Weekend in Jazz | 3.18-3.20: Horns blow on U Street

Baltimore native and alto saxophone star Tim Green plays at Bohemian Caverns this weekend. Courtesy myspace.com/timgreenmusic

by Giovanni Russonello
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Welcome to this week’s installation of “Weekend in Jazz,” our list of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. The sensitive and beguiling trombone player David Gibson plays Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. On Sunday, the club hosts the searing tenor saxophonist Brian Settles for a solo set during the Sunday Jazz Lounge. And down U Street, young alto saxophone talent and Baltimore native Tim Green is at Bohemian Caverns on Friday and Saturday. All of our favorite shows have a label. As always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, MAR. 18
cb picks:

  • Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
  • David Gibson, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
  • Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

‘The New Orleans Sound,’ Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6:30 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 show celebrates “The New Orleans Sound” in jazz. The top-notch band features Jeff Antoniuk on saxophone, Greg Boyer on trombone, Tom Williams on trumpet, Wade Beach on piano, Amy Shook on bass, Harold Summey on drums and special guest Johnne Forge on tap dancing. $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), 6:30 p.m. | Commanding vocalist Karen Gray is joined by guitarist Dave Mosick and bassist Jim McIntyre in her laid-back renditions of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Potomac Jazz Project, Sala Thai (U St.), 6:30 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

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

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Elijah & the Po’ Boys, Bayou, 7 p.m. | Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed leads the Po’ Boys trio — usually with drums and guitar — four nights a week during dinnertime hours at the New Orleans-themed Bayou. A strong, Dexter Gordon-like player, he performs mostly tunes from hard bop’s heyday and other standards. To hear Balbed stretch out with a full quintet, stay late on a Thursday night, when he plays Bayou’s featured set. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bayou profile

Sunny Jain & Red Baraat, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | As part of the Kennedy Center’s Maximum India series, dohl and drum-kit player Sunny Jain brings his Indian brass band, Red Baraat. The energy-filled show will blend North Indian bhangra rhythms, funk, soca and improvisatory conducting. Two separate shows at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $26 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Earl Klugh, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Grammy-winning smooth jazz guitarist Earl Klugh performs grooving music with a small backing band. In an uncommon move in smooth or straight-ahead jazz, he uses the classical guitar rather than the electric. $43 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Andrea Wood & Michael Kramer, Tasting Room, 8 p.m. | Singer Andrea Wood has started catching people’s ears since returning to D.C., her hometown, in 2009. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts graduate moves fearlessly up and down octaves, all the while maintaining a distinct sense of purpose. She can explore the upper register in a beguiling waft, or plunge into the basement with buoyant, swelling articulation. Wood and guitarist Michael Kramer play Brazilian and classic jazz standards every week as background fare at the Tasting Room, a wine bar in Friendship Heights. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tasting Room website

Sharón Clark Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s joined here by Chris Grasso on piano, Tommy Cecil on bass and Chuck Redd on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | An alto saxophonist who wails with command but rarely abandon, Tim Green is a meditative and cerebral player. He’s also informed by gospel and blues, and when he ups the ante on a solo, you can feel the soul virtually dripping from his horn. The young Green was runner-up in the definitive Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He’ll perform here with a small combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

David Gibson, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | A common complaint you’ll hear about young jazz musicians today is that they “play too many notes,” at the expense of really saying something with their music. On the trombone, playing too many notes can be especially deadly. David Gibson does not play too many notes, but he does exert masterly command over the trombone, a particularly unwieldy ax. This veteran of Slide Hampton’s famous World of Trombones band will be joined here by Julius Tolentino on alto saxophone, Jared Gold on organ and Anwar Marshall on drums. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every week leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads this straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums, at the new Black Fox Lounge. 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. He’s joined every Friday by the talented, Billie Holiday-esque singer Integriti Reeves. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndrey 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, MAR. 19

cb picks:

  • Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
  • David Gibson, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
  • Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
  • Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 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

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Full Ascent, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Consisting of Joey Whitney on tenor sax, Ed Gallagher on guitar, Alan Pachter on bass and Tom Reed on drums, the Triple Double Jazz Band plays straightforward, straight-ahead versions of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai 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

