5 D.C. jazz picks for June 2025
Happy Pride Month — and Happy Black Music Appreciation Month!
While the WorldPride Festival fills D.C. streets with rainbow flags and people from all over the world — especially for the headlining music festival — Rhizome will hold a more DIY, community-oriented program in the form of the Queering Sound festival. June 7 is a standout night and features a range of performers from inside and outside the Beltway, including occasional CapitalBop contributor Dr. Thomas Stanley (aka Bushmeat Sound System). Rhizome will also host a (now semi-regular) performance by the expansive and dynamic duo of percussionist Kahil El’Zabar and saxophonist David Murray on June 17.
June also brings some of the finest weather the year has to offer, and outdoor shows are in full swing now. The chordless Sonny Rollins-meets-MF Doom trio New Jazz Underground will take over the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden on June 6, which should make for an interesting pairing of audience and artist. Later in the month, the legendary Roots crew returns to the Filene Center at Wolf Trap on June 29 — maybe they’ll play their cover of “Rock Creek Park” — with Nai Palm of Hiatus Kaiyote opening.
A couple other shows we hope you’ll check out: the craftily idiosyncratic pianist and composer Simona Premazzi at Blues Alley on June 4 (part of its weeklong Italian jazz series); leading New York scene trumpeter Jeremy Pelt at Blues Alley on June 21 and 22 celebrating his new album Woven; and the second installment of pianist and vocalist Amy K. Bormet’s new cabaret “Sex Monster” at Mr. Henry’s on June 27.
We also hope you enjoyed getting to see CapitalBop’s shows on the St. Elizabeths campus at the Jazz in the Heights festival. This month we once again are co-presenting the Home Rule Music Festival in its fourth annual edition on June 21, which will feature Imani-Grace Cooper’s tribute to Roberta Flack, West African dance and drumming from the Farafina Kan Ensemble, go-go powerhouses BackYard Band and New Impressionz; and festival favorites Plunky and Oneness of Juju.
For all other jazz needs, consult the full D.C. jazz calendar.
LAFAYETTE GILCHRIST AND THE SONIC TRIPMASTERS
Saturday, June 7, 7 p.m.
Takoma Station (tickets)
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Lafayette Gilchrist was born and raised here in D.C., developing his musical interests and experiences during the culturally fertile era when go-go and jazz were in full swing. Now residing in Baltimore, he is a creative force in the Mid-Atlantic region, with a rough-and-ready piano style somewhere between Duke Ellington and Professor Longhair. With an ever-growing string of groups and collaborations, he is constantly building his vision as a performer and composer. Here he leads his quintet, the Sonic Tripmasters.
SHANNON GUNN QUARTET
Friday, June 13, 8 p.m.
Mr. Henry’s (tickets)
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Trombonist Shannon Gunn is an imaginative musician and frequent bandleader at venues across D.C. She can be found reworking bop classics in an organ-trio format or leading her own big band through simmering soul jazz; she’s even been known to arrange Rage Against the Machine for improvising ensembles. Gunn leads a quartet through her own compositions and original arrangements of standards and pop songs.
ALEXANDRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Saturday, June 14, 3 p.m.
Alexandria Waterfront Park (free)
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The Alexandria Jazz Festival returns for its 47th edition, bringing together some of the best artists in the area for an afternoon and evening of Black American Music. Vendors will offer food and drinks, while the festival setup will include games and art projects. Some highlights include:
5:15 p.m. – We Were Here Before
We Were Here Before — the trio of Mark Cisneros on saxophone, electronics and small percussion; Nik Francis on drums; and (CapitalBop’s own) Luke Stewart on bass — formed as a tribute project to the ascended D.C. jazz elder Aaron Martin. The group does indeed carry on Martin’s legacy, playing sets that are usually one continuous piece of improvisation; the sound can range from reflecting John Coltrane’s most meditative moments to explosive leaps of melody and rhythm. Every moment contains the heart, intention and warmth of Martin’s spirit.
7:30 p.m. – Carolyn Malachi
Carolyn Malachi blends her jazz-savvy singing voice with the influences of Prince and Sade. The granddaughter of the famed pianist John Malachi considers herself a poet above all, but she was also nominated for a Best Urban/Alternative Performance Grammy in 2010, and her recorded music demands to be considered alongside that of Janelle Monae, Thundercat and other experimental jazz-meets-pop performers.
TOMEKA REID QUARTET
Monday, June 16, 7:30 p.m.
Rhizome DC (tickets)
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Cellist Tomeka Reid grew up in the D.C. area but has since established herself as a guiding force within Chicago’s storied experimental jazz scene. The MacArthur “genius” grant recipient’s playing is highly emotive, balancing delicate, restrained moments amid pushes into vast sonic explorations. Perhaps that’s why her sound fits in so well with others of a similar ilk in her generation, like guitarist Mary Halvorson and percussionist Tomas Fujiwara. Those two musicians join her and bassist Jason Roebke in Reid’s working quartet, which has released two noteworthy albums on D.C.’s Cuneiform Records, and which performs here.
Presented by Transparent Productions
GREGORY PORTER/DIANNE REEVES
Friday, June 27, 8 p.m.
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap (tickets)
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Two of jazz’s most prominent vocalists appear together in this special presentation. The powerful voice of Gregory Porter, can run from limpid to barbed and straining — but he’s always deliberate, always in control. As a songwriter, he will toss your mind back to the classic, gospel-influenced soul of the 1960s; and his delivery and projection will put you in the pew.
The voice of Dianne Reeves captivates, invoking vocal innovators of the past like Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald while remaining staunchly original. Reeves learned at a very early age how to utilize her unique powers: Raised in a musical family, she also received mentorship and encouragement at a young age from music greats like Sergio Mendes and Harry Belafonte. Now a four-time Grammy winner, Reeves is the only singer to have won in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance category three times in a row.
Opening the show is Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo.
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Some text based on previous calendar listings by Giovanni Russonello and Luke Stewart
