by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

The music of jazz legends – both late and living – is flooding into D.C. this weekend. Catch Mingus Dynasty reworking the music of Charles Mingus on Friday night at Blues Alley, or find Bennie Maupin (of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis’s bands) at Bohemian Caverns and Kenny Werner at Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday. Sax great Ravi Coltrane plays Saturday and Sunday at Blues Alley, and vocal group Manhattan Transfer is at the Kennedy Center on Sunday night. You can find details on these performances and many more in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” a listing of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. Our favorites have a label, and as always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18

cb picks:

• Reginald Cyntje, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m.
• Mingus Dynasty, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Bennie Maupin, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Kenny Werner Trio, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Reginald Cyntje, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Reginald Cyntje is a U.S. Virgin Islands native and D.C.-based trombonist who blends the rhythms and textures of his homeland with his expertise as an American jazz improviser and composer. He’s celebrating the release of his CD tonight, with help from Victor Provost on steel pan, Amy Bormet on piano, Herman Burney on bass, Amin Gumbs on drums and Christie Dashiell on vocals. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m.| Commanding vocalist Karen Gray sings laid-back renditions of jazz standards in a drumless trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Potomac Jazz Project, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a jazz combo, led by bassist Stan Hamrick, that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. The cast of supporting musicians tends to rotate, but it’s usually a very solid lineup. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

L’Tanya Mari Trio, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Singer L’Tanya Mari is influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, singing jazz with depth and soulful warmth. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Mingus Dynasty, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | After Charles Mingus died at just 56 years old, his widow, Sue Mingus, organized a combo to carry on his musical legacy. Mingus Dynasty’s lineup has changed consistently since then, but it’s maintained a commitment to the master’s distinctively bold, rhythmic compositions and spirit. The present band includes Alex Foster on saxophone, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, David Kikoski on piano, Dezeron Douglas on bass and Donald Edwards on drums. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $25 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Charenee Wade Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Charenee Wade went home with the second-place prize in the 2010 Thelonius Monk International Vocal Competition. That kind of a finish has been enough to launch the careers of many star jazz musicians in the past. She’s got a playful voice and superb command, and she’ll perform here with the Chris Grasso Trio for backing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Bennie Maupin, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | No one has ever made the bass clarinet funkier than Bennie Maupin. He played the papery, mysterious instrument (as well as the saxophone and the occasional flute and clarinet) on famous jazz-funk records like Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and Miles Davis’ On the Corner and Bitches Brew. Since the 1970s, he has also maintained a career as an accomplished songwriter and bandleader in jazz’s avant-garde. Here the reedist leads a quartet featuring Michael Stephans on drums. Daryl Munyungo Jackson on percussion and Dariusz Oleszkiewicz on bass. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Sin Miedo, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Sin Miedo is an energetic, nine-piece Salsa band that plays highly danceable Afro-Cuban jazz, Mambo and Samba. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa Bistro website

Antonio Parker, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swingin’ and soulful, with a bright, aggressive tone and inclinations that bring neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker often pays tribute to John Coltrane with song dedications and covers, but his style on the horn often nods toward one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every week leads a rotating cast of musicians that often outgrows the title “trio.” No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Kenny Werner Trio, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Kenny Werner is a Guggenheim Award-winning pianist with a jagged touch and a sidelong, dissonant but ultimately gratifying approach to making music. In this concert, he’s celebrating his 60th birthday, and he’s joined by Sam Anning on bass and Jason Burger on drums. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads this straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums, at the new Black Fox Lounge. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox profile

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 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. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndrey Howard’s Collector’s Edition, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Trumpeter DeAndre Howard’s regular engagements at Utopia bring hordes to the restaurant and bar. 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, NOVEMBER 19

cb picks:

• Bennie Maupin, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Kenny Werner Trio, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Manhattan Transfer Master Class, Kennedy Center, 1 p.m. | Grammy-winning jazz vocal combo Manhattan Transfer was the No. 1 vocalese group of the 1970s and ’80s. Here they give a master class to aspiring jazz vocalists. Tickets $12, no minimum. View event on calendar| Kennedy Center website

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

Kenny Werner Master Class, Levine School, 4 p.m. | Kenny Werner is a Guggenheim Award-winning pianist with a jagged touch and a sidelong, dissonant but ultimately gratifying approach to making music. Here he leads a master class for piano students. Free. View event on calendar | Levine School website

