by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

NPR’s annual “A Jazz Piano Christmas” program returns to the Kennedy Center this Saturday with a lineup even more unexpected than usual. Michele Rosewoman pours unfettered spirit together with avant-garde jazz, hard-bop, funk and Afro-Cuban music; Andy Bey has a dark-molasses baritone that represents mirth and perspective, to go along with a tart sweetness on piano. The great Stanley Cowell and Sullivan Fortner round out the bill.

CapitalBop’s back with a thrilling D.C. Jazz Loft this Sunday, spotlighting three area artists with significant ideas about new directions for their music. The trumpeter Arturo Sandoval has a pricey but promising ticket at Blues Alley all weekend; on Friday and Saturday Grégoire Maret brings his harmonica chops to Bohemian Caverns; and the Brazilian/Gypsy/folk group Veronneau hosts an exciting lineup of guests at Twins Jazz. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

cb picks:

• Arturo Sandoval, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Veronneau, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Gregoire Maret, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
• Jazz Jam, Ulah Bistro, 11 p.m.

Jackie Hairston Trio w/Wade Beach, 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, Jackie Hairston will lead a slightly tweaked version of the classic, hard-swinging organ quartet format that became a jazz staple in the 1960s. The group is rounded out by Michael Hairston on saxophone, Leon Alexander on drums and the wild card: Wade Beach on piano. $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

Jacqui Simmons Trio, Sala Thai (Rhode Island Ave.), 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 (Petworth), 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

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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Veronneau, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | With a two-acoustic-guitar lineup and a strong siren out front in vocalist Lynn Véronneau, the band’s music hopscotches between Brazilian, gipsy jazz and Appalachian folk. Their first two albums were breakout successes, landing near the top of various jazz and world music radio charts. At Twins they’re celebrating the release of their new EP of Christmas tunes, Snow Time. And they’re joined by a handful of wind-instrumentalist guests that will give the band a few new dimensions: Kim Macari on trumpet, Riley Stone-Lonergan on saxophone and the widely respected harmonica player William Galison, who has played with Ivan Neville, Chaka Khan and Madeleine Peyroux, to name a few. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Arturo Sandoval, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Arturo Sandoval, a spirited and technically stunning trumpet player, played for a while in the 1970s with the legendary Afro-Cuban ensemble Irakere and moved on to a preeminent solo career. Renowned for his velocity and precision in the upper register, he also treats ballads with well-timed tenderness. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $45 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Sharón Clark, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | The vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s one of D.C.’s top jazz singers. Here she appears with spare, piano-bass backing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Madison website

Grégoire Maret, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Grégoire Maret, the most talked-about jazz harmonica player to come along in years, hails from Switzerland, though his mother is originally from Harlem. He boasts a contemporary sensibility and swift dexterity on the instrument; sweetness runs thick on jazz harmonica, but his crisp swing adds some necessary pepper. Here he’s joined at the Caverns by a band that includes the pianist Federico González Peña (also featured on his 2012 debut album) and the drummer Sean Rickman. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian 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

Antonio Parker Quartet, 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

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

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

U St. Jazz Jam, 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 saxophonist Herb Scott helms the proceedings. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7

cb picks:

• NPR’s ‘A Jazz Piano Christmas,’ Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
• Arturo Sandoval, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Veronneau, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Sofia Rei, Artisphere, 8 p.m.
• Gregoire Maret, 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

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

District Jazz Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | A self-described “cool swinging jazz trio,” the District Jazz Trio is saxophonist Seth Popkin, pianist Dan Nathan and bassist Roger Rosa. The group plays jazz standards. 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

Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Rhode Island Ave.), 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

NPR’s ‘A Jazz Piano Christmas,’ Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | The presumption of giving you exactly what you want can jam up the gears on Christmas concerts that seem to have all the right components. Not so with NPR’s “A Jazz Piano Christmas,” an annual tradition at the Kennedy Center that includes four under-appreciated iconoclasts of the piano, and gives them relatively free rein. This year’s lineup spotlights Michele Rosewoman, who blends avant-garde jazz, hard-bop, funk and Afro-Cuban music; Andy Bey, a pianist and vocalist whose dark-molasses baritone represents mirth and perspective; Stanley Cowell, a premier pianist who since the 1970s has helped expand the harmonics and disposition of straight-ahead jazz; and Sullivan Fortner, a young New Orleans native whose work with the Roy Hargrove Quintet is earning him a strong reputation. Two separate shows at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $55 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center website

Lori Williams, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Madison website

