15th DC Jazz Festival Has Perhaps Strongest Lineup Yet

 Jon Batiste

This is a preview of this year's DC Jazz Festival that I wrote up for the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 383). The Festival has its prelude next week with free programs at the Phillips Collection Museum on Saturday and Sunday June 1 and 2. Since I wrote this there has been additional information on acts performing and the cheduloe for clubs and more. As I state at the bottom of this preview, I recommend you check their wonderful website (dcjazzfest.org).

Celebrating its 15th year in the District of Columbia, the Dc Jazz Festival will present hundreds of Jazz artists at venues throughout the District of Columbia including The Wharf in Southwest DC, the Kennedy Center, Hamilton Live, City Winery, the Phillips Collection, clubs, and theaters. The Festival runs from June 9 to June 16.

Jose James

Among the signature events of the Festival will be "DC JazzFest at The Wharf" presented by Events DC (June 14-16) featuring four main stages. Artists appearing will include: Snarky Puppy, Lean on Me: Jose James Celebrates Bill Withers, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Brass-A-Holics, Michael Franks, Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers & Gregory Hutchinson, Joey Alexander Trio, Ralph Peterson & GenNext Big Band (honoring the Art Blakey Centennial), 2018 DCJazzPrix winning band Cornerstore, Tarus Mateen, and an International Jazz Stage featuring saxophonist Evan Harris (Australia), El Violin Latino (Luxembourg), Witness Matlou Trio (South Africa), with much more. The performances by Snarky Puppy and Jose James are a ticketed event at the Anthem on Friday, June 14 and the performances by Jon Batiste & Stay Human, and The Brassaholics is another ticketed event at The Anthem on Saturday, June 15. The other performances on stages at The Wharf are free.

Snarky Puppy

The Kennedy Center will be hosting several events at this year's Festival. The free Millennium Stage performances during the Festival June 9-16 will celebrate the centennial of Nat King Cole and feature singing piano players in the Cole tradition. On June 9 the Festival will present "Celebrating Randy Weston" at the Kennedy Center. It will feature pianists Marc Cary, and Rodney Kendrick joined by three members of Weston’s acclaimed African Rhythms band: bassist Alex Blake, saxophonist TK Blue, and African percussionist Neil Clarke. Festival Musical Director Willard Jenkins stated "“I had the distinct honor of co-writing Randy Weston’s autobiography, African Rhythms, and can guarantee the evening will be a joyous celebration of his rich, peerless artistry." On June 16, the Festival presents "Great Masters of Jazz, the final party of the 15th Anniversary DC JazzFest presented by Events DC. It will be a musical celebration of the life and work of the iconic legend Quincy Jones; the highly influential song stylist Nancy Wilson; the trailblazing trumpeter-bandleader Roy Hargrove, and DC’s own peerless pianist-vocalist Shirley Horn, in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Featured performers and presenters include the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Patti Austin, Justin Kauflin, Adam Clayton Powell III, Congressman John Lewis, Angela Stribling, Sharón Clark, and a raft of very special guests to be announced.

Sharón Clark

Among clubs presenting performances during the Festival, The Hamilton Live kicks off the first weekend with the Anat Cohen Quartet (Friday, June 7); and the celebrated Ethiopian pianist-accordionist-bandleader Hailu Mergia (Sunday, June 9), serving up African Jazz meets Afro-Pop. City Winery kicks off their DC JazzFest dates with the compelling crossover sounds of SPAGA (Wednesday, June 12), the latest project from the fertile mind of pianist Aron Magner. Trinidadian trumpeter, Etienne Charles Creole Soul brings his striking, island-proud, big fun-inspiring sounds on Thursday, June 13.

Anat Cohen

These venues are part of the annual "Jazz in the ‘Hoods Presented by Events DC" (June 6-16) where jazz takes over the district in 20+ neighborhoods with presentations curated by Jazz in The Hoods partners. Artists and schedule will be on the Festival website. DC JazzFest presents renowned artists in settings throughout the capital city. The artsy H Street NE community hosts performances in the Atlas Performing Arts Center and Gallery O/H with Mr. Henry's nearby on Capitol Hill offering jazz and good neighborhood conversation. In Southeast's historic and artsy Anacostia, performances are offered through the East River JAZZFest including Anacostia's Busboys and Poets and Anacostia Playhouse; and Ivy City, a tiny Northeast enclave experiencing a renaissance, includes City Winery and Ivy City Smokehouse on the schedule. Lively, diverse and laid-back, Northwest DC is home to the Takoma, Dupont Circle, Downtown, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Logan Circle, Van Ness, and U Street neighborhoods with a plethora of diverse venues including The Hamilton Live, Ben's Next Door, Ashbury United Methodist Church, Kreeger Museum, Brixton, Eaton Workshop, Sotto, Twins Jazz, UDC, Acadia Foods and Wine, Franklin Park, and Rhizome.

