by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

If you’re a regular “Weekend in Jazz” reader, you might recognize Marshall Keys’s name, since we recommend his Sunday brunch gig at Acadiana every week. But if you want to hear the slippery saxophonist front and center, leading a top-shelf band in a bona fide club, this is your shot. He’s at Bohemian Caverns Friday and Saturday, and the shows are sure to be special. Also this weekend, the most imposing married couple in jazz — pianists Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes — perform together at the Kennedy Center on Saturday, and D.C. vocalist Integriti Reeves gives us a preview of the upcoming Washington Women in Jazz Festival with her performance on Sunday at the American Art Museum. 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, MARCH 2

cb picks:

• Marshall Keys, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

DeAndrey Howard & Collector’s Edition, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | At this week’s Jazz Night, trumpeter DeAndrey Howard brings group, Collector’s Edition. The band plays standards with a friendly, inviting touch; the positive energy always ratchets up a notch when Howard tosses aside the trumpet to sing a spontaneous blues. Tonight, the band includes Kristine Key on vocals, Herb Scott on saxophone, Vince Smith on piano, Blake Meister on bass and Ron Compton on drums. $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. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yamomanem, 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

Mike Stern, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dave Weckl are two of the few remaining lions who still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, then with fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. Stern errs toward theatrics in both his guitar playing and his idiomatic preferences, but has the shredding talent and dripping-wet tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring bassist John Pattitucci and saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. But those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Julian Hipkins Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Julian Hipkins sings with a swingin’ flair and jaunty, deep voice that recall Jimmy Rushing. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Bob Schwartz Quartet, Melody Tavern, 8 p.m. | Saxophonist Bob Schwartz leads a quartet in lighthearted, straight-ahead renditions of jazz classics. $5 cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Melody Tavern website

Marshall Keys, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Marshall Keys’ saxophone can sing the blues or swing to the rhythms of bebop with a laid-back sense of cool. A fluid, graceful player, Keys also deftly handles the smoother leanings of jazz-rock fusion; his first professional experience came with the famous Blackbyrds. He performs at Bohemian Caverns this weekend with a combo that includes the inimitable D.C. drummer Mark Prince. No cover, 1-drink 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

Speaking Tube, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Speaking Tube is a spare trio of French musicians, who interpret revolutionary folk songs from a variety of heritages. The band includes Emilie Lesbros on voice, Frantz Loriot on viola and Pascal Niggenkemper on acoustic bass. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Aaron Myers, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 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 DeAndrey 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, MARCH 3

cb picks:

• Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes, Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
• Marshall Keys, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• WKP Jazz Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9:30 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

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

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

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

Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes, Kennedy Center, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.| Bill Charlap is one of the most praised pianists of the past 20 years, possessed of fastidious control and a sensitive touch on the keyboard. Here he appears with his wife, fellow pianist Renee Rosnes, an equally respected pianist who has recorded with Joe Henderson and J.J. Johnson, and was a charter member of the SFJazz Collective. Rosnes’ attack is more percussive, and on the couple’s recent CD, Double Portrait, the two players’ styles were thrown into coruscating relief. Two separate shows at 7:30 & 9:30. Tickets $35. View event on calendar | KC Jazz Club profile

Janine Gilbert-Carter Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Vocalist Janine Gilbert-Carter has a fulsome set of pipes that employs with masterful finesse and delicateness, in a style not entirely unlike Betty Carter’s. She often sings gospel, but she’s just as apt to do straight-ahead jazz – which is what’s on the bill at the Mandarin Oriental. 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

Mike Stern, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dave Weckl are two of the few remaining lions who still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, then with fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. Stern errs toward theatrics in both his guitar playing and his idiomatic preferences, but has the shredding talent and dripping-wet tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring bassist John Pattitucci and saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. But those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Marshall Keys, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Marshall Keys’ saxophone can sing the blues or swing to the rhythms of bebop with a laid-back sense of cool. A fluid, graceful player, Keys also deftly handles the smoother leanings of jazz-rock fusion; his first professional experience came with the famous Blackbyrds. He performs at Bohemian Caverns this weekend with a combo that includes the inimitable D.C. drummer Mark Prince. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Mark Saltman Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Bassist Mark Saltman is a co-leader of the group Saltman Knowles, which often performs at HR-57. Here he leads his own straight-ahead jazz quartet. $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

Speaking Tube, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Speaking Tube is a spare trio of French musicians, who interpret revolutionary folk songs from a variety of heritages. The band includes Emilie Lesbros on voice, Frantz Loriot on viola and Pascal Niggenkemper on acoustic bass. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

WKP Jazz Trio w/Herb Scott, Black Fox Lounge, 9 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, and by trumpeter Joe Brotherton. 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

Joe Herrera’s Jam Session, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 10:30 p.m. | Joe Herrera, the lyrical trumpeter who co-leads the beloved Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, leads an open jam session in the lobby of the Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of the venue’s Intersections festival. Free. View event on calendar | Atlas website

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, MARCH 4

cb pick:

• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• Integriti Reeves, American Art Museum, 2 p.m.
• Eliot Seppa Quartet, Twins Jazz, 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

Dan Roberts, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1:30 p.m. | The fiercely interrogative pianist Dan Roberts – who arranges and performs for the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, among others – plays alongside bassist Joe Bussey. This show is part of the Atlas’s Intersections festival. Two separate, one-hour sets at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Free. View event on calendar | Atlas website

Integriti Reeves, American Art Museum, 2 p.m. | Rising vocalist Integriti Reeves, fresh out of Baltimore’s Peabody Institute and now a graudate student in Howard University’s Jazz Studies program, is enamored with the work of classic jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s Billie Holiday whom Reeves emulates the most, as she sings ballads with a sibilant, brooding tone. Here she performs as part of the Smithsonian’s ongoing Luce Unplugged series at the Luce Foundation Center. The show is also billed as a preview of the Second Annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival, which gets into full swing during the last week of March. Free. View event on calendar | American Art Museum 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

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

Mike Stern, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dave Weckl are two of the few remaining lions who still traverse the all-but-forgotten road of rock-jazz fusion. Stern broke through as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, then with fusion groups led by Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. Stern errs toward theatrics in both his guitar playing and his idiomatic preferences, but has the shredding talent and dripping-wet tone to back it up. Weckl, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, is one of the most technically stupendous drummers in the world. Most fans of fusion and jam music connoisseurs hold this group – featuring bassist John Pattitucci and saxophonist Bob Franceschini – in high regard. But those who are disposed to ask questions like, “Well, what does the music mean, what’s it saying?” often find little to hold onto here. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $40 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Eliot Seppa Quartet, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Eliot Seppa is a rising talent on the bass, holding his own in a bassist-heavy town. In the past two years, his broad, bounding sound has grown up; he now plays with an assurance often reserved for much older players, even while retaining the verve of a youthful comer. The Howard University student here leads a quartet featuring Elijah Jamal Balbed on tenor saxophone, Sam Prather on piano and Lydia Lewis on drums. 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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