by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

The Nordic Cool 2013 festival keeps rolling along at the Kennedy Center, which means more dark and turbid jazz offerings. Don’t fret: Much of this music is murkily beautiful, and surprisingly arresting. Take, for instance, the delicate pianist Tord Gustavsen, whose performance this Sunday is worth catching. On U Street, a pair of excellent saxophonists will be showing off their original compositions: the Baltimorean Tim Green, celebrating his CD with a pair of shows at Bohemian Caverns, and D.C.’s own Brian Settles at Twins Jazz. And Thiefs, an experimental electro-acoustic trio, is playing at Strathmore on Friday. (Read our interview with Thiefs.) There’s info on all those shows and many more in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz.” As always, you can find our full listings at CapitalBop’s D.C. jazz calendar. Our favorites have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, MARCH 1

cb picks:

• Kenny Rittenhouse, Westminster Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
• D.C. Jazz Composers Collective, feat. Brian Settles Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Thiefs, Strathmore, 8:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Kenny Rittenhouse, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Kenny Rittenhouse was a mainstay on the D.C. jazz scene throughout much of the 1990s, playing at venues such as the One Step Down and Twins Lounge. The respected trumpeter has a tone that can be both mellow and punchy, and he has played with the U.S. Army Band and the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra. Rittenhouse now teaches at George Mason University and doesn’t play out as much as he used to, but he appears at Westminster Presbyterian’s weekly Jazz Night alongside a top-notch septet of local musicians: Antonio Orta on alto saxophone, Lyle Link on tenor saxophone, Reginald Cyntje on trombone, Allyn Johnson on piano, Romeir Mendez on bass and Jay Jefferson on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church 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

Potomac Jazz Project, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a jazz combo led by bassist Stan Hamrick that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. The cast of supporting musicians tends to rotate. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yamomanem, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Yamomanem Jazz Band plays a faithful take on New Orleans jazz, conjuring the days of King Oliver and early Louis Armstrong with its lush brass section. No cover, 1-drink minimum View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yggdrasil, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Yggdrasil, a Danish combo named after a tree in Norse mythology with connections to the cosmos and the supernatural, crafts a soothing blend of improvised and composed musics: jazz, Scandinavian folk, and classical. Two separate sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets $25, no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

D.C. Jazz Composers Collective, feat. Brian Settles, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The members of the D.C. Jazz Composers Collective propose that maybe an arts scene is only as good as its original material. The group is the bassist Kevin Pace, the pianist Gene D’Andrea and the saxophonist Bobby Muncy, who for years led an originals-only gig every Wednesday night at Utopia. The collective recently incorporated as a nonprofit, and the trio looks now to spotlight the many compositional talents that masquerade as soloists all across the D.C. jazz scene. At this show, they’re featuring Brian Settles, a tenor saxophonist and wakefully minimalist composer whose tone warbles and decries. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Mike Stern Band, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The guitarist Mike Stern and the drummer Dave Weckl, two brazenly resilient lions, still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of the rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, then worked in fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. He errs toward theatrics, but has the shredding talent and dripping tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring the bassist Anthony Jackson and the saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. Those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here beyond gestures of vigor and pyrotechnics. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Rebecca Kilgore Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Rebecca Kilgore sings jazz standards with a sighing, shrugging clarity. She’s joined by a talented band of accommodating local musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | A chittering alto saxophonist, Tim Green ruminates with command and passion. He’s at once meditative and cerebral. The Baltimore native’s touchstones are in gospel and blues; when he ups the ante on a solo, you can feel the soul virtually dripping off his horn. Green was runner-up in the definitive Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He’ll perform here with a small combo in celebration of the release of his wide-ranging new CD, “Songs from this Season.” Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $23 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Thiefs, Mansion at Strathmore, 8:30 p.m. | For the future of jazz, or music in general, one need look no further than the innovative power-trio Thiefs. The group is a collective, meaning there is no front-man or main composer. Rather, the members give a nod to their jazz training and experience by creating democratically. Thiefs can move easily between fully electronic and fully acoustic instrumentation. Guillermo E. Brown, the drummer and vocalist, and has become a major force in the realm of electro-acoustic exploration, leading his own groups and lending his talents to the likes of Saul Williams and Jamie Lidell. Keith Witty, the bassist, has been an important member of a number of groups in the pop genre, including Amel Larrieux. Christophe Panzani, the saxophonist, is a mainstay of the hip-hop group Hocus Pocus. With each member’s strong sensibility in the outer realms of jazz and prowess as electronic artists, Thiefs collectively create music without boundaries, pushing the possibilities of sound. Tickets $20 in advance, $22 at the door. [words by Luke Stewart] View event on calendar | Strathmore website