Ralph Peterson & GenNext Big Band

A prelude to the Festival, "Jazz ‘n Families Fun Days" (Prelude Weekend, June 1-2) is held in partnership with The Phillips Collection, this celebrates jazz and the visual arts with performances by more than a dozen regional artists and rising star ensembles.

The DC Jazz Festival presents world-renowned and emerging artists in celebration of jazz; unify diverse communities and enable connections between artists and audiences; advance jazz and music education with exciting, adventurous and diverse musical experiences for all ages and backgrounds; shine the spotlight on DC-based jazz musicians; and highlight DC as a premier cultural destination. Its signature programs are the annual DC JazzFest, now in its 15th year with 150 performances in 40 venues including Jazz in the Hoods and DC JazzFest at The Wharf; the year-round DCJF Music Education Program in partnership with DC public and charter schools; the Charlies Fishman Artist Embassy Series; and DCJazzPrix, and an international band competition. The DC Jazz Festival won the 2018 DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence on Creative Industries. In 2015, The New York Times named DC JazzFest one of “50 Essential Summer Festivals.”

For more information including more on performers and schedules, and visitors information visit dcjazzfest.org. One can follow the Festival on social media. Keep up with the DCJF: Twitter: @dcjazzfest; Facebook: facebook.com/dcjazzfest; Instagram: @dcjazzfest.

DC Jazz Festival Picks for June 2

Herman Burney

This is the second post I am making to highlight some of the shows associated with this year’s DC Jazz Festival. I am specifically not highlighting the DC JazzLoft Fest since I have posted on this already. I will may also pick a few other shows around the DC Virginia area that should not be overlooked. I am posting this a day ahead of the date of performances.

The Phillips Collection, the prestigious modern art museum near Dupont Circle hosts the first of two Jazz 'n Families Fun Days. Included today are a performance at noon by the Herman Burney Trio. Burney is one the area’s most accomplished players of the double bass. At 2PM, Victor Provost will lead his group on the steel pan. He has an excellent recent album, Her Favorite Shade of Yellow. DC Native Brian Settles is scheduled at 3:30PM and this saxophonist has received considerable acclaim from his recording Secret Handshake.

Michael Bowie

Trombonist Reginald Cyntje performs at the Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique at 4:00 PM. This is part of the East River Jazz Festival that is part of DC Jazz Festival. This trombonist has a wonderful album, Freedom's Children: The Celebration.

Michael Bowie and Sine Qua Non appears at the Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique at 8:00PM. Bowie is another of the DC area’s most accomplished bass players. Capital Bop conducted an interview with Bowie where he talks at length about this group.“The five-piece applies specific lessons from Spanish classical guitar music to an unorthodox jazz combo setting — notably, one without a guitarist.” For the full interview go to Capital Bop’s website.

The legendary bassist Ron Carter at the Bohemian Gardens for the second of two nights at this legendary DC club. Ron Carter may have recorded more than any bass player in history (he is on over 2000 albums) who first came to notice as part of the last great Miles Davis Quintet, and recorded with Eric Dolphy, Esther Phillips, Freddie Hubbard, Gil Evans and countless others.

For more information visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/content.cfm/schedule_and_major_events.

Capital Bop's DC Jazz Loft Series Needs Your Kickstart

I highlighted the upcoming DC Jazz Festival back in late April. Well the Festival starts in two weeks from today. One of the events associated with the Festival is the DC Jazz Loft Series that is being produced by the website Capital Bop, one of the DC area’s prime sources for what is happening jazz wise. Additionally they produce regular jazz loft shows highly upcoming performers and performers who have their own highly original approach to America’s musical art form.

