by Giovanni Russonello
Editorial board

This weekend is packed with exciting music — everything from the Rosslyn Jazz Festival on Saturday, featuring Joshua Redman and Don Byron, to CapitalBop’s D.C. Jazz Loft on Sunday, the first ever on the U Street Corridor. Thrilling shows are on tap at Twins Jazz, Blues Alley and Bohemian Caverns, as well. Find details on those 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, SEPTEMBER 7

cb picks:

• Nasar Abadey Quintet, Westminster Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
• Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Michael Thomas Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Sheryl Bailey w/Aaron Walker, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Nasar Abadey Quintet, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. | The drummer Nasar Abadey, a fixture of the D.C. scene, is at home in a variety of musical environments. Here he leads a straight-ahead quintet featuring other musicians from among the District’s top echelon: Antonio Parker on saxophone, Reginald Cyntje on trombone, Allyn Johnson on piano and James King on bass. $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, 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

Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The pianist Cyrus Chestnut has it all down pat: the stride piano of the 1920s and ’30s, the bebop acrobatics of Bud Powell’s generation and the heady groove of modern jazz. It’s all laced with gospel underpinnings — full of doubled octaves and blue-tinted licks — and punctilious exuberance. Chestnut, a Baltimore native, is one of this generation’s foremost piano players. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Michael Thomas Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Since moving here from Philadelphia, the trumpeter Michael Thomas has become a frequent bandleader in the region. His tenaciously swinging sensibility tends toward the Jazz Messengers’ strain of uncompromising hard-bop, and his searing tone and dipping-and-diving improvisations have a lot in common with the work of Lee Morgan. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $18 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

Alfredo Mojica, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Alfredo Mojica, who sang at Bossa for years with the group Sin Miedo, unites salsa, jazz and Latin American balladry. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Sheryl Bailey with Aaron Walker, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The straight-ahead jazz guitarist Sheryl Bailey has plenty to offer: a bulbous, warmth-emitting tone; fluid touch; and piquant, crooked twines of notes. In her playing, you’ll hear more than a bit of Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino. Here she performs alongside Aaron Walker, a versatile drummer based in Delaware. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 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, and his improvisation shows a redolence to Kenny Garrett’s. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

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

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

cb picks:

• Rosslyn Jazz Festival, Gateway Park, 1 p.m.
• Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m.
• Michael Thomas Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
• Sheryl Bailey w/Aaron Walker, Twins Jazz, 9 p.m.
• Donvonte McCoy, 18th Street Lounge, 10:30 p.m.

Rosslyn Jazz Festival, Gateway Park, 1 p.m. | The Rosslyn Jazz Festival is always one of the year’s most exciting and welcoming jazz happenings. This year, it includes one of its most boisterous lineups yet. The saxophone idol Joshua Redman will headline with his combo, and the Don Byron New Gospel Quintet will offer a heady dose of spiritual swing. Earlier in the day, the spotlight is on vocals that marry traditionalism with a trenchant pursuit of singularity: the late-blooming vocal star René Marie, and Howard University’s a capella jazz ensemble, Afro Blue. Free. View event on calendar | Rosslyn Jazz Festival 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

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

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

Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The pianist Cyrus Chestnut has it all down pat: the stride piano of the 1920s and ’30s, the bebop acrobatics of Bud Powell’s generation and the heady groove of modern jazz. It’s all laced with gospel underpinnings — full of doubled octaves and blue-tinted licks — and punctilious exuberance. Chestnut, a Baltimore native, is one of this generation’s foremost piano players. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 minimum. View event on calendar | Blues Alley profile

Steve Synk Trio, Columbia Station, 8:30 p.m. | Lyrical bassist Steve Synk, a music major at the University of Maryland, leads a young trio that explores music ranging from standards to originals, groove-based contemporary jazz to swinging bop. No cover, one-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Columbia Station profile

Michael Thomas Quintet, Bohemian Caverns, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. | Since moving here from Philadelphia, the trumpeter Michael Thomas has become a frequent bandleader in the region. His tenaciously swinging sensibility tends toward the Jazz Messengers’ strain of uncompromising hard-bop, and his searing tone and dipping-and-diving improvisations have a lot in common with the work of Lee Morgan. Two separate sets at 9 & 11 p.m. $18 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | Bohemian Caverns profile