Veronneau, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | With a two-acoustic-guitar lineup and a strong siren out front in vocalist Lynn Véronneau, the band’s music hopscotches between Brazilian, gipsy jazz and Appalachian folk. Their first two albums were breakout successes, landing near the top of various jazz and world music radio charts. At Twins they’re celebrating the release of their new EP of Christmas tunes, Snow Time. And they’re joined by a handful of wind-instrumentalist guests that will give the band a few new dimensions: Kim Macari on trumpet, Riley Stone-Lonergan on saxophone and the widely respected harmonica player William Galison, who has played with Ivan Neville, Chaka Khan and Madeleine Peyroux, to name a few. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Arturo Sandoval, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Arturo Sandoval, a spirited and technically stunning trumpet player, played for a while in the 1970s with the legendary Afro-Cuban ensemble Irakere and moved on to a preeminent solo career. Renowned for his velocity and precision in the upper register, he also treats ballads with well-timed tenderness. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $45 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Sofia Rei, Artisphere, 8 p.m. | Sofia Rei, the Grammy-nominated Argentine vocalist and composer, casts a humid and full-throated spell over her music, which encompasses Afro-Peruvian folk rhythms and romantic Spanish ballads. Tickets $18. View event on calendar | Artisphere website

Grégoire Maret, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 p.m. | Grégoire Maret, the most talked-about jazz harmonica player to come along in years, hails from Switzerland, though his mother is originally from Harlem. He boasts a contemporary sensibility and swift dexterity on the instrument; sweetness runs thick on jazz harmonica, but his crisp swing adds some necessary pepper. Here he’s joined at the Caverns by a band that includes the pianist Federico González Peña (also featured on his 2012 debut album) and the drummer Sean Rickman. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian 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

Donald Tillery Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | No description available. $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

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, DECEMBER 8

cb picks:

• Bill Cole New Trio, 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

Jazz Brunch, Acadiana, 11 a.m. | Performer TBA. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website

George Oakley Group, Redwood Restaurant, 11 a.m. | George Oakley invests all the reeds he plays – saxophone, clarinet and flute – with a whispering coolness. In this weekly brunch gig, he performs with a laid-back trio featuring Scott Giambusso on bass and Nick Lipkowski on guitar. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Redwood 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

Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, Strathmore Mansion, 3, 5 & 7 p.m. | Every Monday evening, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra fills D.C.’s premier jazz club with warmth, bodies and blaring brass. The 17-piece swing big band boasts a repertoire that ranges from Count Basie to John Coltrane to originals by the band members. Some truly excellent soloists strengthen the big band’s nimble arrangements. For this special Christmas concert, the group ventures to the Strathmore Mansion for three Sunday-evening sets at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Tickets $25. View event on calendar | Strathmore website

D.C. Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6:30 p.m. | The D.C. 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

D.C. Jazz Loft, Union Arts, 7 p.m. | For this month’s installation of the D.C. Jazz Loft, CapitalBop returns with three local musicians who are on the cusp of something new, each in their own way. We have the pianist Noble Jolley, leading his quartet; the avant-garde saxophonist Jamal Moore, one of D.C.’s more under-sung talents and the strong trumpeter Joe Brotherton with his new TelescopiX project. $15 suggested donation, no minimum. View event on calendar | Union Arts website

Bill Cole New Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | Bill Cole has been redefining the border between jazz and world music since the early 1970s, when he began playing a variety of East Asian double-reed horns. Today, he carries on the legacy of Yusef Lateef, Ken McIntyre and many others who have used such instruments to expand their idiom. Here he performs in a new, fat-trimmed trio format: Cole on didgeridoo and Asian double reed horns, Ras Moshe on tenor saxophone and flute, and Shayna Dulberger on bass. The concert is part of Transparent Productions’ “Sundays at 7 at the Caverns” series. Two separate sets at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. [words by Luke Stewart & Giovanni Russonello] 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

Arturo Sandoval, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Arturo Sandoval, a spirited and technically stunning trumpet player, played for a while in the 1970s with the legendary Afro-Cuban ensemble Irakere and moved on to a preeminent solo career. Renowned for his velocity and precision in the upper register, he also treats ballads with well-timed tenderness. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $45 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Redwine Jazz Band, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The clarinetist Ben Redwine plays a combination of early jazz and other popular music from the same era. He’s joined in the Redwine Jazz Band by the guitarist Tom Mitchell and the bassist John Previti. Two separate sets at 8 and 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

Comments

comments