To quote Luke Stewart and Giovanni Russonello, “We run CapitalBop.com, a website dedicated to promoting the city’s jazz scene by providing full-press coverage and by putting on concerts. … Since December 2010, we’ve been organizing D.C. Jazz Loft shows to spotlight this city’s vast and varied jazz talent in low-frills, exciting settings.” With respect to the DC Jazz Loft series, “[W]e’re proud to announce our return to the DC Jazz Festival for the second annual D.C. Jazz Loft Series. At three exciting shows next month, we’ll be presenting a tenacious argument for the relevance and power of contemporary jazz, and we'll be doing it at engaging, community-oriented venues." The shows at this year’s Jazz Loft series are:

June 1 // Todd Marcus Jazz Ensemble with D.C.'s Christie Dashiell Quartet, live at the Dunes. Baltimore’s Todd Marcus is among the few who specialize in the bass clarinet and is scheduled to lead his nine-piece ensemble headlining this show. Capital Bop notes that he leads a nine piece ensemble. “Thankfully, both Marcus’s oddball instrumentalism and his offbeat ensemble are astonishingly strong, modern and infectious. Few people improvise with more fervor or write music better than he does.” Opening will be vocalist Christie Dashiell featuring the former member of Howard University’s famed acapella group Afro-Blue. she’ll she’ll lead her own quartet through a blend of original compositions, and covers of jazz and pop songs.


June 2 // Tarbaby (Orrin Evans, Nasheet Waits and Eric Revis) with D.C.'s Kris Funn & Corner Store, live at the Fridge. Tarbaby is a jazz supergroup on a mission. Featuring pianist Orrin Evans (leader of the acclaimed Captain Black Big Band), bassist Eric Revis (a longtime collaborator with Branford Marsalis and a strong bandleader) and drummer Nasheet Waits (who performs with Jason Moran, among other greats), this band is uncompromisingly experimental and unabashedly outspoken. Opening will be bassist Kris Funn & Corner Store. Funn is currently a member of Christian Scott’s touring band, Corner Store, also features drummer Quincy Phillips of the Roy Hargrove Quintet. The band debuted at a jam-packed D.C. Jazz Loft where they “burned the house down, with Funn’s blues-battered bass lines, rocking originals, and dramatically danceable revisions of John Coltrane and Sam Cooke tunes taking center stage.”

June 9 // Jazz Loft MegaFest, feat. Marc Cary's Cosmic Indigenous with Lenny Robinson's Mad Curious and Elijah Jamal Balbed/Tarus Mateen/Lee Pearson II, live at the loft at 629 New York Ave. NW. “The series will culminate in a daylong Jazz Loft MegaFest on Sat., June 9. This won’t be any old concert: From 3 p.m. till 2 a.m., you’ll be immersed in a marketplace of improvised sound, visual art, quality food, drinks and creativity. We’re converting a gorgeous loft space on New York Avenue ( into a pop-up shop, music venue, art gallery, movie theater, and – with assistance from the foodies at the Taste of DC – an eatery and bar, catered by some of the top restaurants in the District.

With respect to Mark Cary, “His latest project, Cosmic Indigenous, throws everything into a pot and turns up the heat to a boil. The quintet is devastatingly danceable, which distracts you from how much creativity is happening onstage: Cary plays keyboard and laptop music, Malian singer and dancer Awa Sangho croons and yowls, two percussionists interweave (Sameer Gupta on tabla and drums, and Daniel Moreno on Latin percussion) and trumpeter Igmar Thomas brings a punchy rhythmic sensitivity to his melodic improvisations.”

Drummer Lenny Robinson is a DC fixture who plays with precision and grace, even at the swiftest tempos – but he’s also attuned to the malleability of a cymbal, or a snare drum. In his trio, Mad Curious, Robinson is joined by two of the greatest musicians in D.C. jazz, saxophone searcher Brian Settles and star bassist Tarus Mateen.

Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed is a young gun who plays every note like he’s got something crucial to prove. He swings hard, and calls up the memory of his forebears in the music such as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. He will be accompanied by two veterans of the DC scene, bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Lee Pearson II.

This is quite a series of concerts and more that I highly recommend. Much of what I have taken is from Capital Bop’s own post on this series of shows, http://www.capitalbop.com/2012/04/25/announcing-this-years-d-c-jazz-loft-series-at-the-dc-jazz-fest-marc-cary-tarbaby-much-more/#ChristieDashiell. They have videos of several of the performers on that page. I am looking forward to attending a good portion of the performances at this year’s series. Tickets for the series can be purchased at the Capital Bop website.

