by Giovanni Russonello
Editor-in-chief

Soulful saxophone acrobat Tia Fuller brings her quartet to Bohemian Caverns this Friday and Saturday. Then on Sunday night, the experimental pianist Matthew Shipp leads his trio at the club. Add to that the WKP Jazz Trio, joined by the wailing alto sax man Herb Scott, performing at the Black Fox Lounge’s basement stage. Clearly, this weekend, the action is underground. 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 4

cb picks:

• Tia Fuller Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Bill Haymon Quintet, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Bill Haymon is often in the audience at Westminster Presbyterian’s barn-burning jazz sessions on Friday evenings. This evening, the straight-ahead flautist takes the stage with his talented quintet, featuring a handful of somewhat less-than-familiar faces on the D.C. jazz scene: Tony Harrod on guitar, Clifton Brockington on piano, Efraim Wolfolk on bass and Percy Smith on drums. $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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yamomanem Jazz Band, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Yamomanem Jazz Band plays a faithful take on New Orleans jazz, conjuring the days of King Oliver and early Louis Armstrong with its lush brass section. 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

Kirk Whalum & the Airmen of Note, GWU Lisner Auditorium, 8 p.m. | Appearing as part of George Washington University’s Jazz Heritage Series, the soul-drenched smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum appears at the Lisner Auditorium with the Air Force’s world-class swing band, the Airmen of Note. Whalum released a CD of Donny Hathaway covers last year, and it hopscotches the divide between smooth and soul jazz without falling into the fault line – what you end up with is a soul record of grit and honesty and verve. His typical repertoire is more strictly smooth jazz, but onstage with the Air Force’s swing band, there’s no telling what will happen. Free. View event on calendar | Lisner website

Kindred the Family Soul, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Keeping alive Philadelphia’s rich soul history but adding a contemporary feel, Kindred the Family Soul sing earnest urban soul that’s both uplifting and pathos-laden. Singer Aja Graydon, one half of this husband-wife duo, originally hails from D.C. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Sharón Clark Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Sharón Clark sings with fervor and soul, plus impressive precision. She’s one of D.C.’s top jazz singers. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Tia Fuller Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Saxophonist Tia Fuller has devoted her life to music. After receiving a Masters degree in jazz from the University of Colorado, she moved to the New York City area and soon became an in-demand performer. She has now played with a number of luminaries, including John Faddis, Rufus Reid and Nancy Wilson, but she is perhaps best known as a member of pop superstar Beyoncé’s all-female touring band. Through performing with Beyoncé, she has appeared on a number of major television programs. Fuller’s sound on the alto saxophone is starkly influenced by the blues, à la Cannonball Adderley, and her soulful ferocity and searing tone harken back to Adderley’s playing with his acclaimed 1960s quintet. A sax acrobaticist, Fuller is adept at playing uptempo burnouts as well as smooth ballads. This weekend, she and her all-female jazz quartet return to D.C., this time at Bohemian Caverns. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $18 cover, no minimum. [Preview by Luke Stewart] 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

Whitney James, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Vocalist Whitney James knows treats jazz standards with sensitivity, sliding into her deceptively deep croon from a range of emotional vantage points. She often interprets lesser-known tunes, so even though she sings straight-ahead, George Gershwin and Cole Porter’s compositions might be mercifully underrepresented on the two nights she performs at Twins this weekend. 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 5

cb picks:

• Tia Fuller Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• WKP Jazz Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m.
• Thad Wilson Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

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

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

District Jazz Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | A self-described “cool swinging jazz trio,” the District Jazz Trio is saxophonist Seth Popkin, pianist Dan Nathan and bassist Roger Rosa. The group plays jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Full Ascent, 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

Julie Hall Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Julie Hall passionately projects a swirling, blooming tone, and flavors her renditions of jazz standards with a pregnant tremolo. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Kindred the Family Soul, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Keeping alive Philadelphia’s rich soul history but adding a contemporary feel, Kindred the Family Soul sing earnest urban soul that’s both uplifting and pathos-laden. Singer Aja Graydon, one half of this husband-wife duo, originally hails from D.C. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Blues Alley profile

Tia Fuller Quartet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Saxophonist Tia Fuller has devoted her life to music. After receiving a Masters degree in jazz from the University of Colorado, she moved to the New York City area and soon became an in-demand performer. She has now played with a number of luminaries, including John Faddis, Rufus Reid and Nancy Wilson, but she is perhaps best known as a member of pop superstar Beyoncé’s all-female touring band. Through performing with Beyoncé, she has appeared on a number of major television programs. Fuller’s sound on the alto saxophone is starkly influenced by the blues, à la Cannonball Adderley, and her soulful ferocity and searing tone harken back to Adderley’s playing with his acclaimed 1960s quintet. A sax acrobaticist, Fuller is adept at playing uptempo burnouts as well as smooth ballads. This weekend, she and her all-female jazz quartet return to D.C., this time at Bohemian Caverns. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $18 cover, no minimum. [Preview by Luke Stewart] 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

Thad Wilson Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m.| Trumpeter Thad Wilson plays with articulation and clarity, and a deference to melody that makes it easy to fall in love with his playing. A prominent member of the D.C. jazz community, Wilson once led a resident big band at Bohemian Caverns and now teaches at George Washington University. He returns to HR-57, his frequent stomping ground, for a night at the helm of a quartet. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Whitney James, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Vocalist Whitney James knows treats jazz standards with sensitivity, sliding into her deceptively deep croon from a range of emotional vantage points. She often interprets lesser-known tunes, so even though she sings straight-ahead, George Gershwin and Cole Porter’s compositions might be mercifully underrepresented on the two nights she performs at Twins this weekend. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar |Twins Jazz profile

WKP Jazz Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 p.m. | The WKP Trio is a straight-ahead jazz ensemble consisting of Kenny Peagler on piano, Percy White on bass and Will Stephens on drums. Here, the group is joined by a young, soulful powerhouse of an alto saxophonist: Herb Scott. 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 6

cb picks:

• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• Matthew Shipp Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 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

Matthew Shipp Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 7 p.m. | Matthew Shipp is a contemporary powerhouse in jazz. For nearly 30 years, he has forged a path of innovation – informed by tradition – through his strong sense of conceptual expression. From hip-hop to indie-rock to electronica, Shipp has explored his musicality via an array of popular artforms, which have all contributed to his sonic pallet. His most recent recording features him in a trio setting with bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey, as well as in a marvelous solo performance. The show at Bohemian Caverns, where he will be joined by Bisio and Dickey, marks the third monthly installation of Transparent Productions’ “Sundays at 7 at the Caverns” series. $15 cover, no minimum. [Preview by Luke Stewart] View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

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

In the Groove: Battle of the Bands, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | In the Groove hosts Battles of the Bands around the northeast. D.C.’s battle takes place at Twins, although from past winners it seems that the competition engages mostly rock groups. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Brian Lenair, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Brian Lenair is a smooth jazz saxophone player. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $18 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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