Summer’s around the corner, and in our opinion, the city is in need of a good block party.

Today we’re announcing our stacked lineup of shows at next month’s DC Jazz Festival, when we’ll present the fourth annual DC Jazz Loft Series—and the centerpiece is a big, outdoor Block Party at the Jazz Lot. It’s going down on Friday, June 27, just a block off U Street, and some of the most exciting names in jazz and modern dance music will perform: Marc Cary’s Rhodes Ahead, Butcher Brown and D.C.’s own Braxton Cook Quartet.

There’s plenty more: Our three-show series kicks off with an old-school Three-Piano Cutting Contest on June 26, pitting arguably the three best piano masters this side of New York City against each other in friendly combat: Orrin Evans (Philly), Lafayette Gilchrist (Baltimore) and Allyn Johnson (D.C.).

And then for our series finale, Matana Roberts presents the D.C. debut of COIN COIN—it’s inarguably one of the most important projects in experimental music today, weaving together spoken word, free improvisation and 21st-century opera into what Roberts calls a “panoramic sound quilt.” Everyone from the New York Times to SPIN Magazine to Pitchfork has given COIN COIN a high recommendation.

To gear up for the series, and to celebrate CapitalBop’s 2.0 redesign, we’re inviting you to join us for a launch party at the Gibson on Tuesday, June 3. It’s free and open, and it’ll include a performance from Akua Allrich and Kris Funn, D.C.’s most dynamic duo. Not to mention, those Gibson barkeeps know what they’re doing.

Below is full info on all the performances (courtesy of the new CapitalBop calendar).

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