Capital Bop is also engaged in a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to help produce this series. As I type this they still need to raise approximately 40% of their $4000 goal. I am one of those who are financially supporting this Kickstarter campaign and I encourage my fellow jazz lovers in the Washington DC area to show their support for the DC Jazz Loft Series, part of this year’s DC Jazz Festival. The Campaign is scheduled to end on May 31 at 11:00PM. Here is the link to the Kickstarter campaign, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/capitalbop/capitalbops-dc-jazz-loft-series-at-the-2012-dc-jaz.

DC Jazz Festival Brings 10 Days of Jazz To The Nation's Capital

Ron Carter

The 2012 DC Jazz Festival takes place in the Nation’s Capital June 1 and runs through June 10. The Festival this year will have a variety of signature programs including Jazz Meets the Classics at the Kennedy Center; Jazz in the ‘Hoods at a variety of clubs and museums, presented by Events DC; Jazz’‘n’ Families Fun Days at The Phillips Collection; Jazz at the Hamilton presented by The Washington Post; and Jazz at the Howard.

Jazz Meets the Classics, co-presented by the Kennedy Center on June 4th, will feature an all-star lineup performing unique and exciting jazz interpretations of works by Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Headlining the concert is the Classical Jazz Quartet, with NEA Jazz Masters bassist Ron Carter and pianist Kenny Barron, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and drummer Lewis Nash. Also headlining is NEA Jazz Master and 10-time Grammy Award-winner Paquito D’Rivera, joined by Spain’s Pepe Rivero Trio, Michael Phillip Mossman and Pernell Saturnino.

Lena Seikaly

The Jazz in the ‘Hoods program highlights the innovative CapitalBop D.C. Jazz Loft, Bohemian Caverns, and more than 80 performances at over 40 museums, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and galleries across the city with performers like Loide, Michael Thomas, Mark Prince, and Rodney Richardson with Lena Seikaly. The D.C. Jazz Loft Series, presented by Capital Bop, returns to spotlight some cutting edge music and will span 3 days including an all day manifest on June 9. Performers include Marc Cary’s Cosmic Indigenous; Tarbaby, featuring Orrin Evans, Nasheet Waits. Eric Revis; and the Todd Marcus Nonet. I will hopefully have a separate post on Capital Bop’s DC Jazz Loft Series separately.

Elijah Balbed

The free annual Jazz ‘n’ Families Fun Days at The Phillips Collection on Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd will treat families to performances from some of the finest musicians from around the region, including Marianne Solivan, Victor Provost, the Herman Burney Trio, and the Elijah Balbed Quartet. Jazz at the Hamilton, the Festival’s main venue, will feature 10 nights of performances with such noted artists as Randy Weston, Monty Alexander, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, David Sanchez, Les Nubians, Antonio Hart, Cyrus Chestnut, Jonathan Batiste, Ben Williams, Etienne Charles, John Scofield, Roberta Gambarini, and Marshall Keys.

Jimmy Heath

Jazz at the Howard celebrates the tradition of jazz in D.C. at the newly restored and reopened historic Howard Theatre. Headline artists include multiple Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves and famed Italian guitarist Pino Daniele. The Festival also hosts a performance by the dazzling clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, and six concerts co-presented by the Kennedy Center at the Millennium Stage featuring artists such as Malika Zara, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, and Origem.  There is plenty of terrific jazz in a variety of musical flavors for the casual and discerning music lover at the 2012 DC Jazz Festival.

Roy Hargrove

The DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) is the largest music festival in Washington, D.C. A project of Festivals DC, Ltd., a 501 © (3) non-profit organization, the DCJF is one of the most highly-anticipated cultural events in the nation’s capital. The DC Jazz Festival is sponsored in part with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information about the DC Jazz Festival and upcoming programs, visit www.dcjazzfest.org.

All photos © by Ron Weinstock

Butch Warren's French Album Debut

I have become aware that Butch Warren, a bassist who was a Washington native, who five decades ago was a vital part of the New York City and a regular on Blue Note album dates along with pianist Sonny Clark and drummer Billy Higgins (think about some sessions by Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Booker Ervin, Jackie McLean, Kenny Dorham and McCoy Tyner), was playing regularly in the area, although having a number of issues including spells of homelessness. Pianist Peter Edelman has been part of groups that featured Warren at Washington.

