by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” our list of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. A wide array of musicians passes through D.C. this weekend. They range from the innovative Vijay Iyer Trio, one of New York City’s top contemporary acts, to the longtime vocalese power combo Manhattan Transfer. Those and 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, APR. 29

cb picks:

• Jeff Antoniuk & Jazz Update, Montpelier Arts Center,
• Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 8 p.m.
• Felicia Carter & Amy Shook, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Chuchito Valdés, HR-57, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Sandra Johnson, 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. At this week’s edition, singer Sandra Johnson celebrates the release of her new CD, “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” Her band includes Don Nunley on saxophone, Vince Evans on piano, Wes Biles on bass and Jeffrey Neal on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Triple Double Jazz Band, 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

Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | Commanding vocalist Karen Gray is joined by vibraphonist Pete Chauvette and bassist Hugh Johnson 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.), 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, but it’s usually a very solid lineup. 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

Lena Seikaly, Bistrot Lepic, 7 p.m. | Vocalist Lena Seikaly sings jazz standards with a confident and playful demeanor, displaying a haziness reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding but also nodding to traditional greats. She performs every so often at Bistrot Lepic’s wine bar with light backing, featuring the talented Rodney Richardson on guitar. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bistrot Lepic website

Discussion: “Call it Anything: Miles Davis’ Electric Period, 1968-1991” (Part 1), Writer’s Center, 7:30 | Reuben Jackson is a poet, radio personality, music critic and the former curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s Duke Ellington Collection. He’s also spent some time researching the fusion and other electric music that Miles Davis made from the late 1960s until his death. In this two-part discussion, occurring on consecutive nights at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Jackson will use videos and audio recordings of Davis in a discussion of this controversial period of Davis’ influential career. A fitting way to see Jazz History Month to a close – with a discussion of a period that some say ended Davis’ tenure as a jazz musician. Free. View event on calendar | Writer’s Center website

Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 8 p.m. | When it burst onto the jazz scene in the 1970s, jazz vocal combo Manhattan Transfer revived the spirit of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with its vocalese and lush vocal harmonization on jazz standards. Among the group’s most famous recordings is its cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” You’ve got to really be into this sort of thing, but if you are, Manhattan Transfer is tops. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $65 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Blues Alley profile

Eric Byrd Trio & Brian Settles, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist and pianist Eric Byrd sings in a silky croon that’s not too far from Nat “King” Cole – but with more soul and gospel influence. He performs regularly with his trio, featuring Bhagwan Khalsa on bass and Alphonso Young Jr. on drums. Here he appears with D.C.’s top tenor saxophonist, Brian Settles, an introspective experimenter who’s doggedly committed to stretching the limits of tones and fragmented melodies. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Jeff Antoniuk & Jazz Update, Montpelier Arts Center, 8 p.m. | Tenor saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk plays straight-ahead jazz, with its sights set on what lies just past the horizon. Antoniuk’s tone is broad, with a constantly swelling and growing life of its own. The D.C.-based musician is joined in his quartet, named Jazz Update, by the nimble pianist Wade Beach, bassist Tom Baldwin and drummer Tony Martucci. $20 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Montpelier Arts Center website

Andréa Wood & Michael Kramer, Tasting Room, 8 p.m. | Singer Andréa 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

Malika Zarra, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Singer Malika Zarra, who grew up in southern Morocco and Paris, commands with a strong, velvety alto voice. She sings in Berber, Moroccan Arabic, French and English, and her music is a fitting fusion of trans-continental styles. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Chuchito Valdés, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Although he’s most recognizable for his lineage (his father Chucho and grandfather Bebo are both famous Latin jazz innovators), pianist Chuchito Valdés deserves his own level of recognition. His modernistic Afro-Cuban style is magnanimous in demeanor, bursting with energy. Valdés’s last album, “Cuban Dreams,” was nominated for a Latin Grammy award. He’ll perform here with a small group. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $20 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Felicia Carter & Amy Shook, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Vocalist Felicia Carter and bassist Amy Shook recently teamed up to make their first album together, “Nothing to Do.” They celebrate the CD’s release this weekend at Twins Jazz with two shows featuring the same musicians heard on the album: Bob Butta on piano, Donato Soviero on guitar and Frank Russo on drums. Shook is a strong bassist, and Carter – a D.C. native – sings standards and originals with sass and patent personality. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $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

Maureen Mullaney, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Maureen Mullaney sings jazz and blues songs with a light ensemble, featuring special guest drummer Devin Kelly. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge 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-indebted 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, APR. 30
cb picks:

• Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 8 p.m.
• Vijay Iyer Trio, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 8 p.m.
• Felicia Carter & Amy Shook, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Chuchito Valdés, HR-57, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
• Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m.

