5 D.C. jazz picks for May 2026
Simone Baron, Kweku Sumbry, Bilal and more highlight a strong month in jazz alongside a number of high-quality Miles Davis tributes.
What’s on the Calendar
Friday, May 1
Westminster Presbyterian Church – District of Columbia
Elijah Jamal Balbed Ensemble: Tribute to Skateboard Mom
Saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed was born and raised in Silver Spring and is a consummate student of the D.C. music scene: He’s equally comfortable blowing some burnished, buoyant hard-bop as he is grooving in the pocket of a go-go band.…Mentioned in past coverage
At Eaton, live jazz flourished. Today, artists feel ‘second in thought’
Washington, D.C.’s jazz community has been hit hard over the past decade by a widespread loss of performance space. Landmark venues like Twins, HR-57, Bohemian Caverns and Alice’s Jazz and Cultural Society have been forced to shut their doors, unable to keep up with rising property costs, the impacts of the pandemic and other financial…
