While there are some great shows coming up in January, this week is still subject to holiday doldrums. Here are a few shows to check out. >> Tomorrow, vocalist/pianist Mose Allison comes to Blues Alley to begin a four night stand with daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets. It is common for touring jazz acts to hire local rhythm sections, and concert goers will be treated to two of D.C.'s finest in bassist Tommy......

>> The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance isn't anywhere nearly as embarrassing as Riverdance and its ilk -- think real jigs without the terrible music and costumes. Accompanied tonight on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage by traditional Irish musicians Billy McCominskey, Zan McLeon and Jim Eagan. Free, 6 p.m. >> Three Stars alums The Beanstalk Library are playing the Black Cat's backstage, with John Wayne Hero. 9 p.m., $8. >> It's a little......

MONDAY >> It wasn't too far from here -- just a couple hours south in Midlothian, VA, where Aimee Mann got her start. Now the guitar playing song weaver is a bonafide modern music legend. She's treating The Birchmere to her 2nd Annual Christmas Show, and it's not something you should miss. $45.50, 7:30 p.m. >> Roofwalkers (pictured), the band formerly known as Pagoda, are treating the Galaxy Hut crowd to an evening of......

>> It's the first night of Hanukkah, so if you're not celebrating with family and friends at home, consider catching the Sinai Mountain Boys, a Maryland combo that melds the speedy strumming and twanging of bluegrass with Orthodox Jewish melodies. They'll be offering an hour of unique sounds for free beginning at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. >> The Washington Jewish Film Festival presents Diane Crespo and Stefan Schaefer's Arranged, the......

MONDAY >> Those looking to kick the month off with a bang might be out of luck, as it looks like there's not a whole lot going down tonight. Still, it's not a total wash, as all the usual suspects — the Black Cat, DC9, the Velvet Lounge and the Rock and Roll Hotel — will have their bars open and waiting for the District's disillusioned masses. >> DJ Jahsonic has a new Monday night......

FRIDAY: >>Great quadruple bill comes to the Rock and Roll Hotel: Three Stars alums Jukebox the Ghost (pictured right) and tour diarists These United States join DCist fave Ra Ra Riot and Sam Champion. All that for the low, low price of $10 before, $12 at the door. Show 9 p.m. >> The Black Cat once again hosts Cryfest, everyone's favorite dance party that pits The Smiths vs. The Cure, brought to you by DJs......

>> Tonight, head over to Twins Jazz to check out New York's Mark Feldman (violin) and Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) as they team up for an evening of experimental jazz. Feldman has recorded with artists as diverse as John Zorn and They Might Be Giants while Courvoisier has worked with a number of notable European artists. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> Most of you will be stuffing your faces with Turkey Day......

>> Dr. Dremo's is closing in a matter of months, so take the opportunity to visit tonight for what looks to be an excellent installment of the Washington Psychotronic Film Society's regular oddball film screenings. Tonight's selection is Bugsy Malone, the totally bizarre but actually kind of great 1976 movie musical starring child actors Jodie Foster and Scott Baio as gangsters who shoot custard out of their guns instead of bullets. Somewhat creepily, all......

>> Those who want to hear smooth sounds with global influences should head down to Blues Alley this week as guitarist Jonathan Butler comes to town for a 3-night stand beginning Thursday. Tickets to the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets are available here. $43 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge. >> Mavis "Swan" Poole, an up-and-coming young vocalist who is an alum of the prestigious Betty Carter Straight Ahead Jazz Workshop will perform at Twins Jazz on......

>> Rachelle Farell, one of the few vocalists who successfully straddles the line between jazz, R&B and pop, will be playing at Blues Alley tonight, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sets are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The rather outrageously priced tickets are available here. $60 + $10 food/drink minimum. >> Two local ladies of jazz come to Twins Jazz tonight for our first must see. Trombonist Jen Krupa, a member of the Navy Commodores......