Jazz Day in Anacostia, Anacostia Library & Ft. Dupont Park, 2 p.m. | A full day of performances, jamming, dancing and discussion in celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month takes place at the Anacostia Library. Free. View event on calendar | Event website

Georgetown U. Jazzfest, Georgetown University, 12 p.m. | The calendar for Georgetown University’s annual Jazzfest is as follows:
•12:00 The Annandale Jazz Ambassadors
•1:00 Krasnodar Big Band from Russia
• 2.00 The Georgetown University Jazz Ensemble feat. Wayne Bergeron
• 3:00 The US Naval Academy Band “The Next Wave” feat. Wayne Bergeron
The event is free and open to the public. View event on calendar | Jazzfest 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

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

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

Night & Day Trio, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Night & Day Trio plays traditional, swing-oriented jazz, featuring Renée Tannenbaum on vocals, Mike Suser on piano and vocals and Dennis Johnson on saxophone. 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

Discussion: “Call it Anything: Miles Davis’ Electric Period, 1968-1991” (Part 2), Writer’s Center, 7:30 | Reuben Jackson is a poet, radio personality, music critic and the former curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s Duke Ellington Collection. He’s also spent some time researching the fusion and other electric music that Miles Davis made from the late 1960s until his death. In this two-part discussion, occurring on consecutive nights at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Jackson will use videos and audio recordings of Davis in a discussion of this controversial period of Davis’ influential career. A fitting way to see Jazz History Month to a close – with a discussion of a period that some say ended Davis’ tenure as a jazz musician. Free. View event on calendar | Writer’s Center website

Vijay Iyer Trio, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 8 p.m.| Pianist Vijay Iyer is one of the most consummate innovators on the global jazz scene. Iyer builds quickstepping, two-handed patterns and often lays on pounding bass rhythms – almost like McCoy Tyner’s left hand, but given to more freneticism and hip-hop influence. But there’s something soothing about all this energy, and it has the tumbling rhythmic logic of the tala, Carnatic Indian music’s system of beat cycles. The integration of Indian and other non-Western musics into his jazz composing and performing is one of Iyer’s primary intentions. He’s been playing with his talented trio for a number of years; it features bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, both preeminent members of the New York City scene. $30 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Washington Performing Arts Society website

Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | When it burst onto the jazz scene in the 1970s, jazz vocal combo Manhattan Transfer revived the spirit of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with its vocalese and lush vocal harmonization on jazz standards. Among the group’s most famous recordings is its cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” You’ve got to really be into this sort of thing, but if you are, Manhattan Transfer is tops. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $65 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Julian Hipkins Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m.| Julian Hipkins sings with a swingin’ flair and jaunty, deep voice that recall Jimmy Rushing. He’s joined here by Andrew Adair on piano, Zack Pride on bass and John Lamkin on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Malika Zarra, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Singer Malika Zarra, who grew up in southern Morocco and Paris, commands with a strong, velvety alto voice. She sings in Berber, Moroccan Arabic, French and English, and her music is a fitting fusion of trans-continental styles. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Chuchito Valdés, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Although he’s most recognizable for his lineage (his father Chucho and grandfather Bebo are both famous Latin jazz innovators), pianist Chuchito Valdés deserves his own level of recognition. His modernistic Afro-Cuban style is magnanimous in demeanor, bursting with energy. Valdés’s last album, “Cuban Dreams,” was nominated for a Latin Grammy award. He’ll perform here with a small group. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $20 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Felicia Carter & Amy Shook, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.| Vocalist Felicia Carter and bassist Amy Shook recently teamed up to make their first album together, “Nothing to Do.” They celebrate the CD’s release this weekend at Twins Jazz with two shows featuring the same musicians heard on the album: Bob Butta on piano, Donato Soviero on guitar and Frank Russo on drums. Shook is a strong bassist, and Carter – a D.C. native – sings standards and originals with sass and patent personality. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $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

The Hang, Bohemian Caverns, midnight | Bohemian Caverns’ late-night jam, The Hang, is hosted by a different band every week of the month. The kitchen remains open until 1 a.m., so there’s a chance to get a late bite without having to traipse to Ben’s Chili Bowl. $7 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

SUNDAY, MAY 1

cb picks:

• Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
• Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 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

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

Bad.Loud.Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | These young players like to swing, sure, but they’re also big fans of fusion, R&B and even punk rock. All of this comes through in their roiling, ambitious post-bop. The group comprises drummer Kirk Kubicek, bassist Dane Galloway and keyboardist Joel Sephy. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile

Manhattan Transfer, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | When it burst onto the jazz scene in the 1970s, jazz vocal combo Manhattan Transfer revived the spirit of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with its vocalese and lush vocal harmonization on jazz standards. Among the group’s most famous recordings is its cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” You’ve got to really be into this sort of thing, but if you are, Manhattan Transfer is tops. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $65 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley 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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