4.4-4.6: Mining the divide between art forms, plus two great jazz vocalists -

Two bands arrive this weekend hawking their own ideas about the close relationship between jazz and hip-hop. On Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns, the trumpeter Russell Gunn teams up with Dionne Farris, a well-known hip-hop and soul singer. (Read our interview with Gunn here.) And on Saturday at the Kennedy Center, the Revive Big Band performs as part of the One Mic: Hip-Hop Worldwide festival.

For fans of jazz vocalists, there are two very different performances to choose from in the Maryland suburbs: On Friday, Cécile McLorin-Salvant, the jazz tradition’s greatest young advocate and apostle, performs at the Montpelier Arts Center. On Sunday, the uncategorizable Buika brings her mix of Flamenco, West African music and jazz. You can also find our full listings at CapitalBop’s D.C. jazz calendar. All our favorite shows below have a label. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, APRIL 4

cb picks:

Bobby Sanabria: Jazz Edcuation Workshop, American History Museum, 1:30 p.m.
Airmen of Note, American History Museum, 3 p.m.
Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché, American History Museum, 6 p.m.
Marshall Keys, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m.
Cécile McLorin-Salvant, Montpelier Arts Center, 8 p.m.
Russell Gunn & Dionne Farris, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
U St. Jazz Jam, Dukem, 11 p.m.

Terell Stafford & Monk Institute Students, Dept. of Education, 11:30 a.m. | The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, among the country’s top farmsteads for young musical talent, holds onto some dear principles about jazz’s sometimes-contradictory place in our national identity: The music teaches us about democracy and cooperation, reminds us of the difficulties that Blacks and other minorities have always suffered in this country, and symbolizes a meritocracy. Both the music and the message will be on display at this event, billed as a “live jazz informance.” It features performances and discussion with Terell Stafford, a star trumpeter and educator, as well as current students in the organization’s National Performing Arts High School Program. Free, but RSVP required (to [email protected]). View event on calendar | Event website

Bobby Sanabria: Jazz Education Workshop, American History Museum, 1:30 p.m. | The percussionist Bobby Sanabria is among the most respected Latin jazz musicians of his time; he’s also a remarkable educator, passionate and learned about the interwoven threads of North and South American history, and how they helped produce Afro-Cuban music. (His three-CD educational set, The Journey, proves his ken.) Here he leads an educational workshop on Latin jazz. Free. View event on calendar | Museum website

Airmen of Note, American History Museum, 3 p.m. | The National Museum of American History celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with free performances every Friday afternoon. This week, the Airmen of Note — the Air Force’s big bang — performs its repertoire, ranging from classic mid-20th-century music (think Glenn Miller) to more contemporary jazz. The band is buoyed by a few especially strong improvisers, including Tedd Baker on tenor saxophone and David McDonald on drums. Free. View event on calendar | Museum website

Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché, American History Museum, 6 p.m. | After leading an educational workshop at 1:30 p.m., the renowned Afro-Cuban percussionist Bobby Sanabria performs here with his Quarteto Aché. The group is named for a force that, according to Nigeria’s Yoruba religion (which thrives today in Cuba as well), connotes the spiritual power to effect change. Sanabria’s group has its own kind of musical life force, no doubt: It’s in the clopping weave that its combination of piano, bass, saxophone and percussion create, and in Sanabria’s folkloric chants — full up with verve and wisdom. Free. View event on calendar | Museum website

Marshall Keys, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | The alto saxophonist Marshall Keys presents a group of musicians here from various generations, with the goal to collectively celebrate the spirit of soul. He plays melodic lines that dance like Maceo Parker’s, and his band-leading is in the same vein as that of classic soul patriarchs with a focus on groove. Joining him will be the trombonist Greg Boyer, the pianist Mark Meadows, the bassist Herman Burney, the drummer Keith Kilgo, and even the tap dancer Jason Holley. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. [words by Allen Jones] View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Charles Rahmat Woods Duo, Firelake Grill, 7 p.m. | The saxophonist Charles Woods plays in both free and straight-ahead jazz styles, but for his regular gig leading a low-key duo at Firelake Grill, he keeps things within the traditional, swinging realm. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Firelake Grill 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

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

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

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

Cheikh Ndoye & Friends, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Cheikh Nduye is a percussive, melodic bass player who keeps the lines down low. He brings a distinctive band that features the violinist Karen Briggs, the guitarists Dan Leonard and Kazumi Watanabe, the drummer Raul Pineda and the pianist Arshak Sirunyan. They play a mixture of different grooves with shifting instrumental textures. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $37.75 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. [words by Allen Jones] View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Diane Marino Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | The vocalist Diane Marino sings jazz standards with a pert, effervescent manner. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $18 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Claudia Gargiulo, Loews Madison Hotel, 8 p.m. | No description available. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Loews website

