by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

U Street is getting a shot of new jazz enterprises this weekend. Bohemian Caverns is launching a weekly Sunday jazz brunch, with live music starting at noon, and Ulah Bistro is testing the waters for a possible regular engagement on Friday nights, featuring the Wayne Wilentz Trio. It’s tough to say how these ventures will turn out, but they’re worth checking out and supporting. Also, the excellent and always-brightly reactive pianist Lafayette Gilchrist brings his trio to Twins Jazz, and Blues Alley is spotlighting a variety of strong local female vocalists all weekend. 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 24

cb picks:

• Lena Seikaly, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Lafayette Gilchrist Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Curtis Lundy Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Greg Lamont, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Greg Lamont is a jazz pianist and singer with an affinity for the Great American Songbook. Here he performs with his quartet, featuring Donnie West on bass, Ben Secundy on drums and LeRon Young on guitar and vocals. $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

Triple Double Jazz Band, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

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

Marcus Johnson, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7:30 p.m. | Pianist Marcus Johnson makes highly danceable smooth jazz, with strong inflections of funk. He frequently indulges in pop covers, and is arguably the city’s best-known smooth jazz musician. $20 cover, $15 minimum for dining-area seating. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues & Jazz website

Lafayette Gilchrist Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The pianist Lafayette Gilchrist has ideas about pulled-apart seams and harmonies that float around and overlap like a deconstructed tapestry. But underneath it all is a rootedness in the heavy levity of gospel and blues. Here the Baltimore-based pianist, who has played with figures ranging from William Parker to David Murray, leads a trio. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Lena Seikaly, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Vocalist Lena Seikaly sings jazz standards with a confident and playful demeanor, displaying a gentle ephemerality reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding as well as a debt to traditional greats. She’s also a deft composer and arranger. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Karla Chisholm Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | The singer Karla Chisholm’s music is somewhere between pop singer-songwriter, funk and jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

Curtis Lundy Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Curtis Lundy, one of the preeminent bassists to arrive on the scene toward the end of the last century, played for years in Betty Carter’s band, and is the brother of Carmen Lundy. All this exposure to vocalists seems to have had some effect: In his full-bodied bass playing and his steadily graceful straight-ahead compositions, he stretches out his notes long enough to soar. Lundy is joined here by a quartet. 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

Antonio Parker, 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 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

Wayne Wilentz Trio, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m. | Since Utopia closed for renovations last year, the U Street jazz scene has been missing a reliable gathering place with free entry and serviceable jazz. This week and next, Ulah Bistro is dipping a toe in to see whether it might want to fill the role. It is having the Wayne Wilentz Trio — a pianist-led group that played each week at Utopia, exploring straight-ahead and Brazilian music — in a trial run. If the gigs go well, the management may decide to host live jazz every weekend from here forward. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah Bistro website

SATURDAY, MAY 25

cb picks:

• Lafayette Gilchrist Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Curtis Lundy Quartet, 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, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 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

Lafayette Gilchrist Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The pianist Lafayette Gilchrist has ideas about pulled-apart seams and harmonies that float around and overlap like a deconstructed tapestry. But underneath it all is a rootedness in the heavy levity of gospel and blues. Here the Baltimore-based pianist, who has played with figures ranging from William Parker to David Murray, leads a trio. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Lori Williams, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The smooth-voiced singer Lori Williams is a regular member of the local jazz group Saltman-Knowles. Here she steps out, singing standards at the fore of her own combo. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Micah Smith Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | In his own work, the robust vocalist and songwriter Micah Smith pours the lapping flow of reggae and the slapping groove of neo-soul together with melismatic gospel and classic jazz. Here he will perform a repertoire of jazz standards with a strong group. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental website

Curtis Lundy Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Curtis Lundy, one of the preeminent bassists to arrive on the scene toward the end of the last century, played for years in Betty Carter’s band, and is the brother of Carmen Lundy. All this exposure to vocalists seems to have had some effect: In his full-bodied bass playing and his steadily graceful straight-ahead compositions, he stretches out his notes long enough to soar. Lundy is joined here by a quartet. 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

Alfredo Mojica, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alfredo Mojica, who sang for years with the group Sin Miedo, unites salsa, jazz and Latin American balladry. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 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

Anders Eliasson, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | The drummer Anders Eliasson leads a small jazz group. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

Projeck GP, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Projeck GP plays funky smooth jazz. 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, MAY 26

cb picks:

• Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m.
• Sharon Clark, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 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

Jazz Brunch, Bohemian Caverns, 11 a.m. | Bohemian Caverns, the 87-year-old venue that is once again seen as D.C.’s top jazz venue, is launching a jazz brunch this weekend. Not many details are available on the music (which begins at noon), but the food will be Belgian fare provided by the adjacent restaurant Tap & Parlour. No cover, email [email protected] for reservations. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

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

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

Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | The drummer Mike Reed is a native of Chicago – which makes sense, considering his learned approach to pushing the boundaries of swinging jazz and modern composition. His small group — People, Places & Things — currently comprises Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Tim Haldeman on tenor saxophone and Jason Roebke on bass. The chords-free format allows for collective improvisation and serious experimentation, even as the band keeps in contact with the sauntering traditions of bebop and hard bop. The show is presented as part of Transparent Productions’ “Sundays at 7 at the Caverns” series. Two separate sets at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover online, $20 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues & Jazz website

Sharón Clark, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s one of D.C.’s top jazz singers. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 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

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