by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

This weekend, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival comes to the Rockville Hilton, a cast of A-list stars in tow for its three-day-long jazz megathon: Roy Haynes, Warren Wolf, Nicholas Payton and so many others. Just a few miles south on Rockville Pike, Strathmore’s month-long Discover Ellington festival will also be hitting its stride this weekend, with a surfeit of great shows; in particular, look to the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra’s performance with Paquito D’Rivera, and baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell’s show with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. 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, FEBRUARY 17

cb picks:

• Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 3 p.m.-midnight
• Herb Scott, Westminster Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
• Brian Stokes Mitchell, Strathmore, 8 p.m.
• Dwayne Adell, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Johnny O’Neal, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 3 p.m. (all evening) | The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival is a major ritual for D.C.-area jazz fans. For three full days, it’s packed with music. Today’s standout events include a panel discussion entitled “Where’s the Black Audience for Jazz” at 6 p.m., hosted by Willard Jenkins, and vocalist Carmen Bradford’s performance at 10 p.m. CapitalBop’s guide to the festival is available here. Ticket prices vary (all-access pass costs $235). View event on calendar | Full schedule at MAJF website

Herb Scott, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Herb Scott is a young, soulful powerhouse of an alto saxophonist. Here he celebrates the release of his debut CD. Sometimes, Scott’s music verges away from straight-ahead jazz, landing somewhere between funk, smooth jazz and R&B, but tonight his ensemble suggests that swingin’ and standards will be in the cards: Allyn Johnson on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass, Terence Arnett on drums and Akua Allrich on vocals. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church 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

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, 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

Channeling Duke Ellington, Strathmore, 7 p.m. | As part of Strathmore’s month-long Discover Ellington festival, pianist Bob Sykes and bassist Karine Chapdelaine perform recreations of Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton’s famous duets. (They have truly transcribed them note for note.) $15 cover in advance, $20 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Strathmore website

Dianne Reeves, Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. | Grammy winner and jazz icon Dianne Reeves sings in a bottomless peal, wrapping her voice around a melody with knowing and gentle warmth. Two separate shows at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tickets $55, no minimum. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Jerry Butler, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Saxophonist Kim Waters is one of the architects of the now-popular “urban smooth” sound. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $35 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Kristine Key Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Delicate-voiced and wistful singer Kristine Key is accompanied here by an expert quartet. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Chris Botti, Kennedy Center, 8 p.m. | Chris Botti’s publicity team boasts of him being “the best-selling jazz instrumentalist in music today,” and, as discouraging as it is to consider, you have to wonder whether that’s just because most of what he plays is hardly jazz at all. Tickets vary ($20-$85), no minimum. View event on calendar | Kennedy Center website

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Strathmore, 8 p.m. | Tony Award-winning baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell appears with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and local vocalist Julia Nixon, exploring the Ellington songbook with graduates from D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The tap dancing Manzari Brothers add a tip of the hat to Ellington’s star-making emergence at New York’s famous all-music, all-dancing (and dubiously all-white) Cotton Club. Tickets vary ($39–$79), no minimum. [words by Ken Avis] View event on calendar | Strathmore website

Dwayne Adell, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | One of the most respected pianists and arrangers, Dwayne Adell performs here in a trio featuring Kris Funn on bass and Quincy Phillips on drums, an expert pair that performs together constantly. Adell is a musical autodidact who has greater fluency at the keyboard than with a pencil and staff paper, but he can master virtually any piece of music and make it his own. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Peter Edelman Trio, Columbia Station, 9 p.m. | The stalwart D.C. piano player Peter Edelman every Friday 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

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 profile

Holly Hofmann, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The jazz flute performance, in and of itself, is a dubious proposition. It seems almost inherently destined for self-parody and insipid smoothness. (Will Ferrell’s absurdist turn as a flautist in the film Anchor Man hasn’t helped the situation.) But Holly Hofmann plays the alto and bass flutes with clarity and sensitivity, giving punch and vitality to an instrument that doesn’t immediately lend itself to jazz’s emphasis on rhythmic zest. She appears here alongside pianist Mike Wofford, bassist Herman Burney and drummer Chuck Redd. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swingin’ and soulful, with a bright, aggressive tone. He casually sprinkles neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bop. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | Vocalist Aaron Myers leads a straight-ahead jazz quartet, featuring piano, bass and drums. 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, FEBRUARY 18

cb picks:

• Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 9 a.m.-midnight
• Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra w/Paquito D’Rivera, Strathmore, 8 p.m.
• David Taylor Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Holly Hofmann, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 9 a.m. (all day) | The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival is a major ritual for D.C.-area jazz fans. For three full days, it’s packed with music. Today’s standout events include a performance by Warren Wolf at 7 p.m., and one by Roy Haynes at 10 p.m. CapitalBop’s guide to the festival is available here. Ticket prices vary (all-access pass costs $235). View event on calendar | Full schedule at MAJF 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

Duke Ellington Panel Discussion, Strathmore, 7 p.m. | As part of Strathmore’s month-long Discover Ellington festival, a panel discussion will investigate Duke Ellington’s life and legacy. The panel will include John Edward Hasse, curator of American Music at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; Davey Yarborough, director of music at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts; and composer and author David Schiff. Free. View event on calendar | Strathmore 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, 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., where she’s accompanied by a pianist. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Henley Park’s website

Lena Seikaly Trio, 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 and a fulsome power that approaches Sarah Vaughan’s. Here she leads her own drumless trio, joined by guitar and bass. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Extra Virgin’s website

Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra w/Paquito D’Rivera, Strathmore, 8 p.m. | As part of Strathmore’s month-long Discover Ellington festival, the Grammy Award-winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra will showcase original music inspired by Duke Ellington, as well as his own classics such as “Caravan” and “In a Sentimental Mood.” Saxophone and clarinet legend Paquito D’Rivera will be joining the band. Tickets vary ($29–$69), no minimum. View event on calendar | Strathmore website

Kim Waters, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Saxophonist Kim Waters is one of the architects of the now-popular “urban smooth” sound. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $35 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

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 

Lydia Lewis Trio, Tasting Room, 8 p.m. | Tasteful drummer and composer Lydia Lewis leads her trio in background fare at the Tasting Room, a wine bar in Friendship Heights. She’s consistently joined by expert side musicians. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tasting Room website

Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Hamilton, 8:30 p.m. | With a voice of velvet and seemingly effortless finesse as a songwriter, Bobby “Blue” Bland is a legendary blues whose city-slicking air belie his Tennessee roots. He’s an octogenarian, but can still deliver a passionate performance. View event on calendar | Hamilton website

David Taylor Trio, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | David Taylor, one of the most respected bass trombonists in the world, has an expansive knowledge, and a wide-stretching sound. He performed with Thad Jones and Duke Ellington, but here appears alongside Daniel Schnyder on saxophone and Kenny Drew, Jr. on piano (yes, that Kenny Drew, Jr., who happens to sound a lot like that Kenny Drew, Sr.). Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker’s playing is swingin’ and soulful, with a bright, aggressive tone. He casually sprinkles neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bop. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

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

Holly Hofmann, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The jazz flute performance, in and of itself, is a dubious proposition. It seems almost inherently destined for self-parody and insipid smoothness. (Will Ferrell’s absurdist turn as a flautist in the film Anchor Man hasn’t helped the situation.) But Holly Hofmann plays the alto and bass flutes with clarity and sensitivity, giving punch and vitality to an instrument that doesn’t immediately lend itself to jazz’s emphasis on rhythmic zest. She appears here alongside pianist Mike Wofford, bassist James King and drummer Chuck Redd. Two separate sets at 8 and 10 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, FEBRUARY 19

cb pick:

• Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 10:30 a.m.-midnight
  
• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• Tim Berne’s Snakeoil, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m.

Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Rockville Hilton, 10:30 a.m.-midnight | The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival is a major ritual for D.C.-area jazz fans. For three full days, it’s packed with music. Today’s standout events include an interview with Nicholas Payton at 3 p.m., and a performance by the Paul Carr Quintet at 10 p.m. CapitalBop’s guide to the festival is available here.  Ticket prices vary (all-access pass costs $235). View event on calendar | Full schedule at MAJF website

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

Tim Berne’s Snakeoil, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Tim Berne is possessed of a wavering placidity, and an experimental sense that he drapes over both his slowly flowing compositions and inspired improvisations. His playing can be laconic one moment, quick and searing the next. His new, expert quartet, Snakeoil, just released an accomplished album. The band is comprised of Berne, reedist Oscar Noriega, pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer Ches Smith. This is the second show in Transparent Productions’ winter/spring “Sundays at 7 at the Caverns” series. Two separate sets at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover, no minimum. 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

Kim Waters, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Saxophonist Kim Waters is one of the architects of the now-popular “urban smooth” sound. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $35 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Leslie Casey, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Vocalist Leslie Casey blends jazz and neo-soul. She performs here with a small group. Two separate sets at 8 & 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 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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