Cécile McLorin-Salvant, Montpelier Arts Center, 8 p.m. | The vocalist Cecile McLorin-Salvant, winner of the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, has a broad voice and an almost theatrically precise articulation. She treats jazz history with a venerating but investigative rapture, and her repertoire ranges from obscure covers to original compositions. Even on the latter, she bears the strong imprimatur of her influences. What’s remarkable is not her ability to make them feel new, but her ability to make herself float above time. Tickets $30. View event on calendar | Montpelier website

Russell Gunn & Dionne Farris, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The power and control that Russel Gunn commands with his horn makes him an excellent choice to lead a band alongside the famed soul vocalist Dionne Farris. The pair will play music from their Farris’ latest release titled “Dionne Get Your Gunn”. Gunn has always pushed the envelope with his ideas of how a jazz album can sound; combine the charming Farris and her diverse repertoire and you are left with a beautiful blend of musical color. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $20 cover online, $25 at the door, no minimum. [words by Allen Jones] 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

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | The alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is doggedly swinging, soulful and 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

Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 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, Dukem, 11 p.m.* | The U Street Jazz Jam, which began at Ulah Bistro last year and quickly became the weekend’s most happening area hang, is now at Dukem. The session offers a spark-plug atmosphere, and attracts cameos from some of the city’s top improvisers. A rotation of bands handles house duties every week. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah website

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

cb picks:

Revive Big Band, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
Russell Gunn & Dionne Farris, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Donvonte McCoy, 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

Revive Big Band, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | This New York City-based large ensemble knows how to rock the house, 2014 style, with huge brass arrangements that ride a hard-swinging groove. Led by the trumpeter Igmar Thomas, who creates R&B and hip-hop arrangements of jazz classics, the band features an all-star lineup that stretches across generations, and it gives you a sense of the ever-present roots that jazz shares with hip-hop and even electronic music. This performance is part of the Kennedy Center’s One Mic: Hip Hop Culture Worldwide presentation. Sold out. [words by Allen Jones] View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club

Allison 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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Loews website

Alfredo Mojica, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alfredo Mojica, who sang for years with the group Sin Miedo, unites salsa, jazz and Latin American balladry. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

WED Trio with JS Williams, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | The WED trio consists of Will Stephens on drums, Ed Hrybyk on bass and David Kane on piano. They play a wide range of jazz styles and will feature JS Williams on trumpet. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

cb picks:

Peggy King, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7:30 p.m.
Russell Gunn & Dionne Farris, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Buika, Strathmore, 8 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

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

Nguyen Nguyen, Ulah Bistro, 12 p.m. | Nguyen Nguyen plays jazz piano and sings in a scruffy, boyish tone. At Ulah Bistro’s weekly brunch, he mixes jaunty covers of jazz standards with his own compositions, and his combo stays at a background level. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Ulah Bistro

DC Jazz Singers Jam, Black Fox Lounge, 5 p.m. | The DC Jazz Singers Jam is a new endeavor, organized by the local show presenter and jam session enthusiast Jeff Stacey and hosted by the pianist Mark Meadows. In the Black Fox Lounge’s basement performance area, it offers singers an early-evening opportunity to commune and compete. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox 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 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

Victor Dvoskin Duo, Tabard Inn, 7 p.m. | The bassist Victor Dvoskin leads a straight-ahead jazz duo every Sunday evening at the Tabard Inn restaurant. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tabard Inn website

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

Peggy King, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7:30 p.m. | Known in the 1950s as “the pretty, perky Peggy King,” this vocalist and famed actor was big when bebop was still progressive. That wasn’t her territory: She straddled a divide between pop and parlor jazz, and performed on screen alongside stars like Frank Sinatra and Mel Tormé. She is still going strong at 84, and performs here with her group, the All-Star Jazz Trio. Tickets $25. View event on calendar | Bethesda Blues website

Cheikh Ndoye, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Cheikh Nduye is a percussive, melodic bass player who keeps the lines down low. He brings a distinctive band that features the violinist Karen Briggs, the guitarists Dan Leonard and Kazumi Watanabe, the drummer Raul Pineda and the pianist Arshak Sirunyan. They play a mixture of different grooves with shifting instrumental textures. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $37.75 cover, $2.50 surcharge, $12 minimum. [words by Allen Jones] View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Buika, Strathmore, 8 p.m. | The strain, the contorted catharsis of flamenco singing, comes through with a proud bounce on the lips of Concha Buika, a singer of Equatorial Guinean parentage and Spanish Gitano upbringing. She’s some sort of jazz singer, I guess, and has worked with Afro-Cuban jazz giant Chucho Valdés, but really she’s an earthy hit of transcendence. On her latest album, La Noche Más Larga, the music ranges from a classic Cuban tune by Ernesto Lecuona to originals to jazz standards by Abbey Lincoln and Billie Holiday. Tickets range from $25 to $48. View event on calendar | Strathmore website

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