Weekend in Jazz | 5.20-5.22: Women in Jazz Festival takes over Kennedy Center, and Ron Carter strikes -

Ron Carter. Courtesy Wilfred Paulse/flickr

Ron Carter performs at Bohemian Caverns with his Golden Striker Trio this weekend. Courtesy Wilfred Paulse/flickr

by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” our list of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. This weekend is jam-packed with killer jazz jams: from the Women in Jazz Festival shows on Friday and Saturday to the legendary Ron Carter and his Golden Striker Trio to D.C. go-go godfather Chuck Brown, who’s got a rare residence at Blues Alley all weekend. 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, MAY 20

cb picks:

Michael Thomas, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m.
Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m.
Chuck Brown, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m.
Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
T.K. Blue, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Michael Thomas, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m. | Trumpeter and composer Michael Thomas has been all over this country. After growing up in Las Vegas, he attended Grambling University in Louisiana before moving to upstate New York, then leading a successful gigging career in Philadelphia and finally settling in the D.C. area. Thomas has become a frequent bandleader in the region. His tenaciously swingin’ music tends toward the Jazz Messengers’ strain of no-compromises hard-bop; Thomas’ searing tone and dipping-and-diving improvisations are not unlike Lee Morgan’s. He headlines at this week’s installation of “Jazz Night” at Westminster. The band includes Zach Graddy on tenor sax, Darius Scott on piano, Kent Miller on bass and Frank Williams on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m. | For the second of three nights at the 16th Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, internationally renowned vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson pay tribute to the late Abbey Lincoln. Could it get any better than this? $38-$95 tickets. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center website

L’Tanya Mari, 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

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, 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

Chuck Brown, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m. | Godfather of go-go Chuck Brown doesn’t play “jazz,” but the influence of the music is obvious. In the fact that go-go basically took the burgeoning funk movement and added a stronger and more purified strand of swing; in Brown’s obsession with grimy, butt-shakin’ covers of Duke Ellington tunes; in the way his croon recalls Johnny Hartman just as much as it does any soul singer. And by the way, no matter what you call it or where it comes from, Brown’s go-go sound is infectious and irresistible. Two separate sets at 8 & 11 p.m. $35 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Paige Martin Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Paige Martin, who contributed to the latest album by the U.S. Air Force’s jazz band, takes a straightforward approach focused on strength and projection. She’s joined here by Andrew Adair on piano, Zack Pride on bass and Todd Harrison on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel 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

Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Ron Carter is the definitive bassist of the post-bop era. Leave aside for a moment his big and elastic playing, which goes far beyond traditional walking-bass technique. One of his first gigs was as the bassist in Miles Davis’ second great quintet, the 1960s band that redefined small-group straight-ahead jazz. Since then, he’s gone on to record with everyone from Chick Corea to Stan Getz, Gil Scott-Heron to A Tribe Called Quest. But maybe the best way to hear him is on his solo albums – stuff like Parade and Uptown Conversation – where the bass is up in the mix, and his versatile compositions lead the way. Nowadays, he leads a drumless group called the Golden Striker Trio, featuring stars Russell Malone on guitar and Mulgrew Miller on piano. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $40 cover in advance, $45 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker has long been a regular performer at HR-57, and when the club moved to H St. NE earlier this year, he played at opening night. Parker’s playing refers to John Coltrane’s tenor technique, but his aggressive tone and rhythmic inclinations are more contemporary, bringing neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker’s style on the horn often nods toward another one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $12 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

T.K. Blue, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | T.K. Blue, an alto saxophonist who paid his dues in the 1980s touring with Chico Hamilton and Randy Weston, is one of the most listenable jazz traditionalists around today. The alto saxophonist has just released his fifth album, Latin Bird, a collection of Charlie Parker classics reworked with a Latin feel. Blue’s arrangements and solos are upbeat and original. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $20 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

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. Donvonte’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

Jooklo Duo, Comet Ping Pong, 10:30 p.m. | The no-holds-barred Jooklo Duo hails all the way from Italy, and will perform its distorted-sax-collides-with-percussion sound blasts at the Tenleytown hipster haven Comet Ping Pong. The experimental musician and performance artist Arrington de Dionyso will also lead his soul-baring Malaikat dan Singa project. $10 cover, no minimum. View event on a calendar | Comet Ping Pong website

