Weekend in Jazz | 10.8-10.10 -

Karen Briggs performs at the Kennedy Center tonight (Friday). | courtesy jazzuality.com

by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s installation of “Weekend in Jazz,” a full list of every D.C. jazz show that we can get our hands on. If you’re just breezing through, check for the shows with a label — those are our favorites. To read today’s interview with Kenny Werner, one of our picks, click here. As always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our monthly calendar, if you prefer. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, OCT. 8

cb picks: Karen Briggs Soulchestra, KC Jazz Club; Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns; Chuchito Valdes, HR-57; Kenny Werner, Twins Jazz; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge

Sharon Clark Quintet, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | What began as an experiment over a decade ago continues today as one of Washington’s greatest weekly traditions: Westminster Presbyterian Church’s “Jazz Night.” Every Friday night, the house of God becomes a not-so-likely hub for fish frying, communing and jamming on straight-ahead jazz. This week’s edition includes Sharon Clark on vocals, Lyle Link on saxophone, Christ Grasso on piano, Tommy Cecil on bass and Lenny Robinson on drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar| Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Karen Briggs Soulchestra, KC Jazz Club, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Violinist Karen Briggs has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Wu Tang Clan, Kenny Loggins and Chaka Kahn — to name but a few. If this isn’t enough to pique your interest, maybe her enthusiastic and eclectic playing — as comfortable with pizzicato as bowing — will be. Separate sets at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $26 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Rachelle Ferrell, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Rachelle Ferrell sings both R&B and jazz, often blending the two — and she possesses an impressive, more than six-octave range. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $60 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Trumpeter Duane Eubanks is a rising star, equipped with a clear tone and playful knack for phrasing. Eubanks is the brother of world-famous guitarist Kevin, formerly the leader of the band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and trombonist Robin, a veteran of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. But he’s a preeminent musician himself, playing with the Illinois Jacquet Big Band, the Next Legacy Orchestra and the Oliver Lake Big Band, as well as Jason Linder’s Big Band, with whom he appears every week in New York City. He’ll perform at Bohemian Caverns with a combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. View event on calendar| Bohemian Caverns profile

Chuchito Valdes, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Although he’s most recognizable for his lineage (his father Chucho and grandfather Bebo were very famous musicians), Chuchito Valdes deserves his own level of recognition. His piano playing is magnanimous in demeanor and bursts with energy. His last album, “Cuban Dreams,” was nominated for a Latin Grammy award. He’ll perform here with a small group. $20 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

Kenny Werner Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Kenny Werner is a Guggenheim Award-winning pianist with a jagged touch and a sidelong, dissonant, stimulating approach to making beautiful music. He’s joined during this two-night run by Danish saxophone great Benjamin Koppel, bassist Daniel Foose and drummer Ross Pederson. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Twins Jazz profile

Brulee, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Brulee is a jazz and alt-pop fusion quartet featuring vocalist Aura Kanegis. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Teddy Baker Trio, Comet Ping Pong, 10:30 p.m. | Tedd Baker is a D.C. saxophonist with an impressive resume. In addition to playing in the Airmen of Note, he’s recorded a solo album that received accolades from JazzTimes and he often gigs around the city. At Comet Ping Pong, his trio’s music will have to compete with (or succumb to) the perpetual bouncing of white plastic balls. But this Chevy Chase-area restaurant serves good pizza and has a friendly vibe, so if the jazz plays second fiddle to its environs, so be it. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Comet Ping Pong website

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 11 p.m. | Arguably the city’s best jazz trumpeter, Donvonte McCoy plays every Friday and Saturday at the hip 18th St. Lounge. He likes to mix in some funk as well during the lounge gig, and he’s liable to inflect a touch of Chuck Brown-esque groove into his combo’s treatment of classic bop tunes by the likes of Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndre Howard’s Collector’s Edition, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Trumpeter DeAndre Howard’s weekly engagement at Utopia brings hordes to the restaurant and bar every Friday night. He and his small group, Collector’s Edition, play standards with a friendly, inviting touch, and they add to the positive vibes already flowing throughout the room — especially when Howard tosses aside the trumpet to sing a spontaneous blues. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

SATURDAY, OCT. 9

cb picks: Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns; Chuchito Valdes, HR-57; Kenny Werner, Twins Jazz; Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia

Jam Session with Peter Edelman, Columbia Station, 4 p.m. | Pianist Peter Edelman, a constant presence on the D.C. jazz scene for years now, leads an afternoon jam session every Saturday and Sunday. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Jolley Brothers’ final show at Café Nema, 10:30 p.m. | Café Nema has been a major hub for D.C. jazz for the past 15 years. In fact, before the club opened in 1995, there hardly was any U Street jazz scene. Sadly, the club will close next week, making this Jolley Brothers performance their last at Nema — where they have held down a weekly gig for the past few months. This piano-drums sibling duo, performing here with guitarist Pete Muldoon, combines forceful and creative swing with gripping grooves. The music always comes off sounding fresh. Other musicians are sure to sit in as well, giving the evening a warm, communal vibe. No cover, 1-drink minimum. Read CapitalBop’s article on Nema’s closing here. View event on calendar | Nema profile

Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed heads up one of the swingin’est shows on U Street every Saturday night. The lineup of musicians on this late-night gig varies from week to week, but it’s consistently outstanding. Plus, with the Washington City Paper’s 2010 Best New D.C. Jazz Musician award under his belt, the 20-year-old Balbed can always be expected always to deliver the goods on sax. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

SUNDAY, OCT. 10

Kevin Pace Trio, Chef Geoff’s, 11 a.m. | Kevin Pace has a strong command on the bass and an intuitive ear as a composer. He puts both on display at the restaurant Chef Geoff’s, where he performs every week during Sunday brunch. This is background music, but that’s because of the environment, not the performance — which is anything but second-rate. (To hear Pace stretch out a bit more, catch him at Utopia with the Bobby Muncy Quartet, every Wednesday except the third of the month.) No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Chef Geoff’s website

Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6 p.m. | This jazz jam presents a friendly, relaxed environment where professionals and amateurs can play together. No cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Dahlak profile

Jam Session, HR-57, 7 p.m. | This is a chance for local musicians to stretch out and see which of their new ideas stick when thrown against HR’s craggy brick walls. It’s also an inexpensive way for jazz fans to get a peek into the raw collaborations of D.C.’s rising stars. $8 cover for audience members, $4 cover for musicians, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 profile

Pete Muldoon in Café Nema’s last show, 10:30 p.m. | Café Nema has been a major hub for D.C. jazz for the past 15 years. In fact, before the club opened in 1995, there hardly was any U Street jazz scene. Sadly, the club will close next week, and Pete Muldoon’s performance will be Nema’s last show. Muldoon, who for five years has played every Sunday night, will perform with the superb bassist Eric Wheeler. The musical fare is likely to be mostly jazz standards, and plenty of other musicians are likely to sit in for what will surely be a celebratory night — albeit with a melancholy tinge. Read CapitalBop’s article on Nema’s closing here. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Nema profile

Coniece Washington, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Coniece Washington sings jazz vocals with a small group. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player every Sunday night leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar| Columbia Station profile

Cheryl Jones, Utopia, 9 p.m. | Singer Cheryl Jones has a weekly engagement every Sunday at Utopia, where she draws on her broad base of musical passions. She is equally likely to sing jazz standards, pop tunes or gospel classics. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Utopia profile

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