Local tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed, 20, plays his first performances at HR-57 as a leader this Friday and Saturday. | courtesy elijahjamaljazz.com
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. If you’re just breezing through, check for the shows with a 
label — those are our favorites. To read today’s interview with J.D. Allen, one of our picks, click here. As always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our monthly calendar, if you prefer. Happy hunting!
FRIDAY, OCT. 15
cb picks: Dave Burrell, Joe’s Movement Emporium; Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley; J.D. Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns; Elijah Jamal Quartet, HR-57; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge
Larry Brown Quintet, 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 features Larry Brown on piano, Michael Thomas on trumpet, Peter Fraize on sax, Kent Miller on bass and Greg Holloway on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar| Westminster Presbyterian Church website
Carla Cook, Rene Marie and Allan Harris, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Carla Cook, Rene Marie and Allan Harris — three jazz vocalists of solid repute — will perform together in this two-night run at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club. Two separate sets at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $26 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile
| Pianist Dave Burrell, performing here in a solo setting, came to New York during the mid-1960s. It was the heyday of avant-garde jazz in the tradition of Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, and Burrell found his home amidst the soil so fertile for innovation. But far be it from him to look ahead with blinders on; this player’s deep appreciation for some of jazz’s most traditional roots is apparent. His affinity for stride and ragtime recalls pianists like James P. Johnson and Jelly Roll Morton. His propensity to bait-and-switch an audience — alternating between accessible and hummable passages and clamoring, free expressionism — makes his music deeply engaging, and ultimately rewarding. This show is part of Transparent Productions’ fall avant-garde jazz series. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar| Joe’s Movement Emporium website
Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Joshua Redman is one of the world’s best tenor saxophonists. Having won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition at the age of 22, he has been a pioneer — whether in a standards-killing quartet featuring Brad Mehldau; with his fusion-funk group the Elastic Band; or playing eastern-influenced jazz in an all-star band featuring Christian McBride and Brian Blade. For this four-night run of shows at Blues Alley, the deep-throated, inventive soloist will play in an unadorned setting: He’ll be joined only by bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
| There are many dimensions to tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen’s playing: He can be hard-blowing, introspective or deeply experimental. Allen has won accolades from the likes of Downbeat magazine, but the best way to comprehend him is live, stretching out in captivating ways with his regular trio. The group features bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Roylston. Read the just-posted CapitalBop interview with Allen here. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $22 cover in advance, $28 in advance, no minimum. View event on calendar| Bohemian Caverns profile
| At 20 years old, tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed could be called a rising star on D.C.’s jazz scene. He could also be called one of the city’s leading jazz musicians, regardless of age. He leads a weekly gig every Saturday at Utopia, possibly the city’s most happening jazz bar, but this weekend he takes a break from that to make his debut as a leader at the venerable HR-57. Named D.C.’s Best New Jazz Musician this year by Washington City Paper, Balbed has a relentless attack, his tone at once aggressive and dripping with the blues. In this young saxophonist, the spirit of classic greats Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins mingles with Balbed’s own youthful energy. He plays every note like he’s got something to prove — but by the end of the night, there’s never any question that indeed he’s proven that jazz fans in D.C. and beyond ought to take notice. Balbed’s most notable accomplice on this gig is probably Allen Jones, who at only 16 has the command and syncopated ferocity of a veteran three times his age. Filling out the rest of the quartet are top-notch players Hope Udobi on piano and Eric Harper on bass. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile
Anthony Nelson, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Multi-talented woodwind player Anthony Nelson, who typically plays saxophone, has a brawny sound and a slick improvisational sensibility. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. 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. 16
cb picks: Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley; J.D. Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns; Elijah Jamal Quartet, HR-57; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge
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
Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Joshua Redman is one of the world’s best tenor saxophonists. Having won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition at the age of 22, he has been a pioneer — whether in a standards-killing quartet featuring Brad Mehldau; with his fusion-funk group the Elastic Band; or playing eastern-influenced jazz in an all-star band featuring Christian McBride and Brian Blade. For this four-night run of shows at Blues Alley, the deep-throated, inventive soloist will play in an unadorned setting: He’ll be joined only by bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
J.D. Allen, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | There are many dimensions to tenor saxophonist JD Allen’s playing: He can be hard-blowing, introspective or deeply experimental. Allen has won accolades from the likes of Downbeat magazine, but the best way to comprehend him is live, stretching out in captivating ways with his regular trio. The group features bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Roylston. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $22 cover in advance, $28 in advance, no minimum. View event on calendar| Bohemian Caverns profile
Elijah Jamal Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | At 20 years old, tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed could be called a rising star on D.C.’s jazz scene. He could also be called one of the city’s leading jazz musicians, regardless of age. He leads a weekly gig every Saturday at Utopia, possibly the city’s most happening jazz bar, but this weekend he takes a break from that to make his debut as a leader at the venerable HR-57. Named D.C.’s Best New Jazz Musician this year by Washington City Paper, Balbed has a relentless attack, his tone at once aggressive and dripping with the blues. In this young saxophonist, the spirit of classic greats Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins mingles with Balbed’s own youthful energy. He plays every note like he’s got something to prove — but by the end of the night, there’s never any question that indeed he’s proven that jazz fans in D.C. and beyond ought to take notice. Balbed’s most notable accomplice on this gig is probably Allen Jones, who at only 16 has the command and syncopated ferocity of a veteran three times his age. Filling out the rest of the quartet are top-notch players Hope Udobi on piano and Eric Harper on bass. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile
Anthony Nelson, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Multi-talented woodwind player Anthony Nelson, who typically plays saxophone, has a brawny sound and a slick improvisational sensibility. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Twins Jazz 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
Victor Provost, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed usually heads up a gig at Utopia every Saturday night, but this week he is taking a break to make his debut as a leader at 14th Street’s HR-57. Victor Provost, the best — and only — jazz steel pan drum player on the D.C. scene, is taking his place. A remarkable performer, Provost has remarkable technique and an energetic approach to improvisation. The club itself has a communal vibe and is always packed from wall to wall with a friendly, diverse crowd. Listening closely to the music can be difficult if you’re too far from the stage, but the Utopia experience is always exciting. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile
SUNDAY, OCT. 17
cb pick: Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley
Kevin Pace Trio, Chef Geoff’s, 11 a.m. | Kevin Pace has a strong command on the bass and an intuitive ear as a composer. He puts both on display at the restaurant Chef Geoff’s, where he performs every week during Sunday brunch. This is background music, but that’s because of the environment, not the performance — which is anything but second-rate. (To hear Pace stretch out a bit more, catch him at Utopia with the Bobby Muncy Quartet, every Wednesday except the third of the month.) No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Chef Geoff’s website
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
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
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
Joshua Redman Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Joshua Redman is one of the world’s best tenor saxophonists. Having won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition at the age of 22, he has been a pioneer — whether in a standards-killing quartet featuring Brad Mehldau; with his fusion-funk group the Elastic Band; or playing eastern-influenced jazz in an all-star band featuring Christian McBride and Brian Blade. For this four-night run of shows at Blues Alley, the deep-throated, inventive soloist will play in an unadorned setting: He’ll be joined only by bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
Caroline Waters, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Vocalist Caroline Waters hails from Norway and sings jazz standards from the gut — forcefully and uncompromisingly. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $15 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, 1-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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