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Features

Cécile McLorin Salvant is bringing her magnum opus ‘Ogresse’ back to the Kennedy Center. Here’s what to expect.

Whether she’s putting her spin on a Burt Bacharach number or an old American folk standard — or performing one of her own keenly perceptive songs — Cécile McLorin Salvant draws out the human drama of the words she sings in exquisite detail, delivering with the narrative command you’d expect on a Broadway theater or […]

November 11, 2022 0

The Month in Shows

5 live jazz picks for November in D.C.

Blues Alley is already back to presenting live music, less than a week after the club’s attic caught on fire. It resumes its previously scheduled programming on Tuesday, with violinist Dave Kline’s month-long residency kicking things off. Kline is one of a few local favorites playing the storied Georgetown club this month. Some others include […]

November 1, 2022 0

Features

Through Cats’ Eyes: D.C.’s jazz scene from the lens of drummer Keith Butler

Editor’s note: There is a long tradition of jazz musicians who double as serious photographers. As dual practitioners, these artists – including legends like Milt Hinton, Oscar Peterson and Sy Johnson – capture a cultural history of jazz music from up close. They convey the intimacy of someone living the same experiences as their subjects. […]

October 31, 2022 0

News

Recovering from fire, Blues Alley aims for a quick reopening

Editor’s note, 11.1.22: Blues Alley announced on Sunday that it would reopen Monday evening, less than one week after a fire caused minor damage to the building. The first show back features violinist Dave Kline with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jon Carroll. A fire broke out Tuesday evening at Blues Alley, Georgetown’s beloved carriage-house jazz club. […]

October 27, 2022 0

News

Hillfest and Down in the Reeds: two free festivals to choose from this Saturday

Washington D.C. has several outdoor — and totally free — music festivals happening this weekend. Jazz and world-music fans will want to pay attention to two in particular: HillFest and Down in the Reeds, which will each offer daylong live performances and family-friendly activities on Saturday. After a hiatus from festival gatherings due to COVID, HillFest […]

October 7, 2022 0

The Month in Shows

5 live jazz picks for October in D.C.

At last, the summer of our discontent – like every oppressively muggy summer in D.C. – is over and we can settle into the coziness of fall. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all of our Latinx musicians and readers in the area. There are quite a few ways to celebrate the occasion (including at least […]

October 5, 2022 0

Album reviews

The best D.C. jazz albums of 2022 (so far)

Summer is drawing to a close, and the fall arts season is nearly upon us. So, as concerts blossom across the city, we thought this would be a good moment to shine a light on all the great recorded music that has come out this year from D.C.-area jazz musicians. Most of these artists are […]

September 15, 2022 0

The Month in Shows

5 live jazz picks for September in D.C.

The running theme of this column tends to be: “There is a lot of great music happening in D.C. this month, and here’s a fraction of some of the best of it that I think you’ll enjoy.” So, bear that in mind when I say that this particular month might be the most exciting one […]

September 7, 2022 0

News

Musicians tell you what they’re excited to hear at this week’s DC Jazz Festival

This year, we do have our usual CapitalBop guide for what to see at the DC Jazz Festival — which starts today and runs through Sunday. But we’ve also decided to ask some of the finest musicians in and around D.C. for their picks: Everyone on here is playing at the festival themselves, but we’ve also […]

August 31, 2022 0

News

DC Jazz Festival 2022: CapitalBop’s picks

Last year the DC Jazz Festival moved its annual festivities from its usual timetable in early June to Labor Day weekend, avoiding what was then a surging Delta variant wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and allowing for higher numbers of guests to be vaccinated in time for the fest). Now that move looks permanent, as […]

August 31, 2022 0