by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

This will be the second consecutive weekend without music at Bohemian Caverns. The subterranean U Street den is closed indefinitely after a car crashed into the building earlier this month. You’ll make out just fine looking elsewhere: The area’s performing arts centers and theaters present some of their best offerings of the year this weekend.

Friday night is especially packed. Theater stages will play host to the famed vocalist Dianne Reeves, the tradition-bending percussionists Winard Harper and Pedrito Martínez (playing separate shows), and the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet. On Saturday, a tribute to John Coltrane is at the Kennedy Center’s KC Jazz Club. And all weekend, the electric bass legend Stanley Clarke is at Blues Alley. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

cb picks:

• Pedrito Martínez, Clarice Smith PAC (UMD), 7 & 9 p.m.
• Winard Harper & Jeli Posse, Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
• Dianne Reeves, Strathmore, 7:30 p.m.
• Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Montpelier Arts Center, 8 p.m.
• Ron Sutton Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• African All-Star Showcase, Tropicalia, 8:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
• Jazz Jam, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m.

Larry Brown, 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 hub for fish frying, communing and jamming on straight-ahead jazz. This week, the pianist Larry Brown leads a straight-ahead quintet featuring Thad Wilson on trumpet, Rob Holmes on saxophone, Kent Miller on bass and Dominic Smith on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Sharón Clark, Chez Billy, 7 p.m. | The vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s one of D.C.’s top jazz singers. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Chez Billy website

Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | Commanding vocalist Karen Gray sings laid-back renditions of jazz standards in a drumless trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

L’Tanya Mari Trio, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Singer L’Tanya Mari is influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, singing jazz with depth and soulful warmth. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Potomac Jazz Project, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a quartet that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. It’s led by bassist Stan Hamrick, and its lineup rotates. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Pedrito Martínez, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (UMD), 7 & 9 p.m. | Pedrito Martinez, an imaginative percussionist and vocalist from Cuba, wears his country’s batá and rumba traditions as comfortably as a pair of fitted jeans. The West African rhythms that live on in Cuba are premised on a collective weave and tumble; it usually takes a handful of drummers to bring them out. But Martinez’s band has just one complementary percussionist, plus a piano and an electric bass. It’s remarkable how much he can do with the format. Two separate shows at 7 & 9 p.m. Tickets $25, $10 for UMD students. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues website

Winard Harper & Jeli Posse, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | There’s not a big separation between pulse and life. It’s why drumming and storytelling run along the same historical path. The percussionist Winard Harper’s band, Jeli Posse, derives its name from the oral history tradition of West African griots, who bind up societal memory with music and art. Harper, a highly reputed musician who spent years playing in Dr. Billy Taylor’s trio, will perform his wide-ranging exploration of Black Diasporic music at the Kennedy Center venue Taylor started. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary ($26-30), no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Ron Sutton Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | A powerful alto saxophonist with a fulsome sound, Ron Sutton is a D.C. native reared in the city’s straight-ahead jazz tradition. Here he performs with a quartet. $15 cover, no minimum. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Dianne Reeves, Strathmore, 7:30 p.m. | The voice of Dianne Reeves captivates, invoking the numerous vocal innovators of the past, while remaining staunchly original. At a very early age, she learned how to utilize her uniqueness. Her musical family certainly played a part in this Detroit native’s development, not to mention the mentorship she received from some of the greats in music, from Sergio Mendes to Harry Belafonte. Reeves’ acclaim is not only a four-time Grammy Award winner, but the only singer to ever win in the ‘Best Jazz Vocal Performance’ category three times consecutively. Tickets $29-70. [words by Luke Stewart] View event on calendar | Strathmore website

Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Montpelier Arts Center, 8 p.m. | The youngest of five standard-bearing musicians in the Marsalis family, Jason Marsalis is best known as a lithe and driving drummer, but he doubles as a vibraphonist with a formalist bent: precise, fastidious, athletic. Here he plays vibes with a quartet including three up-and-coming sidemen. Tickets $30. View event on calendar | Montpelier website

Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Over the past 40 years Stanley Clarke has helped revolutionize jazz, from within and without. Working with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in the early 1970s, he gave primacy to the electric bass, altering the technical expectations associated with the instrument and helping auger jazz-rock fusion. In his solo output ever since, he has ranged from smooth funk to instrumental rock ‘n’ roll to straight-ahead jazz (with acoustic bass). Here he leads a small ensemble. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

African All-Star Showcase, Tropicalia, 8:30 p.m. | This evening’s African All-Star Showcase spotlights a handful of African-music talents living and working in the D.C. area. The bill includes Vakirai, a Zimbabwean Afrobeat singer and songwriter; Sahel, a supergroup of Black musicians taking a wide-lens approach to African music; and Tosin & Afrikan Rhapsody. That last band – led by the Nigerian percussionist and vocalist Tosin Aribisala, who toured for two years with Femi Kuti – plays what Aribisala calls “Afroblues.” With Afrikan Rhapsody, he makes music with all the orbital power of West African dance and the cleansing urgency of American blues. $10 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Tropicalia website

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every Friday 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

Alfredo Mojica, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Alfredo Mojica, who sang at Bossa for years with the group Sin Miedo, unites salsa, jazz and Latin American balladry. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 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. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