FRIDAY: >> The Howard Homecoming events could make an entire Weekend Picks feature by themselves, but don't forget to consider some of the less publicized goings on we're recommending as a way to enjoy the fun without the insane crowds. >> Tickets are still available for the amazingly cheap (only $10!) Catalyst Theatre Company production of Kafka's The Trial. Check out our review over here, and get your tickets — did we mention they’re only......

>> This week's first must see takes place tonight at Blues Alley as one of the area's finest drummers, Nasar Abadey, takes the stage with SuperNova (pictured right), a local jazz supergroup. The band features Allyn Johnson on piano, Gary Thomas, Jazz Studies Chair at Peabody, altoist Joe Ford, and bassist James King. Sets are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $18 + $10 food/drink minimum. Tickets available here. >> Also tonight, Twins Jazz hosts......

>> If Billie Holiday and Björk had a love child, Grazyna Auguscik would be the result. Combining a thorough knowledge of traditional jazz with the sparse and ethereal qualities of traditional northern European music, this singer/composer comes to Blues Alley tonight for 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets available here. $20 + $10 food/drink minimum. >> This Thursday, legendary pianist/keyboardist/composer George Duke begins a four night stand at Blues Alley. This gentleman has played......

>> Tickets are still available to see Argentine-Swedish songwriter and solo classical guitar player José González, he of the awesome indie cover songs (and a bunch of originals, too) play the 9:30 Club. Doors 7:30 p.m., $20, with James Blackshaw. >> Washingtonians are, for better or for worse, often defined by their work, so tonight at the Goethe Institut the DC Asian-Pacific-American Film Festival has a collection of shorts related to job issues called......

MONDAY >> At the ripe young age of 24, Patrick Wolf has already achieved a lot: three albums of brooding electronica and orchestral pop, modeling campaigns for Burberry, headlines in the British tabloids and at least one on-stage altercation that found the lupine violinist attacking his strung-out drummer with a cymbal. Drama notwithstanding, Wolf's latest, the surprisingly upbeat The Magic Position, is undoubtedly one of this year's best. Come see what all the fuss is......

Dr. Billy Taylor (pictured with his trio) is a walking history of jazz. He began playing professionally in 1944, and in that capacity he has composed over 350 songs, performed with legends such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and led his own trio for decades. The numerous awards Taylor garnered as a performer and educator include 23 honorary doctoral degrees, two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, a Grammy, and the National Medal of the......

>> Terrific local volunteer organizers Greater DC Cares are hosting a happy hour tonight at Mackey's with what looks to be free or deeply discounted beers provided by sponsor Samuel Adams. 6 to 8 p.m. Non-volunteers welcome to attend and learn more about the organization. >> The Lost Bayou Ramblers bring their Cajun dance music up from Louisiana for a free concert at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. >> Black Cat,......

MONDAY >> This ain’t not J-Pop, we swear. If you want good old-fashioned Japanese rock ‘n’ roll (OK, it’s true, we don’t really know what that’s supposed to sound like either), The Captains from some place in Japan (the city name on their MySpace page uses Japanese characters) will drop by The Red & The Black tonight. They will be supported by Sugarcane Crawl, formerly known as Blues Hammer, and D.C.'s The Bourbon Dynasty. 9......

FRIDAY: >> Octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson (at right), said to be the last black traditional string band player, plays a free show at The Kennedy Center's The Millennium Stage with fellow folk musicians Wayne Martin on fiddle and Bob Carlin, a clawhammer style banjoist. 6 p.m. >> Space rockers The Gulf sold out their D.C. show in April, and are coming back to play at the Red and the Black with the Joonies, Twin Earth,......

>> Tonight, The Alfred Mojica Band, a latin-jazz ensemble, performs at The Bossa Bistro & Lounge. Call 202-667-0088 for details. >> On Thursday, guitarist Robben Ford (pictured), an alum of Miles Davis' band, takes the stage for a four night stand at Blues Alley. Tickets to the daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets are available here. $35 + $10 food/drink minimum. >> HR-57 has some cool things going on this weekend. On Friday, saxophonist......

