This Week in Jazz
>> If you can make it out to only one show this week, then go hear the great Sonny Rollins tonight at the Kennedy Center. The Saxophone Colossus likes our town, so it's sure to be a memorable show. 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $78.
>> Just before the Sonny Rollins show, Three Stars alums The Jazz Update will join young musicians from the D.C. public school system on the Millennium Stage to perform as The Capitol Jazz Project. 6 p.m. Free.
>> Not long ago, we profiled the jazz program at the University of Maryland, under the direction of saxophonist Chris Vadala. Tonight, Vadala will perform with his own group at the Mansion at Strathmore. 7:30 p.m. $17.
>> The Fourth Wall, a collective dedicated to developing the avant-garde scene in D.C., presents a triple bill tonight at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. The show features vibist Khan Jamal, bassist Vattel Cherry, and Chromatic Mysteries. 8 p.m. Call 202-667-0088 for set time and cover information.
>> Violinist Miles Stiebel has not only performed with national acts such as Chicago, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles, but is also a respected promoter. He'll lead a group tonight at Blues Alley for an evening of holiday music. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $22 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.
>> The Blair Mansion in Silver Spring is quickly establishing itself as a jazz venue of note. In addition to regular jam sessions and workshops, the club/restaurant features a wide variety of music. Tonight, it will host vocalist Sidney Lawrence ($10 cover), and tomorrow, harmonica wiz Frederic Yonnet will pay a visit ($20 cover). Both shows are at 8 p.m.
>> The Killer Stilts are a trio of self-described divas that blend jazz, blues, and funk with humorous spoken word to create an irreverent dialogue covering topics ranging from beauty, money, sex, religion, and politics. They'll be at Twins Jazz on Thursday. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $15 + $12 minimum/surcharge.
>> White Flag's show at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge on Thursday doesn't really fall within jazz, but any group that involves a dialogue between three Palestinian musicians from Gaza and three Israeli musicians from Tel Aviv might be worth checking out. 8 p.m. Call 202-667-0088 for cover information.
>> District native Chad Carter has spent the past ten years establishing himself as a vocalist here, and now has started performing all along the East Coast. He'll be at Bohemian Caverns on Thursday with a group local veterans. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $20.
Esperanza Spalding
>> Organist Jackie Hairston got his break with none other than the great Otis Redding. He'll be leading his own group on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest, where he'll pay tribute to another great singer, Arthur Prysock. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.
>> We last heard from Esperanza Spalding, one of jazz's brightest young stars, this past spring at the Kennedy Center's annual Women in Jazz Festival. She returns to the city on Saturday, headlining her own show, at the 6th and I Synagogue. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are sold out, but it's worth contacting the Washington Performing Arts Society for last minute cancellations.
>> Local trumpeter and Grammy nominee Michael Thomas leads his quintet on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. Earlier this year, the band put out it's latest release, Live at Twins Jazz - Vols. I & II. Tickets to the 9 and 11 p.m. sets are $20 + $12 minimum/surcharge.
>> Vocalist Heidi Martin has long been a familiar face in the local scene. She sets up shop at Bohemian Caverns for 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15.
>> Trombonist and big band leader Eric Felten leads his jazz orchestra next Tuesday through 8 and 10 p.m. performances of Duke Ellington's jazz arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Tickets are $25 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.
>> The U.S. Army Blues returns to the Millennium Stage on Tuesday to play holiday arrangements by the great Stan Kenton. 6 p.m. Free
>> Rob Coltun leads his band Touch Acoustra, as they back master Malian griot artist Cheick Hamala Diabate on Tuesday night at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. Call 202-667-0088 for set time and cover information.