by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

The pianist and singer Mose Allison, a jazz and blues legend with over 60 years of performing experience behind him, appears at Blues Alley all weekend. Javon Jackson, a tenor saxophone titan in the post-Coltrane school, holds down a two-night run at Bohemian Caverns. And at Twins, three stellar local acts take the stage over the course of the weekend — including the trombonist Reginald Cyntje, performing at the inaugural installment of the club’s new Sunday Jazz Brunch series. Find details on those performances and many more in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” a listing of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. Our favorites have a label, and as always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31

cb picks:

• Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Javon Jackson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Romeir Mendez Quartet w/Tim Green, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Dixie Power Trio, Jazz in the Garden, 5 p.m. | For the final installation of this summer’s Jazz in the Garden Series, at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, the Dixie Power Trio will present its blend of zydeco, funk and Cajun music. Free. View event on calendar | Jazz in the Garden website

Alex Jenkins Trio, 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. At this week’s show, the pianist Alex Jenkins leads a straight-ahead combo, featuring Wes Biles on bass and Percy Smith on drums. $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

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

Kirk Winters Trio, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Guitarist Kirk Winters draws inspiration from bop guitar greats such as Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. He performs here with a straight-ahead trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | This Mississippi native Mose Allison, who was recently named an NEA Jazz Master, sings and plays the piano. He alchemizes the mugginess and sweat of the Delta blues, the sensibility of an old school country-pop songwriter, and a jazz pianist’s chops. In over 60 years as a professional musician, he has recorded albums for Atlantic, Columbia and Blue Note Records, among many others. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Javon Jackson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, who was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers during the legendary drummer’s final years, plays hard-bop with searing proficiency and sly wit. Jackson’s approach is heavily indebted to John Coltrane’s early-1960s work, after Coltrane’s harmonic adventurousness had begun to equal his fearsome command but before his music exited the stratosphere of bop. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $25 cover, 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

Romeir Mendez Quartet w/Tim Green, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | You know how Charles Mingus had a way of lifting the bass out of its subordinate position, so that you could virtually hear the sweat pouring out of it, and little battles being fought within it? Romeir Mendez, a young bassist accruing esteem on the D.C. scene, may not have Mingus’s compositional prowess, but he embodies the Baron’s uncompromising, bodily instrumentalism. This weekend, Mendez’s quartet includes Tim Green, a meditative and cerebral alto saxophonist whose composure equals his passion. Green’s informed by gospel and blues, and when he ups the ante on a solo you can feel the soul virtually dripping from his horn. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swingin’ and soulful, with 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 to Kenny Garrett’s. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Projeck GP, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Projeck GP plays funky smooth jazz. 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

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

cb picks:

• Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m.
• Javon Jackson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Romeir Mendez Quartet w/Tim Green, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
• WKP Trio w/Victor Provost, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street 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

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

Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | This Mississippi native Mose Allison, who was recently named an NEA Jazz Master, sings and plays the piano. He alchemizes the mugginess and sweat of the Delta blues, the sensibility of an old school country-pop songwriter, and a jazz pianist’s chops. In over 60 years as a professional musician, he has recorded albums for Atlantic, Columbia and Blue Note Records, among many others. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 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

Javon Jackson, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | The tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, who was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers during the legendary drummer’s final years, plays hard-bop with searing proficiency and sly wit. Jackson’s approach is heavily indebted to John Coltrane’s early-1960s work, after Coltrane’s harmonic adventurousness had begun to equal his fearsome command but before his music exited the stratosphere of bop. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Romeir Mendez Quartet w/Tim Green, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | You know how Charles Mingus had a way of lifting the bass out of its subordinate position, so that you could virtually hear the sweat pouring out of it, and little battles being fought within it? Romeir Mendez, a young bassist accruing esteem on the D.C. scene, may not have Mingus’s compositional prowess, but he embodies the Baron’s uncompromising, bodily instrumentalism. This weekend, Mendez’s quartet includes Tim Green, a meditative and cerebral alto saxophonist whose composure equals his passion. Green’s informed by gospel and blues, and when he ups the ante on a solo you can feel the soul virtually dripping from his horn. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Thad Wilson Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Trumpeter Thad Wilson plays with articulation and clarity, and a deference to melody that makes it easy to fall in love with his playing. A prominent member of the D.C. jazz community, Wilson once led a resident big band at Bohemian Caverns and now teaches at George Washington University. He returns to HR-57, a frequent stomping ground, for a night at the helm of his quartet. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

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

WKP Trio w/Victor Provost, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | The WKP Trio is a straight-ahead jazz ensemble consisting of Kenny Peagler on piano, Percy White on bass and Will Stephens on drums. Here, the group is joined by Victor Provost, D.C.’s steel pan master. Provost blends the music of his Caribbean homeland with straight-ahead jazz; what he ends up with is a lyrical, glistening cascade of melody and rhythm. 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, AUGUST 26

cb picks:

• Jazz Brunch: Reginald Cyntje, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m.
• Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 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: Reginald Cyntje, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m. | This show marks the kickoff of Twins Jazz’s new Sunday Jazz Brunch initiative. For the inaugural edition, trombonist Reginald Cyntje leads the band. Last year he released his debut CD, “Freedom’s Children: The Celebration,” a glimmeringly hopeful record immersed in the warm, danceable rhythms of Cyntje’s native U.S. Virgin Islands. At this performance, he’ll displays his grace and precision alongside Pete Muldoon on guitar and Kris Funn on bass. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile

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

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 feat. Tedd Baker, Dahlak, 6 p.m. | This jazz jam presents a friendly, relaxed environment where professionals and amateurs can play together. This week, the jam’s Monthly Masters series continues with an appearance from the talented saxophonist Tedd Baker. 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

DC Choro, Grill from Ipanema, 7:30 p.m.| DC Choro is a sextet that plays Brazilian music drawing on European folk traditions. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Grill from Ipanema 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

Anthony Pirog Trio, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Guitarist Anthony Pirog’s music runs the gamut from post-bop to electric fusion to ambient soundscapes. With his guitar-bass-drum trio, Pirog pries away at the rhythmic logic of small-group jazz, wielding effects pedals and a patient improvisatory sense to incisive effect. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Bill Heid, Black Fox Lounge, 8 p.m. | Bill Heid plays piano and sings blues songs and jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge profile

Mose Allison Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | This Mississippi native Mose Allison, who was recently named an NEA Jazz Master, sings and plays the piano. He alchemizes the mugginess and sweat of the Delta blues, the sensibility of an old school country-pop songwriter, and a jazz pianist’s chops. In over 60 years as a professional musician, he has recorded albums for Atlantic, Columbia and Blue Note Records, among many others. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley 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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