by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

The combustive calm of JD Allen’s tenor sound is a marvel — and you can hear it at Bohemian Caverns this Friday and Saturday, when he performs with his trio. But that would mean turning down the opportunity to hear Joe Lovano — another regal tenor player — at Blues Alley, where he’s joined by the legendary guitarist Jim Hall. It would also probably mean passing up the chance to hear one of the D.C. area’s great tenor men, Jeff Antoniuk, who plays this weekend at Twins Jazz. So many options, just one weekend. Add to that the D.C. Jazz Loft on Sunday, which is sure to be a thrill, and you’ve got one bumper weekend for the local jazz scene. 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, MAY 10

cb picks:

• Jim Hall & Joe Lovano, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Mars 4-tet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• JD Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Pepe Gonzalez, 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 skilled bassist and educator Pepe Gonzalez leads a group. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Boonsboro High School Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m. | The Boonsboro High School Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble hails from northwestern Maryland. Free. View event on calendar | Millenium Stage 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

Yamomanem, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

Jacqui Simmons & Friends, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Jacqui Simmons sings jazz standards with a heartfelt and elegant presentation. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Mars 4-tet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk plays straight-ahead jazz with his sights on what lies just past the horizon. His tone is broad and self-sufficient, full with jazz’s mid-’60s tautness. In the Mars 4-tet he joins a strong team: bassist Max Murray, guitarist Donato Soveiro and drummer Frank Russo. Two separate sets at 8 & 10. $18 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Jim Hall & Joe Lovano, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | It’s hard to find a tenor saxophone player with more gravitas and intuition than Joe Lovano. Tracing long arcs in a tone that’s both hefty and feather-soft, Lovano has been exploring jazz’s main instrument of protagonism for over three decades. Here he joins a legendary figure from an earlier generation: the guitarist Jim Hall, whose elegant flights made him a preferred sideman for everyone from Bill Evans to Sonny Rollins, and who has enjoyed a flourishing career as a leader since the 1950s. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $42.50 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Todd Googins Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Todd Googins calls himself a “vocal design” artist, meaning he offers voiceovers, jingles and vocal production services. At this show, he’ll be singing standards in front of a jazz combo, but who knows – holler loud enough for the theme from the latest Midas commercial and you just might get it. Careful what you wish for. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

JD Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The stellar tenor saxophonist JD Allen has more than an air of certainty – his whole premise seems to be a drive to erase all doubt, all fear, all strain from the process of struggle that defines improvising. That’s an impossible aim, of course, and that’s the point. His furrowed and forceful new record, “Grace,” is his first in 10 years to include a piano, but this weekend at the Caverns he returns to his usual trio format; his steely, full-bore tone is more than enough to fill the space left in the chordal instrument’s empty footprint. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10 :30 p.m. Cover $20 online, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

ELEW, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the pianist Eric Lewis had stints in the early-2000s with Wynton Marsalis and the late Elvin Jones, but recently coined a new moniker, ELEW, and even his own new genre, rockjazz. Indeed, he’s the only one playing it. Rockjazz is essentially a way of reworking pop tunes for the solo piano, with special attention to keeping all their grandeur, and volume, intact. There’s very little jazz involved. But when he gets in front of an attentive audience, Lewis does intersperse a great deal more traditional jazz (it’s a good thing – he can play as few can). No matter how you feel about rockjazz, it’s sure to be a rollicking ride. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

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

CaShandra J, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | CaShandra J sings jazz standards and originals with a combo. 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, MAY 11

cb picks:

• Jim Hall & Joe Lovano, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Mars 4-tet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Luciana Souza Duo, Atlas PAC, 8 p.m.
• JD Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 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