Though it is not yet recognized as such by the jazz audience at large, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival's organizers have achieved their goals of mounting a world class festival by assembling a roster of top flight talent, which includes Latin jazz legend and festival artistic adviser Paquito D'Rivera (pictured). These jazz greats will grace stages across the city over the course of the nine day festival, which begins on September 9 with a Taiko......

Well, we've definitely reached the doldrums of August, so things have slowed down quite a bit in Jazz Land. Nonetheless, there's still some interesting stuff to check out this week. >> Tonight, catch the Afro Bop Alliance, a Latin jazz ensemble based out of Annapolis, as they pay a visit to the Millennium Stage. The free show begins at 6 p.m. >> Also tonight, 17-year old Elijah Balbed takes the stage at Twins Jazz with......

MONDAY >> The City Veins are a strong local outfit that's been making their debut around town over the course of the past few months. They just formed in March and are already more mature and ready to bring the rock than a lot of bands with a lot more stage time. And hey, they have a blog! See what you're missing tonight at Solly's Tavern on U Street. 10 p.m. >> Do you......

>> Our first item this week has absolutely nothing to do with jazz but it's just too noteworthy not to mention. This week, The Millennium Stage hosts the 2007 Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships. Tonight through Sunday, each free 6 p.m. concert will showcase a different internationally renowned accordion ensemble. Admit it, you're curious. >> As we told you yesterday, trumpeter Terence Blanchard will be celebrating the release of his new album with a four......

>> It's the annual Night of 1,000 Cakes at Fort Reno. Did we mention the Free Cake? Free Cake! (in the form of cupcakes). Also Aquarium, Benjy Ferree and Yell County. 7:15 p.m. >> Jammin' Java in Vienna is trying something different tonight with Porto Beat, a night of electronic music featuring four of the area's top DJ talents: Ross Lara, DJ Lantern, Ramiro and DJ Nexius. All ages show, $10 for under 21,......

>> Tonight, Yamomanem brings the funky sounds of New Orleans to the Wonderland Ballroom. The music starts at 9 p.m., no cover. >> A native of China’s Hunan province, vocalist Coco Zhao discovered jazz at 17 and later studied at The Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He comes to the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage tonight at 6 p.m. Free. >> Two guitarists come to town on Thursday. Jazz guitarist Wayne Wilkinson, a former member of the......

>> Having drawn comparisons to Neutral Milk Hotel since recording their debut album in D.C. last summer, Donny Hue and the Colors, featuring members of the Carlsonics, Nethers, Washington Social Club and Meredith Bragg and the Terminals, will play for free at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage at 6 p.m. If you can't make it there in time, the performance will also be broadcast live on the web. >> Check out our review of......

>> Twin brothers Peter and Will Anderson (pictured right), natives of Bethesda, are just 20 years old, but they have already performed internationally and racked up an impressive number of awards. Currently students at Juilliard, they are in town for the summer and are bringing their quintet to Twins Jazz this Wednesday and Thursday. The music starts at 8 p.m. Call (202) 234-0072 for cover information. >> Tonight, journeyman drummer Ralph Peterson teams up with......

>> Tonight, Baltimore-based funk/fusion act Basshound comes to DC9 for a night of highly danceable grooves. With Hello Society and DJ Robinson. 8:30 p.m., $8. >> On Thursday, the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage presents Ecuador's Jazz Envoys, a group that blends the indigenous sounds of its homeland with jazz to create a unique groove. The free show begins at 6 p.m. >> Latin jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera comes to Strathmore on Thursday to play with......

MONDAY >> If you'd like to see how infinity is treating them, Souls of Mischief, of the album '93 to Infinity fame (released in 1993 of course), will bring mid-90s hip-hop to the Black Cat tonight. We assume they've updated their sound a bit since then, but quite frankly, we'll take some throwback hip-hop any day. With DJ Lex, Icon the Mic King, Kaze and Zeph & Azeem. 9 p.m., $10. TUESDAY >> For our......