by Giovanni Russonello

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” our list of every D.C. jazz show on our radar. This weekend’s highlight is that George Mason University professor and one-time D.C. jazz scene mainstay Kenny Rittenhouse is back on the scene, leading a quintet at Bohemian Caverns on Friday and Saturday. Those and all of our favorite shows have a  label. As always, you can read CapitalBop’s full listings directly at our D.C. jazz calendar, if you’d rather. Happy hunting!

FRIDAY, MAY 13

cb picks:

• Lavenia Nesmith, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m.
• Kenny Rittenhouse Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Lavenia Nesmith, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m. | Singer Lavenia Nesmith, who has portrayed Mahalia Jackson in one-woman shows, turns her talents toward a different vocal legend: the recently passed Abbey Lincoln. With the type of all-star cast of local musicians that we’ve come to expect from Westminster Presbyterian’s weekly Jazz Night, Nesmith will bring her gospel-influenced style straight from the pulpit. She’s joined by Eric Byrd on piano, Paul Carr on tenor saxophone, James King on bass and Alphonso Young, Jr. drums. $5 cover for adults, no cover for attendees under 16, no minimum. View event on calendar | Westminster Presbyterian Church website

Jacqui Simmons & Friends, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Jacqui Simmons sings jazz standards with a heartfelt and elegant presentation. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Karen Gray Trio, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 7 p.m. | Commanding vocalist Karen Gray is joined by vibraphonist Pete Chauvette and bassist Hugh Johnson in her laid-back renditions of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Yamomanem Jazz Band, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

Keiko Matsui, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The music of keyboardist and vocalist Keiko Matsui exists somewhere between smooth jazz, classical and pop. Might take you longer to figure out exactly where she lies on that spectrum than you want to bother spending. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $37.75 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Blues Alley profile

Kristine Key Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Delicate-voiced and plaintive singer Kristine Key is joined here by Chris Grasso on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Lenny Robinson on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Andréa Wood & Michael Kramer, Tasting Room, 8 p.m. | Singer Andréa Wood has started catching people’s ears since returning to D.C., her hometown, in 2009. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts graduate moves fearlessly up and down octaves, all the while maintaining a distinct sense of purpose. She can explore the upper register in a beguiling waft, or plunge into the basement with buoyant, swelling articulation. Wood and guitarist Michael Kramer play Brazilian and classic jazz standards every week as background fare at the Tasting Room, a wine bar in Friendship Heights. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Tasting Room website

Kenny Rittenhouse Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Kenny Rittenhouse was a mainstay on the D.C. jazz scene throughout much of the 1990s, playing at venues such as the One Step Down and Twins Lounge. The highly respected trumpeter has a tone that can be both mellow and punchy, and he has played with both the U.S. Army Band and the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra. Rittenhouse is now a jazz trumpet professor at George Mason University and doesn’t play out as much as he used to; it will be good to hear him with his quintet again. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker has long been a regular performer at HR-57, and when the club moved to H St. NE earlier this year, he played at opening night. Parker’s playing refers to John Coltrane’s tenor technique, but his aggressive tone and rhythmic inclinations are more contemporary, bringing neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker’s style on the horn often nods toward another one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $12 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Véronneau, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Virginia-based quartet Véronneau can sound like gypsy jazz colliding gently with Appalachian folk one moment, then slide into a smooth Brazilian samba the next. Lynn Véronneau’s voice is crisp and strong, and she can sing in English, French or Spanish. Her group is rounded out by acoustic guitarists Ken Avis and David Rosenblatt, and percussionist Pete Walby. Véronneau is celebrating the release of its new CD, Joie De Vivre. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

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

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. He’s joined every Friday by the talented, Billie Holiday-indebted singer Integriti Reeves. 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 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, MAY 14
cb picks:

• Kenny Rittenhouse Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.
• Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 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

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

Triple Double Jazz Band, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | Consisting of Joey Whitney on tenor sax, Ed Gallagher on guitar, Alan Pachter on bass and Tom Reed on drums, the Triple Double Jazz Band plays straightforward, straight-ahead versions of jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Sala Thai website

