Weekend in Jazz | 10.1-10.3 -

Esperanza Spalding will perform on Sunday night. | taken by flickr user "Cowboy" Ben Alman

by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s installation of “Weekend in Jazz,” a full list of every D.C. jazz show that we can get our hands on. The list is exhaustive, so if you’re just breezing through, check for the shows with a label — those are our favorites. That said, every show here has its virtues, and there’s a heckuva lot of great jazz in this town. So we suggest reading through the full listings and deciding what best suits your taste. At the end of each listing you’ll find two links. One takes you to that event’s page on CapitalBop’s monthly jazz calendar, where there are more details and you can copy the event to your personal Google calendar. The other link gives you more info on the show’s venue. As always, you can skip the “Weekend in Jazz” feature and view CapitalBop’s listings directly at our full calendar. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, Oct. 1

cb picks: Kurt Rosenwinkel & the Airmen of Note, Lisner Auditorium; Yuko Fujiyama & Lisa Sokolov, Joe’s Movemwnt Emporium; Cedar Walton, Bohemian Caverns; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge

Greg Boyer Peloton, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | What began as an experiment over a decade ago continues today as one of Washington’s greatest weekly traditions: Westminster Presbyterian Church’s “Jazz Night.” Every Friday night, the house of God becomes a not-so-likely hub for fish frying, communing and jamming on straight-ahead jazz. This week’s edition includes Greg Boyer on trombone and vocals, Eli Staples on piano, Cheyney Thomas on bass and Mark Prince on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Marlena Shaw, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Vocalist Marlena Shaw has won awards from Downbeat and Record World magazines. She is a warm-voiced, warm-hearted performer who wears her heart on her sleeve and has a sound all her own. She is performing all weekend at Blues Alley. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $27.50 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Kurt Rosenwinkel & the Airmen of Note, Lisner Auditorium, 8 p.m. | Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the world’s greatest guitar players, and his distinctive style is at once ethereal and jagged. He has mastered everything from jazz standards to John Scofield-esque jazz-funk-rock fusion. He performs tonight in a free concert at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium with the Air Force big band, the Airmen of Note. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Lisner Auditorium website

Yuko Fujiyama & Lisa Sokolov, Joe’s Movement Emporium | The first of three performances this weekend in Transparent Productions’ experimental jazz series, this show features pianist Yuko Fujiyama and vocalist Lisa Sokolov. Japanese native Fujiyama was originally inspired to pursue free jazz by Cecil Taylor, and has since performed with the likes of William Parker and Fred Hopkins. Sokolov, an deft and idiosyncratic vocalist with a singular musical language, earned a spot on Downbeat’s “Best of the Decade” list in January for her album “Presence.” $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Joe’s Movement Emporium website

Cedar Walton, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Cedar Walton is one of the absolute greatest jazz piano legends alive today. A veteran of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, among other groups, Walton is known for his soulful, swinging piano style. It’s rooted in jazz’s earliest traditions, and he often calls to mind Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson — but he can still burn up the keyboard today. Appearing on back-to-back nights this weekend, he will perform here with a combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $43 cover at the door, $35 cover in advance, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Lyle Link, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Lyle Link is one of the D.C. scene’s hottest alto saxophone players, with a warm but cutting sound and melodies so sharp you might end up humming them the next day. He also occasionally plays the flute. He’ll perform here in a small combo. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum [NOTE: Gowanus Reggae was originally slated to perform this evening, but that show was canceled.] View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Brulee, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Brulee is a jazz and alt-pop fusion quartet featuring vocalist Aura Kanegis. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 11 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. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndre 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, Oct. 2

cb picks: Trio X, Joe’s Movement Emporium; Butch Warren Experience, Columbia Station; Cedar Walton, Bohemian Caverns; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge; Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia

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

Trio X, Joe’s Movement Emporium | Trio X is comprised of Joe McPhee on reeds, Dominique Duval on bass and Jay Rosen on drums. Their boundless, searching free jazz is widely renowned. This is the second of three consecutive nights of music at Joe’s Movement Emporium, all part of the Transparent Productions experimental jazz series. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Joe’s Movement Emporium website

Butch Warren Experience, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | Bassist Butch Warren is bebop royalty, having played on dozens of Blue Note records with Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson and other legendary figures in the 1960s. Nowadays he presides over a biweekly congregation of musicians on Wednesday and Saturday nights that also includes Olivier Brown on trumpet, Ted Efantis and Knud Jensen on saxophones, and Jerrol Pennerman, Peter Edelman or Jim West on piano, depending on the night. Warren, who is 71, doesn’t play on most of the songs — but when he does, it’s a treat. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Allyn Johnson Trio, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Allyn Johnson plays jazz piano with a churchy inflection, zipping up the keyboard in warm block chords and biting runs. In addition to leading a successful performing career, Johnson is the head of the Jazz Studies program at the University of the District of Columbia. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum [NOTE: Gowanus Reggae was originally slated to perform this evening, but that show was canceled.] View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed heads up one of the swingin’est shows on U Street every Saturday night. The lineup of musicians on this late-night gig varies from week to week, but it’s consistently outstanding. Plus, with the Washington City Paper’s 2010 Best New D.C. Jazz Musician award under his belt, the 20-year-old Balbed can always be expected always to deliver the goods on sax. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

SUNDAY, Oct. 3

cb pick: Esperanza Spalding with Gretchen Parlato, Lincoln Theater

Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6 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 | Dahlak profile

Esperanza Spalding with Gretchen Parlato, Lincoln Theater, 7 p.m. | Esperanza Spalding is one of jazz’s most talked-about sensations today. The 24-year-old bassist and vocalist has never tethered herself to one approach, but she always plays bass with a recognizable, full-bodied sound and delicate touch. Her voice is smoky and mysterious, but she always seems to be fighting back a smile when she sings — some sense of distant joy is palpable. She’ll be performing here with the vocalist Gretchen Parlato. Cover varies ($35-$85), no minimum. View event on calendar | Lincoln Theater website

Jam Session, HR-57, 7 p.m. | This is a chance for local musicians to stretch out and see which of their new ideas stick when thrown against HR’s craggy brick walls. It’s also an inexpensive way for jazz fans to get a peek into the raw collaborations of D.C.’s rising stars. $8 cover for audience members, $4 cover for musicians, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

Eric Arceneaux, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | D.C. native Eric Arceneaux is a singer with his own jazzy brand of R&B. He’ll be celebrating his birthday with this performance. Separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player 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, Utopia, 9 p.m. | Singer Cheryl Jones has a weekly engagement every Sunday at Utopia, where she draws on her broad base of musical passions. She 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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