Christian aTunde Adjuah (a.k.a. Christian Scott) plays at Bohemian Caverns this weekend. Carlyle V. Smith/CapitalBop
by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board
The major event of the weekend would seem to be the four-night run of Christian aTunde Adjuah (better known as Christian Scott) and his quintet at Bohemian Caverns; we published an interview with him this week. But don’t miss Harold Summey, either, the District’s unsung drum master, at Twins Jazz. Find details on those performances and many more in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” a listing of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. Our favorites have a 
label, and as always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17
cb picks:
- Buck Hill, New Deal Café, 8 p.m.
- Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
- Harold Summey, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
- Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
Susan Jones, Jazz in the Garden, 5 p.m. | Susan Jones is a jazz violinist. Free. View event on calendar | Jazz in the Garden website
Cashandra J., Black Fox Lounge, 5 p.m. | CaShandra J sings jazz standards and originals with a combo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile
Dohn Nunley, 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. The band includes Dohn Nunley on saxophone and vocals, Wes Biles on bass, Vince Smith on keyboard and Ron Compton on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website
Veronneau, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m. | Virginia-based quartet Veronneau recently released an album paying tribute to Jazz Samba, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s 50-year-old pioneering bossa nova record. With a two-acoustic-gu
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
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
Angela Johnson, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Angela Johnson is a singer who conjures the glory days of ’70s soul. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile
Denise King Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Denise King, based in Philadelphia, sings a strong, lively and heavily interactive blend of blues and jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website
Buck Hill, New Deal Café, 8 p.m. | Tenor saxophonist Buck Hill is a D.C. legend. Had he moved to New York City, he surely would have become a national figure. He was already making waves with his music by the mid-1940s, and in the coming years he honed his skills as a bebop master alongside Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and other greats who came through D.C. to perform. Hill’s uncompromising swing and rich, reedy tone were originally “discovered” by the famous guitarist Charlie Byrd, with whom Hill recorded a series of albums in the 1950s. By the ’70s, he was recording as a leader alongside Buster Williams, Kenny Barron and other greats. Here he performs at the low-key New Deal Café with Mike Grasso on trumpet, Steve Lesche on guitar, Steve Miller on bass and Darrell Dunning on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | New Deal Café website
Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Since his teenage years, when he played in the band of his uncle, the famous New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeter Christian Scott has immersed himself in the history of jazz. It’s a history that you can’t tell without including the overlapping strains of swing, soul, and social protest. On his latest album, a two-CD release called Christian Atunde Adjuah, Scott finds his taproot in the New Orleans music that incubated him and the West African rhythmic cycles that underpin it – but he’s a product of the hip-hop generation, and of a time when the prevailing perspective on what belongs in jazz’s playground has been notably liberated. In this four-day run (a rare thing at the Caverns), he and his quintet will perform original compositions, most of them from the new release. The band includes pianist Lawrence Fields, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist and D.C. native Kris Funn, and drummer Jamire Williams. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $22 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns 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
Harold Summey Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | n 1992, the annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition held its only drum kit contest to date. The District’s Harold Summey, Jr. won. He never cashed in on the accolade by launching a major recording career, or becoming a household name, but Summey remains one of the best drummers in the D.C. area. His swing is vigorous, powered by a corpulent ride cymbal. He rarely leads a band, so it will be thrilling to hear Summey, who’s now in his mid-50s, at the helm of a top-notch group including Charlie Young (another rarely-heard-fr
Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swingin’ and soulful, with 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 to Kenny Garrett’s. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website
Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads a straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums. 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, AUGUST 18
cb picks:
- Charles Covington, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m.
- Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
- Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m.
