaking free of them.” It’s that push-and-pull between chaos and order that makes her composing, arranging and playing so powerful — and so distinctive. We’re pleased to announce that Sanchez will appear in D.C. as our next Traveling Loft headliner […]

April 24, 2019 0

Features

Andrew’s Music: A selected discography of D.C. icon Andrew White

Longtime Northeast D.C. resident Andrew White is an indelible figure in the jazz world, both here and abroad. As a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, he’s played with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Weather Report, while leading a remarkable, nearly 60-year career as a bandleader and John Coltrane scholar. And with 42 LPs in the catalog of his […]

April 22, 2019 0

Interviews

Wendy Eisenberg on growing up in Gaithersburg, and making ‘multilingual’ guitar music

Wendy Eisenberg is a guitarist — and a vocalist, banjo player, writer and poet — who recently released a string of recordings that show off her extraordinary versatility. Last October, Eisenberg — a native of Gaithersburg, Md., who now lives in Western Massachusetts — simultaneously issued the solo acoustic album Its Shape Is Your Touch […]

April 19, 2019 0

Premieres

‘I’m here for a reason:’ Preview Keith Butler’s new album

Keith Butler’s playing has everything you’d expect from one of D.C.’s most prominent young drummers: nuance, strength and a deep sense of swing. But the path Butler took to arrive there is hardly what you might think. A year ago, he hadn’t composed any original material. Three years ago, he was brand new to the […]

April 16, 2019 0