5 D.C. jazz picks for August 2026

While the halls of power in Washington empty out into summer retreats, those who remain in D.C. will find a cornucopia of great music this month.

Local lights are shining this August. First, head to the Phillips Collection on Aug. 6 for the museum’s “Jazz Soirée,” a DC Jazz Festival partnership that will feature an all-too-rare performance by trumpet phenom Donvonte McCoy. On Aug. 15, Takoma Station, presents the burning saxophonist (and instrument-repair master) Bobby Muncy. Fellow D.C. saxophone stalwart Lyle Link rounds out the month on Aug. 20, when he brings his lush, warm tone to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s ongoing “Take Five” series.

While we will always admit to a bias toward our local talents, high-quality national acts will also make stops in the nation’s capital this month. On Aug. 5 PJ Morton brings his spirit-lifting mix of soul, gospel and jazz to the Warner Theater. You can head to Rhizome on Aug. 14 to catch firebrand saxophonist Maria Grand, performing alongside percussionist and longtime Grand collaborator Shakoor Hakeem, in a celebration of Grand’s recently released album Both Sides. (This is the first of two visits Grand will make to the District this month; more info on her second show is below.) Finally, don’t miss Maryland-raised, world-renowned vocalist Raheem DeVaughn when he takes the stage on Aug. 28 at the Birchmere.

In other scene news, Andrew Musselman brings his Jazz on the Rocks Jam Session to its newest home, Columbia Heights’ Kookoo Restaurant & Lounge, where adventurous musicians and patrons can share in fellowship every Monday night.

Read on for our five top live picks for the month of August, and for all your other going-out needs this month, please consult the full D.C. jazz calendar.

BARK CULTURE / WE ALL WITNESS (SARAH HUGHES, AMY K. BORMET, KEITH BUTLER JR. AND CHRISTINE PALUCH)

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.
Rhizome DC (tickets)
[view on calendar]

We All Witness is an avant-garde collective featuring some of D.C.’s most adept instrumentalists: pianist Amy K. Bormet, saxophonist Sarah Marie Hughes, synthesist Christine Paluch and drummer Keith Butler Jr. The project, which first came together during the 2026 Washington Women in Jazz Festival, combines tension, texture and spontaneous creation to explore the fusion of horror music and jazz.

They share the bill here with Bark Culture, a celebrated Philadelphia-based experimental trio featuring vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco, drummer Joey Sullivan and bassist John Moran.

JAZZ AND FREEDOM FESTIVAL

Friday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m.
Mr. Henry’s (tickets)
[view on calendar]

The Jazz and Freedom Festival is trombonist Shannon Gunn’s annual event elevating the connections between this music and social justice struggles. Now in its ninth edition, the festival raises money for a different local nonprofit each year, and this edition is benefiting Just Neighbors, a legal services organization serving immigrant populations.

Highlights from the festival lineup include the D.C. Starlight Orchestra, a big band made up of mostly federal employees, and Donovan Claybrooks, the latest rising star to emerge from Virginia Commonwealth University’s vaunted jazz program. As always, the festival will close with an open jam session.

LEDISI

Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22, 8 p.m.
The Music Center at Strathmore (tickets)
[view on calendar]

Vocalist and songwriter Ledisi is best known for her smooth and elegant delivery, emotive storytelling and impressive vocal range. Born in New Orleans and raised in Oakland, Calif., hers has been a defining voice in contemporary soul, R&B and jazz for over 20 years.

Here Ledisi performs tracks from her 2025 album, For Dinah, paying homage to legendary vocalist Dinah Washington, who was often referred to as the “Queen of the Blues.”

ROBERT GLASPER

Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Birchmere (tickets)
[view on calendar]

Robert Glasper is, by now, one of the rare contemporary musicians whose name is ubiquitous in the jazz world. The pianist and bandleader grew up worshipping the works of keyboard masters like Ahmad Jamal and Herbie Hancock, then cutting his teeth alongside icons of the neo-soul and hip-hop scenes of the early 2000s, like Common, Bilal and the Roots. In the years since, he has become a perennial Grammy winner and a leading avatar of jazz’s genre-blending present.

Here, Glasper visits Alexandria’s blessedly kitschy Birchmere, which has become a recurring tour stop for him.

MARIA GRAND

Saturday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.
Takoma Station Tavern (tickets) 
[view on calendar]

Swiss-born, New York-based saxophonist Maria Grand is a singular voice in contemporary jazz. Grand burst on the scene in 2017 and hasn’t slowed down since, releasing a half-dozen records and constantly touring internationally. Her most recent offering, 2026’s Both Sides, finds Grand at her most daring, presenting two takes on the same tunes, each featuring distinct groups and approaches.

Grand makes her second D.C. stop in the midst of an extended tour promoting the release of Both Sides (her band’s personnel here is TBA).

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Jackson Sinnenberg is on leave this month. A team of CB editors assembled this month’s column using listings written by him and others.