Giovanni Russonello, at the excellent DC jazz website, www.capitalbop.com had a review of several recent releases by DC area artists and Warren’s first date as a leader, French 5Tet (Black & Blue) was one of them. The album was a result of French saxophonist Pierrick Menuau, in Washington for a concert at the French Embassy, catching Warren playing at a club and then putting together a brief tour of France including a a public concert for Radio France that was broadcast and then issued on French 5Tet.

Menuau and Warren are joined on this recording by Jean-Phillipe Border on guitar, Pierre Christophe on piano and Mourad Behammou on drums. The recording has the same flavor as those classic Blue Note recodings warren was just a part of. it opens up with Warren’s bass on the original, A Little Chippie, before Menuau displays a strong fluid tenor sax style (and like Dexter Gordon inserting some musical quotations) followed by some fleet guitar as the rhythm section swings. Hank Mobley’s East of The Sun follows with nice cymbal work by Benhammou, and then the classic ballad Laura with more lovely tenor (Menuau perhaps sounding some like Long Tall Dexter).

There are three more Warren originals and one might wonder whether the performances titled I Remember Monk and Eric Walks are correctly titled. The tune labelled I Remember Monk is somewhat suggestive to these ears of Mingus’ So Long Eric, while Eric Walks is a swinging performance that kicks off with terrific guitar before another nice sax solo.  Really nice sax in the vein of Booker Ervin on I Remember Monk. I enjoyed the other original, Barack Obama, apparently a more recent composition of Warren with a samba tinge. Giovanni Russelonello was disappointed in the performance, and references a performance by Warren with a group that included pianist Freddie Redd (another Blue Note legend) and drummer Nasar Abadey, noting “With a talented three-saxophone line carrying Barack Obama’s melody, the band sauntered and flowed, swinging deeply and proudly through the brief “B” section.” I certainly appreciate Russenello’s perspective and one certainly echoes his hope that Warren have a chance to record it again. It was Kenny Dorham who took Warren out of Washington and to New York and after a brief statement of The Theme, the 5Tet concludes with the classic Blue Bossa, another classic Warren played on the original. This is a thoroughly enjoyable recording and it is worth seeking out. It certainly is heartening that it is available and perhaps a domestically produced follow-up will be coming shortly.


The Capital Bop review is at http://www.capitalbop.com/2011/05/12/album-review-the-debut-of-a-legend-butch-warrens-french-5tet/. Information on ordering can be found at http://concertsonthehill.info/bw/index.html and for US orders, $18.00. One can send payment through PayPal to the address concertsonthehill@gmail.com. One can also send email questions to that address and request an invoice and it is available at amazon but perhaps through the same source.


As a bonus from youtube, here is Butch Warren and his French FTet performing Blue Bossa, from his tour of France.

Capital Bop will be presenting The DC JazzLoft series as part of the upcoming DC Jazz Festival, http://www.capitalbop.com/dcjazzloft/ which folks can support through Kickstarter, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/capitalbop/capitalbops-dc-jazz-loft-series-at-the-dc-jazz-fes.

7th DC Jazz Festival Will Be Musical Feast

Eddie Palmieri will be leading an All-Star Salsa Orchestra at the Sylvan Theater
near the Washington Monument at this Year's DC Jazz Festival on Sunday June 12.

The Seventh Annual DC Jazz Festival (formerly the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival) kicks off June 1 and continues through June 13 with more than 100 performances and programs at nearly 50 venues across the city, including the a day-long concert near the Washington Monument on the National Monument, and a Kennedy Center concert spotlighting New Orleans and the HBO television show, Tremé.  Headliners for this year’s festival include multiple Grammy Award winners Bobby McFerrin, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Latin Jazz legend Eddie Palmieri, as well as the legendary Heath Brothers, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Quartet featuring pianist Cyrus Chestnut, saxophonists Antonio Hart and JD Allen, and Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña.

Donald Harrison is part of the DC Jazz Festival's
presentation of "A Night in Treme"
at the Kennedy Center on June 13.

