by Giovanni Russonello

CapitalBop is very excited to present our own show tonight (Friday) at Columbia Heights’ newest southern BBQ joint, Acre 121. Saxophonist Herb Scott’s soulful jazz quartet, Herb Spice & Cinnamonstix, will be bringing his raucous, danceable rhythms from 8 to midnight, so stop through if you can. That aside, this dark and stormy weekend is a great one for jazz all around, with modern bop trumpeter Duane Eubanks performing at Bohemian Caverns on Friday and Saturday and the thoughtful piano innovator Dan Tepfer playing at Twins Jazz. Cuff your jeans, throw on your boots, and go get soaked in sound. You can find details on everything in this week’s edition of “Weekend in Jazz,” our 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, AUGUST 26

cb picks:

• Herb Spice & Cinnamonstix, Acre 121, 8 p.m. (CapitalBop)
• Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Dan Tepfer w/Brad Linde Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Bill Burke & Bruce Ewan, Jazz in the Garden, 5 p.m. | Guitarist Bill Burke and harmonica man Bruce Ewan play the blues. Free. View event on calendar | Jazz in the Garden website

Wendell Shepherd, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | Trumpeter Wendell Shepherd leads a hard-bop sestet through a celebration of the music of Lee Morgan and Jimmy Smith, practitioners of Philadelphian soul-bebop. The group includes Greg Hatza on organ, Diane Daly on vocals, Earl Wilson on guitar and vocals, Ron Pender on saxophone and George Gray 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

Triple Double Jazz Band, Sala Thai (U St.), 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

Night & Day Trio, Sala Thai (Petworth), 7 p.m. | The Night & Day Trio plays traditional, swing-oriented jazz, featuring Renée Tannenbaum on vocals, Mike Suser on piano and vocals and Dennis Johnson on saxophone. 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

Herb Spice & Cinnamonstix, 8 p.m. | “The goal of this group is to contrast urban music with jazz music. I think what people will realize is that there is a link between the two styles,” says saxophonist Herb Scott, who will be performing with Cinnamonstix at Acre 121. “We want people our age to come to our shows and feel that they’re a part of something, in the same way that they would go see a go-go band or a rapper and get that sort of energy. They’d dance and have a good time.” This show is presented by CapitalBop, and it’s the first jazz performance at Acre 121. Free. View event on calendar | Acre 121 website

The Nighthawks, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The Nighthawks are a roots rock and jump blues quartet. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Bonnie Harris Quartet, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 8 p.m. | Straight-ahead jazz vocalist Bonnie Harris leads a talented quartet featuring Chris Grasso on piano, Tommy Cecil on bass and Lenny Robinson on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Trumpeter Duane Eubanks is a rising star, equipped with a clear tone and playful knack for phrasing. Eubanks is the brother of world-famous guitarist Kevin, formerly the leader of the band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and trombonist Robin, a veteran of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. But he’s a preeminent musician himself, playing with the Illinois Jacquet Big Band, the Next Legacy Orchestra and the Oliver Lake Big Band, as well as Jason Linder’s Big Band, with whom he appears every week in New York City. He’ll perform at Bohemian Caverns with a combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $20 in advance, 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 Quartet, 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

Dan Tepfer with the Brad Linde Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | Dan Tepfer, Paris-reared and New York City-based, is a sentient and reactive piano stylist, with an keen awareness of the humming spirit that the right harmonies can exude. One of the top young pianists making waves on the scene today, Tepfer plays here with D.C. saxophonist Brad Linde’s regular quartet, featuring Sarah Hughes on alto saxophone, Tom Baldwin on bass and Tony Martucci on drums. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz 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. Donvonte’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, AUGUST 27

cb picks:

• Akua Allrich, Petworth Jazz Project, 6:30 p.m.
• Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Dan Tepfer w/Brad Linde Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy Quintet, 18th Street Lounge 10:30 p.m.
• Elijah Jamal Balbed, 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

Akua Allrich, Petworth Jazz Project, 6:30 p.m. | (NOTE: Ironically, this show was cancelled due to rain on Aug. 13 – and then rescheduled to coincide perfectly with Hurricane Irene. If it’s a wet and stormy mess on Saturday, the show will surely be cancelled again.) // India Arie, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Miriam Makeba – all of their influences bubble up in vocalist Akua Allrich’s Afrobeat-influenced neo-soul. The Howard University graduate, who composes many of her own tunes, will perform with a small band featuring top D.C. jazz talent, including bassist Kris Funn and drummer C.V. Dashiell III. The monthly Petworth Jazz Project is bringing great music into Petworth, which has lacked a jazz presence for a while. The shows occur at the Petworth Playground, and blankets are provided. Free. View event on calendar | Petworth Jazz Project 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

Triple Double Jazz Band, Sala Thai (Bethesda), 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

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

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

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

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 likely to do straight-ahead jazz – which is what’s on the bill at the Mandarin Oriental. She’s backed by a trio of Eric Byrd on piano, Wes Biles on bass and Jeff Neal on drums. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Mandarin Oriental Hotel website

Conya Doss, Blues Alley, 8 & 11 p.m. | Conya Doss is an R&B singer who pairs retro sensibilities with a modern urban style. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $20 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar| Blues Alley profile

Duane Eubanks, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Trumpeter Duane Eubanks is a rising star, equipped with a clear tone and playful knack for phrasing. Eubanks is the brother of world-famous guitarist Kevin, formerly the leader of the band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and trombonist Robin, a veteran of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. But he’s a preeminent musician himself, playing with the Illinois Jacquet Big Band, the Next Legacy Orchestra and the Oliver Lake Big Band, as well as Jason Linder’s Big Band, with whom he appears every week in New York City. He’ll perform at Bohemian Caverns with a combo. Two separate sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $20 in advance, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Dan Tepfer with the Brad Linde Quartet, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. |Dan Tepfer, Paris-reared and New York City-based, is a sentient and reactive piano stylist, with an keen awareness of the humming spirit that the right harmonies can exude. One of the top young pianists making waves on the scene today, Tepfer plays here with D.C. saxophonist Brad Linde’s regular quartet, featuring Sarah Hughes on alto saxophone, Tom Baldwin on bass and Tony Martucci on drums. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz 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. | 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

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

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

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, AUGUST 28

cb picks:

• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• Jolley Brothers, B. Smith’s, 12 p.m.
• Black Notes, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 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

Black Notes, Bohemian Caverns, 7 & 9 p.m. | Following in the tradition of era-defining Black bards like GIl Scott-Heron, the Last Poets, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, Black Notes integrates deep grooves and red-blooded messages of revolution and solidarity. The accomplished band includes Reginald Cyntje on trombone and Antonio Parker on alto saxophone. Two separate shows at 7 & 9 p.m. $15 cover in advance, $18 at the door, 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

Noel Gourdin, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | Jazzy Blu is a smooth jazz sestet. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $20 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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