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

Mars 4-tet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk plays straight-ahead jazz with his sights on what lies just past the horizon. His tone is broad and self-sufficient, full with jazz’s mid-’60s tautness. In the Mars 4-tet he joins a strong team: bassist Max Murray, guitarist Donato Soveiro and drummer Frank Russo. Two separate sets at 8 & 10. $18 cover, $10 minimum.. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Jim Hall & Joe Lovano, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | It’s hard to find a tenor saxophone player with more gravitas and intuition than Joe Lovano. Tracing long arcs in a tone that’s both hefty and feather-soft, Lovano has been exploring jazz’s main instrument of protagonism for over three decades. Here he joins a legendary figure from an earlier generation: the guitarist Jim Hall, whose elegant flights made him a preferred sideman for everyone from Bill Evans to Sonny Rollins, and who has enjoyed a flourishing career as a leader since the 1950s. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $42.50 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Luciana Souza Duo, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. | The Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza has garnered attention with her fresh sound, providing an entirely new listening experience built from familiar songs. She is deeply connected to her Brazilian roots, clearly comfortable in exploring the soothing, traditional sounds of bossa nova, samba and other styles. She has collaborated with legends such as Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon and Bobby McFerrin, and is a Grammy Award winner herself. Growing up in an artistically creative household, Souza has been recording music practically all her life, beginning as a young child recording jingles and soundtracks for a local radio station. Today she is one of the world’s most well respected vocalists, and she still has a long career ahead of her. The show will be followed by an interview of Souza by CapitalBop’s Luke Stewart and Giovanni Russonello. Tickets $25, $15 for students, no minimum. [words by Luke Stewart] View event on calendar | Atlas website

Lena Seikaly Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

JD Allen Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The stellar tenor saxophonist JD Allen has more than an air of certainty – his whole premise seems to be a drive to erase all doubt, all fear, all strain from the process of struggle that defines improvising. That’s an impossible aim, of course, and that’s the point. His furrowed and forceful new record, “Grace,” is his first in 10 years to include a piano, but this weekend at the Caverns he returns to his usual trio format; his steely, full-bore tone is more than enough to fill the space left in the chordal instrument’s empty footprint. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10 :30 p.m. Cover $20 online, $25 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

ELEW, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the pianist Eric Lewis had stints in the early-2000s with Wynton Marsalis and the late Elvin Jones, but recently coined a new moniker, ELEW, and even his own new genre, rockjazz. Indeed, he’s the only one playing it. Rockjazz is essentially a way of reworking pop tunes for the solo piano, with special attention to keeping all their grandeur, and volume, intact. There’s very little jazz involved. But when he gets in front of an attentive audience, Lewis does intersperse a great deal more traditional jazz (it’s a good thing – he can play as few can). No matter how you feel about rockjazz, it’s sure to be a rollicking ride. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

David Schulman, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Violinist and effects pedal whiz David Schulman performs his avant-leaning jazz here with Eddie Eatmon, a bass player. 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

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, MAY 5

cb picks:

• D.C. Jazz Loft, Chez Billy, 8 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

Janine Gilbert-Carter Quartet, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club, 3 p.m. | The vocalist Janine Gilbert-Carter has a fulsome set of pipes, which she employs with masterful finesse and delicateness. She often sings gospel, but she’s just as at ease doing straight-ahead jazz. Here she appears in a special Mother’s Day brunch show. $40 cover, $15 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues & Jazz 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

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

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

Paul Carr Quintet, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club, 7:30 p.m. | The local straight-ahead saxophone eminence Paul Carr recently released an excellent new CD, Standard Domain. The record features a quintet of nationally renowned musicians, the sensitive pianist Bruce Barth among them. At this gig, Carr performs mostly with local musicians, but Barth is also on the bill. $20 cover, $15 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues & Jazz website

D.C. Jazz Loft, Chez Billy, 8 p.m. | CapitalBop has lined up three awe-inspiring acts for this month’s loft, all of them from different corners of the local jazz scene. The tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed and the trumpeter Griff Kaz are both young musicians gaining attention for their pens as well as their improvising, and Antonio Parker is a beloved alto saxophonist who’s been holding it down and tearing it up on the D.C. scene for many years. All three will bring bands to the loft. $15 suggested donation, no minimum. View event on calendar | Union Arts website

Jim Hall & Joe Lovano, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | It’s hard to find a tenor saxophone player with more gravitas and intuition than Joe Lovano. Tracing long arcs in a tone that’s both hefty and feather-soft, Lovano has been exploring jazz’s main instrument of protagonism for over three decades. Here he joins a legendary figure from an earlier generation: the guitarist Jim Hall, whose elegant flights made him a preferred sideman for everyone from Bill Evans to Sonny Rollins, and who has enjoyed a flourishing career as a leader since the 1950s. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $42.50 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Tuesday Project, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Tuesday Project is a band that formed at a local adult education masterclasses program. A septet, the band focuses on Afro-Latin and Brazilian styles. Two separate sets at 8 & 10. $18 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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