New Orleans (NOLA) will again have prominence at this year's festival. The Brass-A-Holics, NOLA's newest hip, hot and happening sensation will perform at both Maison Francaise at the Embassy of France (on Friday June 3), and LIV (Saturday, June 4), the upstairs club at Bohemian Caverns. And, concluding the festival, the DCJF and the Kennedy Center will present “A Night in Treme: The Musical Majestry of New Orleans” with the star of HBO's hit mini-series, “Treme,” Wendell Pierce, the Rebirth Brass Band, master clarinetist Dr. Michael White, funky trombonist Big Sam Williams, and trumpeter James Andrews, under the musical direction of saxophonist Donald Harrison. “A Night in Treme” will be at the Kennedy Center on Monday, June 13. 

Among other featured concerts, Bobby McFerrin, will be performing from his latest recording, “VOCAbuLarieS,” with Howard University's Afro Blue Reunion Choir on Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m at the Warner Theater.  Sunday, June 12 at 1;00PM, “Jazz on the National Mall” returns with with free performances from Frédéric Yonnet, Claudia Acuña, Roy Hargrove & the RH Factor, Tobe Foyeh and the Eddie Plamieri All-Star Salsa Orchestra.

On Friday June 4 and 5, the Festival once again holds “Jazz 'N Families Fun Days At The Phillips Collection." It will be a celebration of the synergy between jazz and the visual arts.  “Jazz ‘N’ Families Fun Days” features some of the finest jazz musicians from around the region.  Fun-filled activities for kids include story-telling, hands-on art workshops, and an instrument petting zoo.  In the galleries, art inspires musical interpretation as musicians interpret art through improvised sound.  The line-up for Saturday June 4 includes the Capital Focus Jazz Band, Herman Burney Trio, Jess Righthand Trio, Victor Provist Trio, David Schuman and Michael Bowie and Sine Qua Non String Quartet. The line-up for Sunday June 5 includes Vince Evans, Lavenia Smith, James King Quartet, Susan Priester and Jamal Brown.

“Jazz in the ‘Hoods” presented by Washington Convention and Sports Authority, which includes performances at more than 30 venues, including museums, restaurants and clubs across the city. The famed Bohemian Gardens will host performances by Cyrus Chestnut with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Quintet on June 3 and 4, Antonio Hart on June 8 and 9 and The Heath Brothers on June 10 and 11.

Nasar Abadey and Supernova are among the performers in the Jazz in the ‘Hoods' series

There are numerous other performances. For example on the Festival’s opening night, Wednesday June 1, Elijah Jamal Balbed & The Po' Boys, featuring a highly touted young saxophonist is featured at the Bayou near the Foggy Bottom Metro station. They are also at the Bayou several other nights. Thursday, June 2, DC Choro, rooted in the Brazilian musical tradition, is at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Friday, June 3, Mark Prince and Aqua Leo is at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Gallery while the Jolley Brothers are B.Smith’s at Union Station (also Saturday and Sunday for Brunch). Saturday, June 4, Akua Allrich is at Twins. Sunday June 5, and Allen Harris ius at the Islander. Nasar Abadey and Supernova is at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Dc Choro is at Grill from Ipanema, and the Brass-a-holics are at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

Monday June 6, the Peter Edelman Quartet is at Tryst while Tuesday June 7, Brad Linde Quartet featuring Sarah Hughes are at Twins, and on Wednesday June 8, Paul Piper & Bill Heid are at Utopia Bar & Grill. Thursday, June 9, Sara Jones & Um Novo Tempo is at Grill from Ipanema. Friday, June 10, Kenia Ashby & Origem is at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage while vocalist Lena Seikaly is at the Mandorin Oriental. Saturday, June 11 the Charles Woods Quartet is at Johnny’s Half Shell, while bluesman Anthony ‘Swampdog’ Clark is at the Bayou and Elijah Jamal Balbed along with the JD Allen Trio are at Subterranean A. Sunday, June 12, Leni Stern is at Bossa Bistro, and Wayne Willentz & Jim West is at the Utopia Bar and Grill.  

For more information on the DC Jazz Festival, visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org. For the schedule (which will be updated with more club information) visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/content.cfm/schedule_and_major_events.

Early June Promises Great Jazz & Blues In And Around the Nation's Capital

Living around Washington DC, I felt it appropriate to note some really great events around Washington, the beginning of June.

