5 D.C. jazz picks for July 2026

The dog days of summer are well underway, but a strong crop of shows should hopefully motivate you to get off the couch and out to experience the cultural excellence that makes living in D.C. eternally rewarding.

On July 12, Rhizome hosts another installation of its collaborative showcase with the Philadelphia creative music collective People’s Music Supply. Some heavy hitters represent D.C., including ruminative powerhouse saxophonist Brian Settles and genre-fluid accordion player Simone Baron. The performance will be preceded by an afternoon improvising workshop from klezmer/jazz trombone maestro Dan Blacksberg.

We’ve also got a special homecoming a week later as D.C.’s own Corcoran Holt performs on July 19 at Takoma Station Tavern in support of his new album “Freedom of Art.” Pianist and vocalist Aaron Myers also returns July 24 to the bandstand at Mr. Henry’s, a rarer show by the formerly prolific musician who now helms the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. And WPFW continues its 50th anniversary benefit series on July 26 with a special trio performance by Zoë Jorgenson and Janelle Gill.

Finally, an interesting cultural fusion will take place July 24 when trumpeter and vocalist Sonny Singh — former longtime Red Baraat member (see more below) — leads his newish project bridging Sikh devotional music and jazz at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration with guitarist and vocalist Ria Modak and D.C.-based tabla player Sukhmani.

For all other jazz needs this month, please consult the full D.C. jazz calendar.

NASAR ABADEY AND FRIENDS

Friday, July 10, 6 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church ($10 at the door, free for kids under 16)
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Few musicians in D.C. — a town full of great jazz players — command as much respect or presence on the bandstand as Nasar Abadey. The master percussionist and drummer leads his own group, Supernova, through quietly bristling spiritual jazz, but can also be found co-leading the Washington Renaissance Orchestra with Allyn Johnson, or playing alongside fellow elders like Sean Jones and Steve Novosel.

He performs at D.C.’s jazz church with a strong quintet: Eric Williams on trumpet, Allyn Johnson on piano, Justin Mendez on saxophone and James King on bass.

AKUA ALLRICH AND THE TRIBE

Saturday, July 11, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Joe’s Movement Emporium (tickets)
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Whether singing an original, a classic jazz standard or something from the Miriam Makeba songbook, there is a deep spiritual fervor in Akua Allrich’s music. Her voice wells up deep from the chest to unleash powerful statements of resistance and change while preserving the capacity to sigh sweetly in ballads. She calls the musicians she performs with “The Tribe” and no matter who is in it, there is deep chemistry. 

At Joe’s Movement Emporium — Mount Rainier, Md.’s longtime understated home for creative music in the near suburbs — Allrich will celebrate her 47th birthday with the release of a remarkable new live album, Bonya, featuring a mix of songs associated with Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and others, as well as some Allrich originals. 

Two separate sets at 6:30 and 8:30 

*Allrich is a CapitalBop board member. She had no input on this pick for this column

ETHAN IVERSON PLAYS THE THEOLONIUS MONK SONGBOOK

Saturday, July 18, 7 and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 19, 5:30 and 8 p.m.
Blues Alley (tickets)
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Pianist and composer Ethan Iverson leads a program exploring stride, swing and bebop traditions, interpreted through a contemporary jazz lens. Best known for his work as a founding member of avant-garde trio The Bad Plus, Iverson blends modern jazz with rock and classical influences.

He visits the venerable Blues Alley to explore the eternal songbook of Thelonious Monk.

RED BARAAT

Friday July 24, 6 p.m.
National Gallery of Art – Sculpture Garden (ticket lottery)
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Red Baraat is a bhangra and jazz fusion band from Brooklyn, New York. Founded by dohl player and drummer Sunny Jain, their compositions blend Punjabi rhythms with elements of contemporary Western music. Grounded in the buoyant, dohl-driven grooves and vibrant instrumentation of their Indian heritage, their music pulls heavily from hip-hop, jazz and the edge of punk.

Their 2010 debut release, “Chaal Baby,” gained traction in global music scenes, securing them a gig opening for Gil-Scot Heron and Sharon Jones at the Pori Jazz Festival. Since then, they’ve released several albums and gained greater notoriety for their 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Performance.

TODD MARCUS – VIRGINIA MACDONALD QUINTET

Saturday, July 25, 7 p.m.
Takoma Station Tavern (tickets) 
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Todd Marcus may be the most prominent improviser in contemporary jazz whose main instrument is the bass clarinet. The Baltimore-based composer, bandleader and activist-by-day makes a strong case for why the instrument deserves more recognition — whether he’s coaxing out deep melancholy in ballads or unleashing a cascade of overtones in “sheets of sound”-style playing.

Joining Marcus on this date is Virginia MacDonald, a rising force on clarinet in the Canadian straight-ahead jazz scene, who has a remarkable command of the instrument and a lyrical style. The way the pair weave melodies together is something to experience in person.

The duo returns to Takoma Station in what has become somewhat of an annual cross-border exchange.