by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

More than enough to choose from this weekend: If you’re a classic hard-bop fan, check out Marshall Keys’ tribute to Cannonball Adderley on Friday evening at Westminster Presbyterian. If you’re in the mood to stretch your brain out of shape with some experimental sounds, stop by the Event Horizon mini-festival at Union Arts on Friday, or Roy Campbell, Jr.’s show at Bohemian Caverns on Sunday.

And let’s not forget about two international stars who are in town this weekend. The vibraphonist Gary Burton’s New Quartet has elegance and poise, and it performs at Blues Alley on Friday (here’s an interview we did with him and Julian Lage this week). Jacky Terrason, a pianist whose firm rhythmic feel takes him in all sorts of directions, will be at Bohemian Caverns Friday and Saturday. All our favorite shows have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

cb picks:

• Marshall Keys, Westminster Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
• Tony Martucci Quintet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• New Gary Burton Quartet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Jacky Terrason, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Event Horizon, Union Arts, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Marshall Keys, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Marshall Keys’ saxophone can sing the blues or swing to the rhythms of bebop with a laid-back sense of cool. A fluid, graceful player, Keys doesn’t have Cannonball Adderley’s boisterous wail, but he’s more than equipped to carry out his own kind of tribute to the alto sax great. That’s what is on the bill for this performance, where he’ll be joined by some of the District’s best: Donvonte McCoy on trumpet, Allyn Johnson on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and John Lamkin III on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Sharón Clark, Chez Billy, 7 p.m. | The vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s one of D.C.’s top jazz singers. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Chez Billy 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

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

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

Tony Martucci Quintet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | A frequent sideman and bandleader in the D.C. area, the drummer Tony Martucci plays comfortable bop with a lightly dabbed, clarion swing on the ride cymbal. For this show he’s joined by a standout quintet of his frequent collaborators: Luis Hernandez and Jeff Antoniuk on saxophones, John Lee on guitar and Tom Baldwin on bass. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

New Gary Burton Quartet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The vibraphonist Gary Burton is both a pioneer of his instrument – having pioneered the four-mallet method – and a trailblazer for the entire jazz genre, which he infused with rock and country influences in the mid-1960s, well before anyone had used the term “jazz-rock fusion.” Burton’s playing prizes fluidity and grace, and his current group, the New Gary Burton Quartet, is well suited to his aesthetic. The group just released its second album, Guided Tour, and on it the 25-year-old guitar phenom Julian Lage proves a sympathetic counterpart, his attack on the instrument pointed but smooth. The rhythm section is rounded out by two excellent players: the bassist Scott Coley and the drummer Antonio Sanchez. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $40 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Jacky Terrason, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The French-American pianist Jacky Terrason has been high on the list of jazz’s contemporary talents since the 1990s, when he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and began a string of releases for Blue Note Records. Count on Terrason for rambunctious, playful soloing and buoyant chunks of harmony, deployed in near-perfect time. He’s also the kind of guy that medleys Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” with the standard “Body and Soul,” as he did on the 2010 album Push. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $22 cover in advance, $25 at the door, 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

Event Horizon, Union Arts, 9 p.m. | This one-night melée of music and visual art brings a handful of strident experimentalists to your consciousness – and your consciousness to a dizzy rapture, or maybe a standstill. Highlights will include the Anthony Pirog Ensemble, led by the D.C. guitarist and loops wizard who writes sharp, declarative originals for his mid-size group, and Ahleuchatistas, a math-rock duo whose name makes reference to a Charlie Parker tune. $10 cover. View event on calendar | Union Arts website

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

Mike Pryor’s MP3, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m. | U Street restaurant Ulah Bistro has stepped up to fill the void that Utopia left open last year, when it closed to make way for the construction of a new condos complex. That restaurant housed the block’s most reliable, convivial jam sessions. Ulah gives a taste of that energy once a week, late on Friday nights. This week the bassist Mike Pryor and his electric fusion trio MP3 will be leading the late-night jam. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

cb picks:

• Tony Martucci Quintet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Jacky Terrason, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. 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 (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

Tony Martucci Quintet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | A frequent sideman and bandleader in the D.C. area, the drummer Tony Martucci plays comfortable bop with a lightly dabbed, clarion swing on the ride cymbal. For this show he’s joined by a standout quintet of his frequent collaborators: Luis Hernandez and Jeff Antoniuk on saxophones, John Lee on guitar and Tom Baldwin on bass. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $16 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Frederic Yonnet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Frederic Yonnet, a native of France, has tons of talent and plenty of blues flavor lying just below the surface, but he chooses to use it all in service of an ingratiating varietal of smooth jazz. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Jacky Terrason, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The French-American pianist Jacky Terrason has been high on the list of jazz’s contemporary talents since the 1990s, when he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and began a string of releases for Blue Note Records. Count on Terrason for rambunctious, playful soloing and buoyant chunks of harmony, deployed in near-perfect time. He’s also the kind of guy that medleys Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” with the standard “Body and Soul,” as he did on the 2010 album Push. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $22 cover in advance, $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

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

Cristian Perez, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Guitarist Cristian Perez leads his Latin jazz trio, which features a vocalist. 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, SEPTEMBER 14

cb picks:

• Bobby Muncy, Twins Jazz, 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

Jazz Brunch, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Performer TBA. 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

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, 6:30 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 | 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

Roy Campbell Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | The 2013-14 season of Transparent Productions’ essential Sundays at 7 at the Caverns Series kicks off with a performance from the trumpeter Roy Campbell, Jr. Campbell’s expertise ranges from R&B to the jazz avant-garde, and he’s comfortable applying his corpulent trumpet sound to a myriad of nontraditional formats. For this show, he’ll team with Hill Green on bass, Michael Wimberly on drums and Bryan Carrott on vibraphone for an exploration of tone and free improvisation. Two separate sets at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns 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

Frederic Yonnet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Frederic Yonnet, a native of France, has tons of talent and plenty of blues flavor lying just below the surface, but he chooses to use it all in service of an ingratiating varietal of smooth jazz. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Jazz Mosaic, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | No description available. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 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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