Sheryl Bailey with Aaron Walker, Twins Jazz, 9 & 11 p.m. | The straight-ahead jazz guitarist Sheryl Bailey has plenty to offer: a bulbous, warmth-emitting tone; fluid touch; and piquant, crooked twines of notes. In her playing, you’ll hear more than a bit of Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino. Here she performs alongside Aaron Walker, a versatile drummer based in Delaware. Two separate sets at 9 and 11 p.m. $15 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Cheyney Thomas Quartet, HR-57, 9 p.m. | Bassist Cheney Thomas, a longtime D.C. resident and HR-57 stalwart, leads his own straight-ahead quartet. $15 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | HR-57 website

Cubista, Bossa Bistro, 9 p.m. | Cubista is a salsa band that plays at Bossa every Saturday. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Bossa profile

Dee Stone, Black Fox Lounge, 9 p.m. | Dee Stone sings soul, blues, jazz and rock. The first set of every performance is usually comprised of jazz standards. 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

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

cb picks:

• Jazz Brunch: Victor Provost, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m.
• Marshall Keys, Acadiana, 11 a.m.
• D.C. Jazz Loft, Montserrat House, 7 p.m.
• Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m.
• Lyle Link, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m.

Gospel Brunch, The Hamilton, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. | Every Sunday morning, the Hamilton presents two sets of rafters-raising gospel, along with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Two separate shows at 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. $25 cover, no minimum. View event on calendar | The Hamilton 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 often plays 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

Jazz Brunch: Victor Provost, Twins Jazz, 11 a.m. | Victor Provost isn’t just the only jazz steel pan player in D.C. – he’s one of the region’s best improvisers, on any instrument. Here he leads a band with Herman Burney on bass and Reginald Cyntje on trombone. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Twins profile

Harlem Gospel Choir, Howard Theatre, 12 p.m. | The talented Harlem Gospel Choir, which has been active since 1986, performs a Sunday brunch show every week at the Howard Theatre. Either an all-you-can-eat buffet or an a la carte menu are available. Doors open at noon, and the music starts at 1:30 p.m. Tickets vary ($35 for all-you-can-eat or $20 for admission and a la carte options in advance, $45 or $30 at the door). View event on calendar | Howard 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

D.C. Jazz Jam, Dahlak, 6 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 | 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

D.C. Jazz Loft, Montserrat House, 7 p.m. | This month, the D.C. lays down roots at Montserrat House, its new home on the U Street Corridor. The acts include one of the city’s most ambitious, enriching acts: Siné Qua Non. Led by the versatile and energizing bassist Michael Bowie, the quintet offers singular arrangements of everything from classic rock to Western classical. Its music will be accompanied by projections from the video artist Michael Pino. Other performers include Howard “Kingfish” Franklin and his straight-ahead quintet, and the Pete Muldoon Project. $10 suggested donation, no minimum. View event on calendar | D.C. Jazz Loft website

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

Lyle Link, Twins Jazz, 8 & 10 p.m. | With a presentation that’s always strong and often sultry, saxophonist and flautist Lyle Link grabs you, tells you the music is about feeling as much as it’s about hearing. This soulful and sophisticated player has been a mainstay of D.C.’s jazz scene for over 10 yeas, and he’s had a major hand in its revitalization. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $10 cover, $10 minimum. View event on calendar | Twins Jazz profile

Bill Heid, Black Fox Lounge, 8 p.m. | Bill Heid plays piano and sings blues songs and jazz standards. No cover, 1-drink minimum. View event on calendar | Black Fox Lounge profile

Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Blues Alley, 8 & 10 p.m. | The pianist Cyrus Chestnut has it all down pat: the stride piano of the 1920s and ’30s, the bebop acrobatics of Bud Powell’s generation and the heady groove of modern jazz. It’s all laced with gospel underpinnings — full of doubled octaves and blue-tinted licks — and punctilious exuberance. Chestnut, a Baltimore native, is one of this generation’s foremost piano players. Two separate sets at 8 & 10 p.m. $25 cover, $12 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 

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