Charles Woods, Johnny’s Half Shell, 6 p.m. | Saxophonist Charles Woods plays and has recorded in both free and straight-ahead jazz styles, but for his regular gig at Johnny’s Half Shell he keeps things within the traditional bop realm. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar| Johnny’s Half Shell website

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 7 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. But B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

Mark Mosley Trio, Sala Thai (U St.), 7 p.m. | Baltimore guitarist Mark Mosley plays a slick hand as a smooth jazz guitarist, but he can also hunker down on serious bop. He performs laid-back straight-ahead here with his trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Full Ascent Jazz Band, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | This jazz band plays in a number of traditional styles, from hard-bop to Dixieland to calypso. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Nancy Scimone, Henley Park Hotel, 7:30 p.m. | Nancy Scimone reaches into the jazz and popular American songbooks during this weekly gig at the Henley Park Hotel in downtown D.C. She’s typically joined by a pianist. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Henley Park’s website

Lena Seikaly & Potomac Jazz Project, Extra Virgin Restaurant, 7:30 p.m. | Vocalist Lena Seikaly sings jazz standards with a confident and playful demeanor, displaying a haziness reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding as well as a deference to traditional greats. The Potomac Jazz Project is a quartet that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. It’s led by bassist Stan Hamrick, and its rotating lineup often features some of D.C.’s best musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Extra Virgin’s website

Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | A warm-blooded tenor saxophonist with a range of musical inclinations, Ravi Coltrane is one of this jazz generation’s leading lights. He might not have the level of influence of his father, John Coltrane, but that’s not a very fair comparison. Musically, Ravi Coltrane carries on the legacy of past generations with a gripping sense of swing and readiness to reinterpret jazz standards, but he’s fiercely modern: A member of Steve Coleman’s M-Base collective, he soars over intense, polyrhythmic rhythmic patters, occasionally throwing in a hip-hop beat or two. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $30 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Blues Alley profile

Charenee Wade Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Charenee Wade went home with the second-place prize in the 2010 Thelonius Monk International Vocal Competition. That kind of a finish has been enough to launch the careers of many star jazz musicians in the past. She’s got a playful voice and superb command, and she’ll perform here with the Chris Grasso Trio for backing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Bennie Maupin, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | No one has ever made the bass clarinet funkier than Bennie Maupin. He played the papery, mysterious instrument (as well as the saxophone and the occasional flute and clarinet) on famous jazz-funk records like Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and Miles Davis’ On the Corner and Bitches Brew. Since the 1970s, he has also maintained a career as an accomplished songwriter and bandleader in jazz’s avant-garde. Here the reedist leads a quartet featuring Michael Stephans on drums. Daryl Munyungo Jackson on percussion and Dariusz Oleszkiewicz on bass. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Palanke Music Company, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Led by vocalist and guitarist Jaime Andrés Salazar, a.k.a. Gato, Palanke Music Company is tropicalia meets electro meets Samba meets Afro-Cuban jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Ajay Parham, HR-57, 9 p.m.| Ajay Parham is a smooth, deep-voiced vocalist who sings R&B with inflections of jazz. But on the bandstand at HR-57, where he’s long been a stalwart performer, Parham often tries his hand at jazz standards. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Kenny Werner Trio, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Kenny Werner is a Guggenheim Award-winning pianist with a jagged touch and a sidelong, dissonant but ultimately gratifying approach to making music. In this concert, he’s celebrating his 60th birthday, and he’s joined by Sam Anning on bass and Jason Burger on drums. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar |Twins Jazz profile

Some Like It Hot, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | Some Like It Hot is a small jazz and that performs traditional music from the swing era. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar| Black Fox profile

Donvonte McCoy, 18th St. Lounge, 10:30 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. After all, the setting is that of a dance club, not a jazz joint – no tables and chairs or hushed applause after every solo. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

DeAndrey Howard’s Collector’s Edition, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Trumpeter DeAndre Howard’s regular engagements at Utopia bring hordes to the restaurant and bar. 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

The Hang, Bohemian Caverns, midnight | Bohemian Caverns’ late-night jam, The Hang, is hosted by a different band every week of the month. The kitchen remains open until 1 a.m., so there’s a chance to get a late bite without having to traipse to Ben’s Chili Bowl. $7 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

SUNDAY, november 20

cb picks:

• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• Manhattan Transfer, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m.
• Ethan Iverson Trio, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.
• Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Blues Alley 8 & 10 p.m.

Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.| Marshall Keys’ saxophone can sing the blues or swing to the rhythms of bebop with a laid-back sense of cool; the native Washingtonian is a fluid, graceful player. He plays every Sunday brunch at Acadiana, usually with a group consisting of the city’s top jazz scene veterans: Federico Peña on piano, Tarus Mateen on bass and either Lenny Robinson or Mark Prince on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Acadiana website

Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m. | The Jolley Brothers, Noble on keyboard and Nate on drums, play thrice a weekend at B. Smith’s, the upscale soul-food restaurant in Union Station’s massive East Hall. The Jolleys, who perform with a bassist, comprise one of D.C.’s most exciting and auspicious acts. With roots in gospel, soul and the modal bop of the 1960s, the brothers (who also compose prolifically) bring some of the most creative elements in the African-American music canon forward into the 21st century, all while stamping it with their own distinctive flavoring. B. Smith’s is a restaurant first, and the music remains in the background – no matter how expertly played. But as far as jazz brunch goes, it’s hard to top the Jolleys’ music. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | B. Smith’s website

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

Potomac Jazz Project, Laporta’s, 6:30 p.m. | The Potomac Jazz Project is a quartet that takes on modern and classic jazz tunes (and even some pop covers) with a showmanly flair, as well as skill. It’s led by bassist Stan Hamrick, and its rotating lineup often features some of D.C.’s best musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Laporta’s website

Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6:30 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 | View Dahlak profile

Navasha Daya, Bohemian Caverns, 7 p.m. | Navasha Daya is an R&B singer who has worked with Chaka Kahn and Erykah Badu. She’s the former lead singer for Fertile Ground. Two separate sets at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Manhattan Transfer w/Jon Hendricks, Kennedy Center, 7 p.m.| When it burst onto the jazz scene in the 1970s, jazz vocal combo Manhattan Transfer revived the spirit of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with its vocalese and lush vocal harmonization on jazz standards. Among the group’s most famous recordings is its cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” You’ve got to really be into this sort of thing, but if you are, Manhattan Transfer is tops. Here, the group is joined by an inventor of vocalese, Jon Hendricks. The show is part of the Kennedy Center’s “Swing, Swing, Swing” festival. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. Ticket prices vary ($20-65), no minimum. View event on calendar | GMU Center for the Arts website

DC Choro, Grill from Ipanema, 7:30 p.m.| DC Choro is a sextet that plays Brazilian music drawing on European folk traditions. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Grill from Ipanema profile

Mike Flaherty’s Dixieland Jazz Direct, Zoo Bar Café, 7:30 p.m.| This combo specializes in traditional New Orleans-style jazz. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Zoo Bar website

Ethan Iverson Trio, Atlas PAC, 8 p.m. | The Bad Plus is a loud, gluttonous, ribald piano trio that gets called jazz only because music writers have no idea what other bin to toss its music into; the Bad Plus has become one of the most popular and beloved bands to play instrumental music of any sort in the past few decades. Pianist Ethan Iverson is in that group, but the trio he’ll be leading at the Atlas Performing Arts Center is absolutely nothing like it. Iverson has shown his chops as a profoundly swinging, touch-oriented jazz pianist before (his Live at Smalls record, with “Tootie” Heath and Ben Street, is a masterwork), and those who are familiar with that side of his playing know it’s not to be missed. His jazz blog – arguably the best one on the internet – burrows deep into the history and complexity of jazz’s legendary personalities and the music’s present-day dilemmas. Iverson is sure to do the same thing with his music at this show. $20 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center website

Distinction, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Distinction is a funk-jazz fusion quartet. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | A warm-blooded tenor saxophonist with a range of musical inclinations, Ravi Coltrane is one of this jazz generation’s leading lights. He might not have the level of influence of his father, John Coltrane, but that’s not a very fair comparison. Musically, Ravi Coltrane carries on the legacy of past generations with a gripping sense of swing and readiness to reinterpret jazz standards, but he’s fiercely modern: A member of Steve Coleman’s M-Base collective, he soars over intense, polyrhythmic rhythmic patters, occasionally throwing in a hip-hop beat or two. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $30 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m.| The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman 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 Trio, Utopia, 9 p.m. | Singer Cheryl Jones has a weekly engagement every Sunday at Utopia, where she sings with depth, force and clarity. Jones 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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