Jam Session, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m. | U Street restaurant Ulah Bistro has stepped up to fill the void that Utopia left open last year, when it closed to make way for the construction of a new condos complex. That restaurant housed the block’s most reliable, convivial jam sessions. Ulah gives a taste of that energy once a week, late on Friday nights. This week, the fleet keyboardist Todd Simon is leading the session, with Blake Meister on bass and the excellent Kush Abadey (who tours and records with Wallace Roney) on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

cb picks:

• Javon Jackson, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
• Ron Sutton Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

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

Charles Woods, Johnny’s Half Shell, 6 p.m. | Saxophonist Charles Woods plays and has recorded in both free and straight-ahead jazz styles, but for his regular gig at Johnny’s Half Shell he keeps things within the traditional bop realm. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Johnny’s Half Shell website

Mark Mosley Trio, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | Baltimore guitarist Mark Mosley plays a slick hand as a smooth jazz guitarist, but he can also hunker down on serious bop. He performs laid-back straight-ahead here with his trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Full Ascent, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | This jazz band plays in a number of traditional styles, from hard-bop to Dixieland to calypso. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Javon Jackson, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Few tenor saxophonists of the present moment are better suited to pay tribute to John Coltrane than Javon Jackson, a flurrying and steel-toned improviser. Here he leads a program called “We Four: Celebrating John Coltrane,” with an all-star quartet of straight-ahead musicians: the pianist George Cables, the bassist Nat Reeves and the drummer Jimmy Cobb, who played with Coltrane on a handful of recordings in the late 1950s. If you’re looking for Coltrane’s combustive, later-life experimentalism, this isn’t your night. This tribute has the trappings of so many similar bills at Jazz at Lincoln Center: respectful and dutiful in its elevation of jazz’s suit-wearing heroes. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary ($26-30), no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Ron Sutton Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | A powerful alto saxophonist with a fulsome sound, Ron Sutton is a D.C. native reared in the city’s straight-ahead jazz tradition. Here he performs with a quartet. $15 cover, no minimum. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Over the past 40 years Stanley Clarke has helped revolutionize jazz, from within and without. Working with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in the early 1970s, he gave primacy to the electric bass, altering the technical expectations associated with the instrument and helping auger jazz-rock fusion. In his solo output ever since, he has ranged from smooth funk to instrumental rock ‘n’ roll to straight-ahead jazz (with acoustic bass). Here he leads a small ensemble. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Cubista, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Cubista is a salsa band that plays at Bossa every Saturday. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Lyrical bassist Steve Synk, a music major at the University of Maryland, leads a young trio that explores music ranging from standards to originals, groove-based contemporary jazz to swinging bop. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 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. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

cb picks:

• Vinyl + Vino: JS Williams Quartet & DJ 2 Tone Jones, Puro Café, 5 p.m.
• Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.

 
Gospel Brunch, The Hamilton, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. | Every Sunday morning, the Hamilton presents two sets of rafters-raising gospel, along with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Two separate shows at 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | The Hamilton website

Jazz Brunch, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Performer TBA. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website

Harlem Gospel Choir, Howard Theatre, 12 p.m. | The talented Harlem Gospel Choir, which has been active since 1986, performs a Sunday brunch show every week at the Howard Theatre. Either an all-you-can-eat buffet or an a la carte menu are available. Doors open at noon, and the music starts at 1:30 p.m. Tickets vary ($35 for all-you-can-eat or $20 for admission and a la carte options in advance, $45 or $30 at the door). View event on calendar | Howard website

Todd Simon, Kellari Taverna, 12 p.m. | The sturdy and swinging pianist Todd Simon performs every Sunday in a duo setting; his accompanists vary from bass to guitar to saxophone, depending on the week. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Kellari Taverna 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

Vinyl + Vino: JS Williams Quartet & DJ 2 Tone Jones, Puro Café, 5 p.m. | Every month, Vinyl + Vino brings together music lovers and wine connoisseurs around a different event. This time around, they’re putting the voguish jazz-and-hip-hop conversation front and center. DJ 2 Tone Jones is a D.C. native who’s gotten some acclaim (including from CapitalBop) for his Shaolin Jazz project, where he reinvestigates the jazz roots of Wu Tang Clan’s sample-based sound, particularly on its debut record, “Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers).” Here he performs alongside a live jazz quartet led by the spirited and deft local trumpeter JS Williams. The band features Samir Moulay on guitar, Luke Stewart (also a CapitalBop editor) on bass, and Warren “Trae” Crudup on drums. Tickets $10. View event on calendar | Puro website

D.C. Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6:30 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

Potomac Jazz Project, Laporta’s, 6:30 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a quartet that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. It’s led by bassist Stan Hamrick, and its rotating lineup often features some of D.C.’s best musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Laporta’s website

Mike Flaherty’s Dixieland Jazz Direct, Zoo Bar Café, 7:30 p.m.| This combo specializes in traditional New Orleans-style jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Zoo Bar website

Stanley Clarke, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Over the past 40 years Stanley Clarke has helped revolutionize jazz, from within and without. Working with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in the early 1970s, he gave primacy to the electric bass, altering the technical expectations associated with the instrument and helping auger jazz-rock fusion. In his solo output ever since, he has ranged from smooth funk to instrumental rock ‘n’ roll to straight-ahead jazz (with acoustic bass). Here he leads a small ensemble. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Jazz Mosaic, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | No description available. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $16 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 Peter Edelman 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

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