Elijah & the Po’ Boys, 7 p.m., Bayou | Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed leads his Po’ Boys trio during a dinnertime set at the New Orleans-themed Bayou. A strong, Dexter Gordon-like player, he performs mostly tunes from hard bop’s heyday and other standards. Balbed is joined here by Samir Moulay on guitar and Eric Harper on bass. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bayou profile

Lena Seikaly & Potomac Jazz Project, 7:30 p.m., Extra Virgin Restaurant | 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

Brad Collins Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m.| Brad Collins sings straight-ahead jazz and plays tenor saxophone; he’s a long-time stalwart of the Baltimore jazz scene. He’s joined here by Wayne Wilentz on piano, Max Murray on bass and Leland Nakamura on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar |Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Keiko Matsui, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The music of keyboardist and vocalist Keiko Matsui exists somewhere between smooth jazz, classical and pop. Might take you longer to figure out exactly where she lies on that spectrum than you want to bother spending. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $37.75 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Kenny Rittenhouse Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Kenny Rittenhouse was a mainstay on the D.C. jazz scene throughout much of the 1990s, playing at venues such as the One Step Down and Twins Lounge. The highly respected trumpeter has a tone that can be both mellow and punchy, and he has played with both the U.S. Army Band and the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra. Rittenhouse is now a jazz trumpet professor at George Mason University and doesn’t play out as much as he used to; it will be good to hear him with his quintet again. Two separate sets at 8:30 & 10:30. $18 cover in advance, $22 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Antonio Parker Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Alto saxophonist Antonio Parker has long been a regular performer at HR-57, and when the club moved to H St. NE earlier this year, he played at opening night. Parker’s playing refers to John Coltrane’s tenor technique, but his aggressive tone and rhythmic inclinations are more contemporary, bringing neo-soul and R&B influences into his otherwise straight-ahead bebop. Parker’s style on the horn often nods toward another one of his personal favorites, the contemporary master Kenny Garrett. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Véronneau, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.| Virginia-based quartet Véronneau can sound like gypsy jazz colliding gently with Appalachian folk one moment, then slide into a smooth Brazilian samba the next. Lynn Véronneau’s voice is crisp and strong, and she can sing in English, French or Spanish. Her group is rounded out by acoustic guitarists Ken Avis and David Rosenblatt, and percussionist Pete Walby. Véronneau is celebrating the release of its new CD, Joie De Vivre. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Kaos Theory, Columbia Station, 9:30 p.m. | Kaos Theory is a smooth funk band. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station 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 Lounge 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. Cover varies ($5-10), no minimum. View event on calendar | 18th St. Lounge profile

Elijah Jamal Experience, Utopia, 11 p.m. | Young powerhouse tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed heads up one of the swinginest shows on U Street every Saturday night. His sound drips with the blues, and from the bell of this 20-year-old’s horn seem to rise the ghosts of Coleman Hawkins and Dexter Gordon. With the Washington City Paper‘s 2010 Best New D.C. Jazz Musician award under his belt, Balbed can always be expected always to deliver the goods. 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, MAY 15

cb picks:

• Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
• Fundraiser for Japan, Twins Jazz, 3 p.m.

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

Fundraiser for Japan, Twins Jazz, 3 p.m. | A vast array of local talent will be on display at this fundraiser for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Japan. Performers include vocalists Emy Tseng and Julie Mack, plus the George V. Johnson Quintet with Elijah Jamal Balbed on tenor saxophone, Harry Appelman on piano, James King on bass and Nasar Abadey on drums. (Johnson is a singer.) $20 donation at the door. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

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

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

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

Rachel Panay, Black Fox Lounge, 7 p.m. | Rachel Panay sings with the Cristian Perez Latin Jazz Trio. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge profile

Origem, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 p.m. | This local band plays electric Brazilian jazz, mixing samba, bossa nova, forro, afoxe, maracatu, and partido alto. $10 cover in advance, $15 at the door, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Keiko Matsui, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The music of keyboardist and vocalist Keiko Matsui exists somewhere between smooth jazz, classical and pop. Might take you longer to figure out exactly where she lies on that spectrum than you want to bother spending. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $37.75 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Peng Fei, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | Peng Fei is a jazz violinist from Shanghai. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar |Twins 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

Comments

comments