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | The alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swinging and soulful, colored by a bright, aggressive tone. He casually sprinkles neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bop, and his improvisation shows a redolence of Kenny Garrett. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 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

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads a straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

cb picks:

• D.C. Jazz Composers Collective, feat. Brian Settles Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Nasar Abadey & Kush Abadey, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.
• Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• WKP Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street 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

District Jazz Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | A self-described “cool swinging jazz trio,” the District Jazz Trio is saxophonist Seth Popkin, pianist Dan Nathan and bassist Roger Rosa. The group plays jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website 

Nasar Abadey & Kush Abadey, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. | The preeminent local drummer Nasar Abadey leads his quintet, Supernova, with vigorous aplomb. Heavily influenced by African rhythms as well as bebop’s golden age, Abadey remains tirelessly modern; he prods and pushes on the drums with a contemporary sense of groove. He will lead his stellar combo, Supernova. Also on the bill is his son and protege, the precocious drummer Kush Abadey, who performs regularly with stars like Wallace Roney and here leads his own small group. Tickets $25, $20 for students and seniors. View event on calendar | Atlas website

D.C. Jazz Composers Collective, feat. Brian Settles, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The members of the D.C. Jazz Composers Collective propose that maybe an arts scene is only as good as its original material. The group is the bassist Kevin Pace, the pianist Gene D’Andrea and the saxophonist Bobby Muncy, who for years led an originals-only gig every Wednesday night at Utopia. The collective recently incorporated as a nonprofit, and the trio looks now to spotlight the many compositional talents that masquerade as soloists all across the D.C. jazz scene. At this show, they’re featuring Brian Settles, a tenor saxophonist and wakefully minimalist composer whose tone warbles and decries. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Mike Stern Band, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The guitarist Mike Stern and the drummer Dave Weckl, two brazenly resilient lions, still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of the rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, then worked in fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. He errs toward theatrics, but has the shredding talent and dripping tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring the bassist Anthony Jackson and the saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. Those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here beyond gestures of vigor and pyrotechnics. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Rebecca Kilgore Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Rebecca Kilgore sings jazz standards with a sighing, shrugging clarity. She’s joined by a talented band of accommodating local musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | A chittering alto saxophonist, Tim Green ruminates with command and passion. He’s at once meditative and cerebral. The Baltimore native’s touchstones are in gospel and blues; when he ups the ante on a solo, you can feel the soul virtually dripping off his horn. Green was runner-up in the definitive Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He’ll perform here with a small combo in celebration of the release of his wide-ranging new CD, “Songs from this Season.” Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $23 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns 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

Dee Stone, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Dee Stone sings soul, blues, jazz and rock. The first set of every performance is usually comprised of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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

WKP Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | The WKP Trio is a straight-ahead jazz ensemble consisting of Kenny Peagler on piano, Percy White on bass and Will Stephens on drums. Here, the group is joined by a young, soulful powerhouse of an alto saxophonist, Herb Scott. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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, MARCH 3

cb picks:

• Tord Gustavsen Ensemble, Kennedy Center, 7:30 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

TBA, 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

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

D.C. 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

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

Jeff Weintraub w/the George Oakley Trio, Fusion Restaurant, 7 p.m. | The vocalist Jeff Weintraub sings jazz standards. For this gig, his drum-less band includes George Oakley on reeds and flute, Scott Giambusso on bass, and Nick Lipkowski on guitar. $10 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Fusion website

Tord Gustavsen Ensemble, Kennedy Center, 7:30 p.m. | It’s no big shock to find a jazz pianist as plaintive, minimalist and wafting as Tord Gustavsen coming out of Norway. But the hints of gospel he drops, and the rapture he approaches, draw out the delight of surprise. Two separate shows at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets $29. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center 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

DC Choro, Grill from Ipanema, 7:30 p.m.| DC Choro is a sextet that plays Brazilian music drawing on European folk traditions. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Grill from Ipanema profile

Mike Stern Ban, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The guitarist Mike Stern and the drummer Dave Weckl, two brazenly resilient lions, still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of the rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, then worked in fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. He errs toward theatrics, but has the shredding talent and dripping tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring the bassist Anthony Jackson and the saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. Those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here beyond gestures of vigor and pyrotechnics. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Radiohead Jazz Project, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | As a member of the D.C. Jazz Composers Collective, which performs at Twins the previous two nights of this weekend, Bobby Muncy is assiduously committed to playing his own original pieces, and those of his regular collaborators. But tonight, the tenor saxophonist performs a repertoire of Radiohead covers alongside the clarion and free-spirited guitarist Anthony Pirog. Two separate sets at 8 & 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 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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