July 3 to 6, the Western Maryland Blues Festival returns to Hagerstown (July 3-6) with a Hamilton Loomis and Bernard Allison on Friday June 4; Kenny Neal, Eric Liddell, Trombone Shorty, Michael Burks and Tommy Castro on Saturday June 5; and a family Picnic with Eden Brent and Corey Harris & Phil Wiggins on Sunday June 6. The shows take place downtown Hagerstown, Maryland except the Sunday picnic at City Hall Park. For more information, check out http://www.blues-fest.org.

The DC Jazz Festival (formerly the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival) returns to the Nation’s capital with events taking place between June 1 and June 13. The Festival will have concerts through the city as well as partner with clubs and museums for various events. There will be stellar line-up of talent from around the globe including such celebrated artists as Paquito D’Rivera; Dianne Reeves; the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band; the Roy Hargrove Big Band; James Moody; Claudio Roditi; Edmar Castaneda; Michael Philip Mossman; Akua Dixon and Quartette Indigo; the Berklee World Jazz Nonet; Roberta Gambarini; the Marshall Keys Quartet; the Marian Petrescu Quartet featuring Andreas Öberg; Tony Madruga, Uri Gurvich; and many others.

Among signature performances will be Janine Gill at the Phillips Collection on June 3 for a special Phillips Collection After 5. June 4, as part of the Jazz in the Hoods will feature Trumpeter Thad Wilson at the Madison Hotel; the Felicia Carter Quartet at the Mandarin Oriental; and Stanley Clarke with Hiromi at Blues Alley. June 6 and 7 will be Jazz’n’Families Fun Day at the Phillips Collection with featured performers including the Berklee World Jazz Nonet, Brad Lind, George V. Johnson, Janelle Gill, Reginald Cyntje, the DC Jazz Collaborative, Susan Priester, and Victor Provost, as one can listen to jazz and view Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, Marc Rothko, and many others. Tuesday, June 8, the Festival presents A Tribute to Oscar Peterson at the 6th and I Historic Synagogue by Marian Petrescu Quartet w/ Special Guest Andreas Oberg. Thursday, June 10th will be one of the signature events at the Lincoln Theater, NEA Jazz Masters Live Concert with All-Star tribute to James Moody featuring the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, and special guests Regina Carter, Roy Hargrove, Roberta Gambarini & NEA Jazz Masters Kenny Barron and Paquito D’Rivera. Friday, June 11 will feature Jazz Under the Stars at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre with some great latin jazz including the world - renowned Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band and Colombian Jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda, with special guest Paquito D’ Rivera. Saturday June 12, they highlight will be two shows at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium: a free afternoon show with Claudio Roditi Quartet (Brazil) & the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band and and an ticketed evening show with Dianne Reeves and the Roy Hargrove Big Band, with special guest Roberta Gambarini. On Sunday, the signature Festival event will be two performances at the Kennedy Center, Paquito D’Rivera Presents The Jelly Roll Morton Latin Tinge Project with Paquito D’Rivera, Michael Philip Mossman, Akua Dixon & Quartette Indigo and Pernell Santurino. Pat Martino is at Blues Alley and the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars with Cryus Chestnutt, are at Bohemian Gardens this weekend part of the many shows under the Jazz in the Hoods umbrella For more information, contact the Festival’s website, http://www.dcjazzfest.org.

That same weekend, the Washington area hosts the Tinner Hill Blues Festival in Falls Church, Virginia. Thursday night, June 10, at the State Theatre in Falls Church the Festival opens with Chuck Brown Sings The Blues, where the King of Go Go will join the stage with DC’s Blues Legend Bobby Parker. Nadine Rae will open. Other vents include a panel on Saturday Morning, June 12, at City Hall Park, near the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, Red, Black and Blues: Native Americans, African Americans and their shared blues musical traditions with Dr. Ron Welburn, Elaine Bomberry, Pura Fe. Lee Gates, Murray Porter and Corey Harris. Starting at 1:00PM will be a free festival in the Park with Patty Reese; M.S.G. The Acoustic Trio; Murray Porter; Corey Harris & Phil Wiggins; Big Daddy Stallings, Pura Fe and Clarence ‘Bluesman‘ Turner. There will be showings of the film “John Jackson: A Blues Treasure” and a cd release party for the Smithsonian-Folkways release of John Jackson’s Rappahannock Blues, culled from hundreds of performances. Sunday, June 13 will be a Blues Brunch and Jam at Bangkok Blues. For more information visit, http://www.tinnerhill.org/blues.