This month marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's assault upon the city of New Orleans. The suffering and hardship of that city's citizens no longer makes headlines, but the havoc caused by the storm is something many people still live with on a daily basis. Jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard is one of those people. A son of the Crescent City and musical descendant of fellow New Orleanians Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, and... more ›

Early in last night's set at The Birchmere, jazz vocalist par excellence Cassandra Wilson announced that she was on tour despite not having an album to support (in fact she has released thirteen albums during her stellar career). As a result, last night's audience was witness to a lighthearted and informal evening of music that was as much jam session as it was a concert. Wilson and her first-rate band came out without a set list and regaled the capacity crowd with nearly two hours of spirited music. While the lack of structure led to some looseness on stage, the relaxed atmosphere and wonderful playing more than made up for it, despite a poor sound system's best efforts at ruining the proceedings. more ›

(From DCist contributor Zoe Mitchell) U Street's long jazz tradition continues this weekend with the world premiere of the Suite for Human Nature with renowned jazz musician Wynton Marsalis (right), the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and The Boys Choir of Harlem at the Lincoln Theatre this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. According to an email circulated on the U Street News listserv, an uplifting satirical fable for the entire family, Suite for Human Nature chronicles the... more ›