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, MAY 21
cb picks:

Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m.
Chuck Brown, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m.
Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
T.K. Blue, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 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

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

Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m. | At the final night of the 16th Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, a diverse array of performers are on display. First comes the impressive Corky Hale, who’s been performing for over half a century on vocals, flute, harp and piano. Then the pianist Peggy Stern and saxophonist Sue Terry make up for the fact that they each only play one instrument by performing … simultaneously. And to wrap up the night, the fabulous singer Marlena Shaw teams up with the band Five Play. $38-$95 tickets. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center 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

Lena Seikaly & Potomac Jazz Project, Extra Virgin Restaurant, 7:30 p.m. | 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

Nancy Scimone, Henley Park Hotel, 7:30 p.m. | Nancy Scimone reaches into the jazz and popular American songbooks during this weekly gig at the Henley Park Hotel in downtown D.C. She’s typically joined by a pianist. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Henley Park’s website

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, Eric Harper on bass and Lenny Robinson on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Bandidos de Ipanema, Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, 8 p.m. | This combo melds Brazilian jazz with other funky, urban musical styles from the cities of Brazil. The group features Daniel Williams on vocals, guitar and keys; Max Tsvetovat on flute and harmonica; Leo Lucini on bass; and Philippe DePontet and Fred James on drums and percussion. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Clare and Don’s website

Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Ron Carter is the definitive bassist of the post-bop era. Leave aside for a moment his big and elastic playing, which goes far beyond traditional walking-bass technique. One of his first gigs was as the bassist in Miles Davis’ second great quintet, the 1960s band that redefined small-group straight-ahead jazz. Since then, he’s gone on to record with everyone from Chick Corea to Stan Getz, Gil Scott-Heron to A Tribe Called Quest. But maybe the best way to hear him is on his solo albums – stuff like Parade and Uptown Conversation – where the bass is up in the mix, and his versatile compositions lead the way. Nowadays, he leads a drumless group called the Golden Striker Trio, featuring stars Russell Malone on guitar and Mulgrew Miller on piano. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $40 cover in advance, $45 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Rhythminic Accent, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Led by saxophonist Brian Horton, this quartet performs driving, straight-ahead bop. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

T.K. Blue, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.| T.K. Blue, an alto saxophonist who paid his dues in the 1980s touring with Chico Hamilton and Randy Weston, is one of the most listenable jazz traditionalists around today. The alto saxophonist has just released his fifth album, Latin Bird, a collection of Charlie Parker classics reworked with a Latin feel. Blue’s arrangements and solos are upbeat and original. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $20 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

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 22

cb picks:

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
Jeff Antoniuk, Bohemian Caverns, 8 & 10 p.m.
Chuck Brown, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m.
Sunday Jazz Lounge, BloomBars, 8 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

Carey Smith, Bayou, 12:30 p.m. | Guitarist Carey Smith performs straight-ahead, swingin’ jazz with a small group. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bayou 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

Jeff Antoniuk, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 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. This performance is dubbed “Blue Note Soul: From Bop to Boogaloo!” and features the talented Jim McFalls on trombone, Kenny Rittenhouse on trumpet, Benjie Porecki on piano, Mike Pope on bass and Frank Russon on drums. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Major 6th, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Is it a funk-revival ensemble? Is it a “West Side Story” pit band? A Van Morrison cover band? $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile

Sunday Jazz Lounge feat. Matt Rippetoe, BloomBars, 8 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 Sunday Jazz Lounge effort has its head in the right place, and it’s worth getting behind. Plus, from the crackling, friendly vibe and strong turnout that their first few lounges have enjoyed, it seems they’re succeeding. The Jazz Lounge is back once again at the Columbia Heights community arts space BloomBars. As is lounge protocol, a special guest musician will kick things off with a solo set; this time around, that musician is saxophonist Matt Rippetoe, a progressive jazz player who experiments equally heavily with funk and modern jazz. Then Richardson and Herrera will lead their quartet – featuring bassist Eric Harper and drummer Dave McDonald – through some of the less-traversed compositions in the bop songbook. $10 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | BloomBars website

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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Weekend in Jazz | 5.20-5.22: Women in Jazz Festival takes over Kennedy Center, and Ron Carter strikes

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