- Harold Summey, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 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
Charles Covington, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m. | Charles Covington is an elder statesman on the D.C. jazz scene and a music faculty member at Howard University. A melodic improviser on both the organ and piano, Covington plays with a swinging savvy and a blues-based sensibility. Free View event on calendar | Millenium Stage 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
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
Lori Williams, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | mooth-voiced singer Lori Williams is a regular member of the local jazz group Saltman-Knowles
Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 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
Ponzi Schemers, Gallery O on H, 8 p.m. | Ponzi Schemers are a calypso band. Tickets $10 (purchase includes a drink and a t-shirt). View event on calendar | Gallery O website
Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Since his teenage years, when he played in the band of his uncle, the famous New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeter Christian Scott has immersed himself in the history of jazz. It’s a history that you can’t tell without including the overlapping strains of swing, soul, and social protest. On his latest album, a two-CD release called Christian Atunde Adjuah, Scott finds his taproot in the New Orleans music that incubated him and the West African rhythmic cycles that underpin it – but he’s a product of the hip-hop generation, and of a time when the prevailing perspective on what belongs in jazz’s playground has been notably liberated. In this four-day run (a rare thing at the Caverns), he and his quintet will perform original compositions, most of them from the new release. The band includes pianist Lawrence Fields, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist and D.C. native Kris Funn, and drummer Jamire Williams. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $22 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile
Harold Summey Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | n 1992, the annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition held its only drum kit contest to date. The District’s Harold Summey, Jr. won. He never cashed in on the accolade by launching a major recording career, or becoming a household name, but Summey remains one of the best drummers in the D.C. area. His swing is vigorous, powered by a corpulent ride cymbal. He rarely leads a band, so it will be thrilling to hear Summey, who’s now in his mid-50s, at the helm of a top-notch group including Charlie Young (another rarely-heard-fr
Glenn Miller Orchestra, Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 9 p.m. | Glenn Miller led one of the most popular big bands during World War II. This large ensemble pays tribute to his work, and swing dancing is encouraged. A drop-in beginners’ swing dancing lesson is available before the show, from 8 to 9 p.m. Tickets $20. View event on calendar | Glen Echo website
Saltman Knowles, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Saltman Knowles is a band that blends Latin, straight-ahead and soul-jazz influences. The core trio consists of joyous and smooth-voiced singer Lori Williams, pianist William Knowles and bassist Mark Saltman. But the group’s ancillary instrumentation — like its musical ambitions — is always changing: On the band’s latest CD, Saltman Knowles refashioned itself as an octet, complete with the steel pan sounds of Victor Provost. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website
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
Some Like It Hot, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | Some Like It Hot is a small jazz and that performs traditional music from the swing era. 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, AUGUST 19
cb picks:
- Singing & Praying Band, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m.
- Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 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
Blue Styles Brass Band, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | No information available. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana 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
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
The Singing & Praying Band, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 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 | Kennedy Center Millenium Stage website
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
Christian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Since his teenage years, when he played in the band of his uncle, the famous New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeter Christian Scott has immersed himself in the history of jazz. It’s a history that you can’t tell without including the overlapping strains of swing, soul, and social protest. On his latest album, a two-CD release called Christian Atunde Adjuah, Scott finds his taproot in the New Orleans music that incubated him and the West African rhythmic cycles that underpin it – but he’s a product of the hip-hop generation, and of a time when the prevailing perspective on what belongs in jazz’s playground has been notably liberated. In this four-day run (a rare thing at the Caverns), he and his quintet will perform original compositions, most of them from the new release. The band includes pianist Lawrence Fields, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist and D.C. native Kris Funn, and drummer Jamire Williams. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $22 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile
DC Choro, Grill from Ipanema, 7:30 p.m.| DC Choro is a sextet that plays Brazilian music drawing on European folk traditions. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Grill from Ipanema profile
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
Jacob Garbus, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The 18-year-old Jacob Garbus is a promising local talent on the tenor saxophone. Garbus is joined by a quintet featuring some other precocious presences on the D.C. scene: fellow tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed, guitarist Wendy Eisenberg, bassist Eliot Seppa and drummer Aaron Seeber. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile
Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 8 p.m. | Herb Scott, a young, soulful powerhouse of an alto saxophonist, performs here in a laid-back, intimate duo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge 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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