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This Sunday at 7 p.m., CapitalBop returns to the Dunes for the last of our monthly lofts before the DC Jazz Festival gets underway next month. Not that we’re waiting to get serious. The musicians performing this weekend are some of the best in D.C., and beyond. The main attraction will be a steel pan battle between D.C.’s Victor Provost and North Carolina-based phenom Jonathan Scales (pictured on the flyer above); we’ve also got performances from saxophonist Sarah Hughes the Chicago-bound guitar master Rodney Richardson. As always, this show is open to all ages, and we suggest a $10 donation to the artists. If you’re a musician, come ready to jam at the end of the night!

STEEL PAN BATTLE: JONATHAN SCALES & VICTOR PROVOST

CapitalBop followers know Victor Provost. He’s the suave steel pan man whose debut album snagged the No. 3 spot on our 2011 best albums list, and a couple months ago he double-billed at an action-packed show with New York City’s Andrew D’Angelo. Simply put, the Virgin Islands native isn’t just the only steel pan player in town — he’s got some of the best chops of anyone in this city, no matter the instrument. Then there’s Jonathan Scales, perhaps the country’s best-known steel pan player. His jazz-funk-rock fusion has caught the ears of critics the country over. Scales, who spent time in Maryland and Virginia as a child before his family settled in North Carolina, will play at the loft alongside Provost in a fierce battle of the pans.

RODNEY RICHARDSON QUARTET

Rodney Richardson has long been one of the top guitarists on the D.C. scene, for the past two years holding down the guitar chair in the beloved Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra. In 2010, he released a strong solo album, This Is the Rodney Richardson Trio. Sadly, the swinging, lyrical guitarist is headed out of town: This summer, he’s moving to Chicago. Here he leads a quartet; it’ll be one of the last opportunities to hear Richardson as a leader before he’s gone.

SARAH HUGHES QUARTET

Another distinguished member of the BCJO, alto saxophonist Sarah Hughes in the past couple years has become quite a familiar face on the D.C. jazz scene. She’s got a sneaky, pointillist attack, and a great ear for melody underpinning her coruscating tone. Hughes doesn’t lead bands nearly enough; here she will helm a quartet.

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Photo of Jonathan Scales on flyer courtesy dreamspider.wordpress.com.

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