Elijah & the Po’ Boys, Bayou, 7 p.m. | Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed leads the Po’ Boys trio — usually with drums and guitar — four nights a week during dinnertime hours at the New Orleans-themed Bayou. A strong, Dexter Gordon-like player, he performs mostly tunes from hard bop’s heyday and other standards. To hear Balbed stretch out with a full quintet, stay late on a Thursday night, when he plays Bayou’s featured set. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bayou profile

Lena Seikaly & Potomac Jazz Project, 7:30 p.m., Extra Virgin Restaurant | Vocalist Lena Seikaly sings jazz standards with a confident and playful demeanor, displaying a haziness reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding as well as a deference to traditional greats. 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 | Extra Virgin’s website

Earl Klugh, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Grammy-winning smooth jazz guitarist Earl Klugh performs grooving music with a small backing band. In an uncommon move in smooth or straight-ahead jazz, he uses the classical guitar rather than the electric. $43 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Steve Washington Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m.| Steve Washington sings standards with the controlled grace of so many 1950s soul and jazz singers. He’s joined here by Jon Ozment on piano, Tom Baldwin on bass and Jeff Neal on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Tim Green, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | An alto saxophonist who wails with command but rarely abandon, Tim Green is a meditative and cerebral player. He’s also informed by gospel and blues, and when he ups the ante on a solo, you can feel the soul virtually dripping from his horn. The young Green was runner-up in the definitive Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He’ll perform here with a small combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

David Gibson, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m. | A common complaint you’ll hear about young jazz musicians today is that they “play too many notes,” at the expense of really saying something with their music. On the trombone, playing too many notes can be especially deadly. David Gibson does not play too many notes, but he does exert masterly command over the trombone, a particularly unwieldy ax. This veteran of Slide Hampton’s famous World of Trombones band will be joined here by Julius Tolentino on alto saxophone, Jared Gold on organ and Anwar Marshall on drums. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Kaos Theory, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Kaos Theory is a smooth funk band. No cover, 1-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. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed heads up one of the swinginest shows on U Street every Saturday night. His sound drips with the blues, and from the bell of this 20-year-old’s horn seem to rise the ghosts of Coleman Hawkins and Dexter Gordon. With the Washington City Paper‘s 2010 Best New D.C. Jazz Musician award under his belt, Balbed can always be expected always to deliver the goods. No cover, 1-drink minimum View event on calendar | Utopia profile

SUNDAY, MAR. 20
cb picks:

  • Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
  • Sunday Jazz Lounge, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. But as far as jazz brunch goes, it’s hard to top the Jolleys’ music. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’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

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 | View 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

Earl Klugh, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Grammy-winning smooth jazz guitarist Earl Klugh performs grooving music with a small backing band. In an uncommon move in smooth or straight-ahead jazz, he uses the classical guitar rather than the electric. $43 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Sunday Jazz Lounge with Rodney Richardson & Joe Herrera, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Guitarist Rodney Richardson and trumpeter Joe Herrera are looking to broaden jazz’s reach in D.C. while challenging the city’s musicians creatively. Increase popularity and raise the quality bar at the same time? you ask skeptically. Sure, the two don’t always go together – but Richardson and Herrera’s effort has its head in the right place, and it’s worth getting behind. The two musicians have organized a Sunday Jazz Lounge in each week of March, and for every installation they plan to start the evening with a different guest soloist. From there, they’ll lead their quartet – featuring bassist Eric Harper and drummer Dave McDonald – through some of the less-traversed compositions in the bop songbook. Richardson and Herrera are two of the city’s top improvisers (at CapitalBop, we chose them to be part of the D.C. Jazz Loft’s U Street All-Stars band), so every Sunday in March is sure to be a good one at Twins Jazz. Not to mention, the Sunday Jazz Lounges are all priced at just $5, unusually low for Twins. This week’s guest soloist is the progressive-minded Brian Settles, a world-class saxophonist. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $5 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

Cheryl Jones Trio, Utopia, 9 p.m. | Singer Cheryl Jones has a weekly engagement every Sunday at Utopia, where she sings with depth, force and clarity. Jones 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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