by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

In the shadows, it’s a banner weekend in D.C. for free jazz and the avant-garde. The saxophonist Odean Pope and the trumpeter Lewis “Flip” Barnes, both under-appreciated horn players, play on separate nights at Bohemian Caverns. And at Chief Ike’s on Sunday, the lovable Adams Morgan dive, a new monthly series begins in celebration of Sun Ra’s legacy.

In the straight-ahead camp, Tim Whalen’s septet of local stalwarts puts fulsome arrangements to work by famed jazz pianists. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29

cb picks:

• Tim Whalen Septet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Odean Pope, 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.

Bobby Felder, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | This weekend, D.C.’s so-called jazz church offers a rare showcase of big band music, when trombonist Bobby Felder leads his 15-piece group in an annual performance. The church’s music series began as an experiment over a decade ago, and continues today as one of Washington’s greatest weekly traditions. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. $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

Tim Whalen Septet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The agile and sturdy pianist Tim Whalen is also a talented arranger, composer and orchestrator. He appears here with a medium-sized group featuring some of D.C.’s best, who will play a post-bop-piano-focused repertoire: Whalen’s arrangements of works by the recently deceased Cedar Walton and Mulgrew Miller, plus Whalen himself. The band includes Joe Herrera on trumpet, Marty Nau on alto saxophone, Tedd Baker on tenor saxophone, Matthew Niess on trombone, Eliot Seppa on bass and David McDonald on drums. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $17 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Alex Bugnon, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Pianist Alex Bugnon is only one name on the extraordinarily long list of smooth jazz players who have become regulars on Blues Alley’s stage in recent years. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Alison Crockett, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | For those who have been following the jazz internet’s most popular – and circular – debate of the past two years, let’s put it to rest: #BAM exists. (That is, “Black American Music,” the big-tent term that Nicholas Payton coined as an alternative label for much contemporary jazz.) And it’s what Allison Crockett sings. She’s got the laggard rhythm of an Erykah Badu, the dance instinct of a Chaka Kahn, and the maverick relationship to the jazz canon of a Lizz Wright. Here she will be skewing straight-ahead, fronting a small combo featuring Chris Grasso on piano and James King on bass. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Madison website

Odean Pope, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Somewhere between the steely conviction of John Coltrane and the quaking tremolo of David Murray, you’ll find the Philadelphian tenor great Odean Pope. He blows the horn hard, drawing prismatic beams of sound. Pope spent two decades in the Max Roach Quartet, and now favors his own non-traditional formations; he leads a respected Saxophone Choir with a nine-piece saxophone section, and often performs in a stripped-down trio. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $20 cover in advance, $25 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, NOVEMBER 30

cb picks:

• Tim Whalen Septet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 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

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

Julian Hipkins, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | Julian Hipkins sings with a swinging flair and jaunty, deep voice that recalls Jimmy Rushing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Madison website

Tim Whalen Septet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The agile and sturdy pianist Tim Whalen is also a talented arranger, composer and orchestrator. He appears here with a medium-sized group featuring some of D.C.’s best, who will play a post-bop-piano-focused repertoire: Whalen’s arrangements of works by the recently deceased Cedar Walton and Mulgrew Miller, plus Whalen himself. The band includes Joe Herrera on trumpet, Marty Nau on alto saxophone, Tedd Baker on tenor saxophone, Matthew Niess on trombone, Eliot Seppa on bass and David McDonald on drums. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $17 cover, $10 minimum., Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The drummer Andrew Hare puts an ear for precision toward beats and swing feels that trace a narrative and provide an aerial lift. Here the percussionist and composer appears with a strong quartet: Tedd Baker on tenor saxophone, Mark Meadows on piano and Joe Bussey on bass. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Alex Bugnon, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Pianist Alex Bugnon is only one name on the extraordinarily long list of smooth jazz players who have become regulars on Blues Alley’s stage in recent years. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Matt Savage, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 p.m. | Jazz musicians talk a lot about the primacy of lived experience — you won’t get anywhere in music unless you’re expressing some more universal ideas through your song. Matt Savage could be an interesting case study: At 21, he’s lived a fair amount, but most of his years have been spent as a musical prodigy and pseudo-star; his lived experience all but revolves around his skill, his exceptionalism and expectations for future achievements. Savage’s playing is a tight-wound and studious, and his songwriting shows depth and wiliness, if not a lot of conversational sensitivity. $20 cover in advance, $25 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

Charlie Sayles & The Blues Disciples with Tony Fazio, 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 1

cb picks:

• Lewis ‘Flip’ Barnes’ Nemesis, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m.
• Anthony Pirog Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.
• The Joyful Noise, Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, 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. | 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

Lewis ‘Flip’ Barnes’ Nemesis, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | The trumpeter Lewis “Flip” Barnes, whose bluesy but sharp-edged sound has made up one-quarter of the esteemed William Parker Quartet for over a decade, here brings an unorthodox band of his own creation. Nemesis features four trumpeters from around the avant-garde jazz world, plus Barnes’ son on guitar. That’s it. The group explores free improvisation, overlapping hues of brass, and razor-like cacophony; it features Barnes, Roy Campbell, Jr., Ted Daniel and Matt Lavelle on trumpets, and Asim Barnes on guitar. 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

Alex Bugnon, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Pianist Alex Bugnon is only one name on the extraordinarily long list of smooth jazz players who have become regulars on Blues Alley’s stage in recent years. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Anthony Pirog Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The guitarist Anthony Pirog’s music runs the gamut from post-bop to electric fusion to ambient soundscapes. You’ve got the ideas of M83, Allan Holdsworth and Bill Frisell all vying for space. With a trio, Pirog pries away at the rhythmic logic of small-group jazz, wielding a battery of effects pedals and a patient improvisatory instinct. 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

The Joyful Noise, Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, 9 p.m. | Sun Ra holds a distinctly inclusive place in jazz lore, one that seems almost limitless in its ability to transcend. From playing piano for Fletcher Henderson to stretching the possibilities of free improvisation and electric instrumentation, he became a poster musician for the liberated mind. In the first installment of “Sun Ra Sundays,” a new monthly series at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, the Joyful Noise – a quartet of outré improvisers featuring Aaron Martin and Jamal Moore on saxophones, Luke Stewart on bass and Warren “Trae” Crudup III on drums – will explore Ra’s legacy. $5 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Chief Ike’s website

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