On ‘everything at once,’ hypnotic trio Dream Feeder builds a world of gentle nurturing
You could be forgiven for drifting off at Dream Feeder’s record release show this past Tuesday night at Rhizome. This is not because the music off of everything at once, the trio’s debut album, is dull or stultifying but rather because its very nature invites tranquility, mediation and an atmosphere of peace in our increasingly […]
At Jubilee Arts, The Baltimore Jazz Collective carries the torch for Charm City
On a hot summer night in Baltimore’s Penn-North district, a leaderless sextet of auspicious local musicians offered an incredible performance for a packed gallery space within the main showroom of the Jubilee Arts community space. The ensemble, known as the Baltimore Jazz Collective, is a part of a long line of historic Baltimore jazz musicians […]
5 D.C. jazz picks for July 2024
I hope you’re all staying hydrated as temperatures climb in the nation’s capital. I also hope as many of you as possible made it to Rhizome to see cellist Janel Leppin’s double album release — featuring her groups Janel and Anthony and Ensemble Volcanic Ash, respectively — late last month. If you didn’t, you can […]
On new albums by Ensemble Volcanic Ash and Janel & Anthony, cellist Janel Leppin weaves together intention and abstraction
It begins simply enough: a gentle cascade of finger-picked guitar notes high up on the fretboard, at once supporting and complemented by the long, fluid strokes of a bow across cello strings. There is a warmth and intimacy to the melodies, like a quilt being stitched around you in real time. Then the music transforms, […]
5 D.C. jazz picks for June 2024
Now that summer is in full swing, so is the season of outdoor festivals, bringing with it a breadth of artists from around the country and the Black American Music world. Capital Jazz Fest returns to Merriweather Post Pavilion June 7, 8 and 9 with a strong lineup of artists that exemplify the modern-day jazz […]
The Home Rule Music Festival returns June 21-22 (and July 20!) with Gary Bartz, Vanessa Rubin, DuPont Brass & more
The mercury is rising and AC units have started to hum. It’s time to start figuring out how you’re going to spend the brightest moments of summer in the swampy capital city. Don’t sweat — we got you. Together with our friends at Home Rule Records and the Home Rule Music & Film Preservation Foundation, CapitalBop […]
My Body, My Festival taps D.C.’s many music scenes in support of abortion access
D.C.-based flutist and composer Alex Hamburger believes passionately in the cross-section between advocacy and art, a conviction that drove her to start My Body, My Festival, which benefits the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF) and features various artists from in and around the District. The festival returns this week for its second straight year, bringing an […]
After meeting funding goal, Rhizome is on track to purchase new building
Rhizome DC, a venue that serves as home base for much of the city’s DIY and creative-music scene, has secured enough funding to purchase a new building, organizers said Wednesday. The fundraising drive was launched at the end of March, with a goal of raising $250,000 through a mix of small, one-time donations and larger, community […]
Strathmore’s AMP venue to close after nine years
AMP by Strathmore, a cozy, third-story venue that brought a supper-club feel to the North Bethesda performing arts center’s offerings, will close at the end of June, Strathmore announced on Wednesday. The smallish venue has been operating since 2013 out of Pike & Rose, a tony, multi-story development with a mix of shopping and dining, […]
5 D.C. jazz picks for May 2024
The D.C. scene has a fiery lineup of shows coming up in May to match the recent flash of premature summer heat. In particular, May 19 (Malcolm X’s 99th birthday) appears to be a day of cosmic alignment for otherworldly jazz offerings, and several shows that day could have made the picks list below, as […]