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Interviews

Wendy Eisenberg on growing up in Gaithersburg, and making ‘multilingual’ guitar music

Wendy Eisenberg is a guitarist — and a vocalist, banjo player, writer and poet — who recently released a string of recordings that show off her extraordinary versatility. Last October, Eisenberg — a native of Gaithersburg, Md., who now lives in Western Massachusetts — simultaneously issued the solo acoustic album Its Shape Is Your Touch […]

April 19, 2019 0

Premieres

‘I’m Here for a Reason:’ Preview Keith Butler’s new album

Keith Butler’s playing has everything you’d expect from one of D.C.’s most prominent young drummers: nuance, strength and a deep sense of swing. But the path Butler took to arrive there is hardly what you might expect. A year ago, he hadn’t composed any original material. Three years ago, he was brand new to the […]

April 16, 2019 0

Interviews

‘D.C. is where it all started for me’: Brent Birckhead on his debut album

Brent Birckhead is an archetypal product of the D.C. jazz scene. He’s a strong straight-ahead player, but also well-versed in go-go, R&B and the other popular sounds of the city. And like much of the music emanating from U Street venues these days, his own efforts as a bandleader merge all those stylistic elements seamlessly. […]

April 11, 2019 0

News

With his new work, ‘One Giant Leap,’ Allyn Johnson salutes the women and men behind the Apollo 11 mission

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first occasion a human being set foot on the moon. And this week NEWorks Productions is presenting two shows — at the Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington, Md., and the Kennedy Center in D.C. — to celebrate the historic moment. The […]

April 8, 2019 0

Announcing...

Nicole Saphos and Chris Barrick headline our next DC Jazz Loft

After a few incredible weeks of presenting some of our favorite artists from out of town, it’s time to get back to our main, monthly thing: showcasing the innovations being wrought by musicians here in D.C., on home turf. This month’s installment of the DC Jazz Loft features bassist/vocalist Nicole Saphos and vibraphonist Chris Barrick, […]

April 8, 2019 0

Interviews

#stayblessed: CapitalBop’s exclusive interview with Rickk Boulchard

I first heard about Rickk Boulchard in 2016. My new boss, editor-in-chief Giovanni Russonello, asked me if I had friended him on Facebook yet, and when I replied no, he was emphatic: “You HAVE to.” When I did look at Rickk’s profile, I was immediately humbled. How was I not already hip to such a […]

April 1, 2019 0

The Month in Shows

5 April D.C. Jazz Picks

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, which means a flood of special programming at jazz institutions across the District and the return of some favorite annual traditions (like the Calvin Jones Big Band Festival at UDC, April 29). The Japanese cherry blossoms trumpet the impending summer outdoor concerts, but before that, the annual Japanese embassy-sponsored series […]

March 28, 2019 0

Interviews

‘Pure fire improv:’ Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother in conversation

Roscoe Mitchell and Camae Ayewa, who performs as Moor Mother, are among the most fearless improvising performers of their respective generations. Both are also community organizers and activists: Mitchell became an early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and a longtime educator; Ayewa co-founded the Philadelphia showcase ROCKERS! (a series focused […]

March 27, 2019 0

Announcing...

Why you need to hear Ben Wendel — online and in person

Saxophonist Ben Wendel’s latest album, The Seasons, evokes emotional impressions of every time of year, passing through stages of bustling life, warmth, and hibernal loneliness. But The Seasons isn’t just an album. It’s the next form of an evolving project that Wendel has been exploring for years, a concept piece whose many forms offer some […]

March 25, 2019 0

Interviews

The Comet Is Coming is coming — to D.C. Here’s our in-depth interview.

Much of The Comet Is Coming’s music sounds like it belongs in a science-fiction movie. The London-based trio of saxophones, synthesizers and drums creates soundscapes that often coalesce rapidly into something urgent and frantic; they’d sound at home in TRON or Blade Runner. Dan Leavers, the collective’s synth player, says the music aims to present […]

March 20, 2019 0