Return to Forever, photo by C. Taylor Crothers, Kimberly Wright and Miles Standish Pettengill III>> Edwin Ortiz y su Orquesta La Romana has been one of D.C.’s top salsa acts for over 20 years. Check them out tonight at Strathmore, as they play a free outdoor show. 7 p.m. Call (301) 581-5100 for weather related delays.
>> Woodwind artist Ken Vandermark is a notable player in Chicago’s fertile avant-garde scene. Tonight, he pairs with drummer Tim Daisy for his idiosyncratic explorations at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum.
>> Now 80 years old, Freddy Cole is one of the most underrated vocalists and pianists of his generation, though he is considered a consummate “musician’s musician” by those familiar with his work. He will begin a four-night stand of 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Blues Alley on Thursday. $25 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.
>> Twins Jazz continues its summertime tradition of supporting talented young students on Thursday as it hosts Danielle Wertz, an award-winning high school jazz vocalist out of Northern Virginia. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10.
>> Trumpeter Allen Houser assembled a septet of many of the area’s finest musicians and dubbed the group the Washington Jazz Ensemble. The band will perform on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.
>> HR-57 hosts drummer Jimmy “Junebug” Jackson‘s quartet on Friday and Saturday. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $15.
>> Area regular Antonio Parker sets up shop at Twins Jazz this weekend for 9 and 11 p.m. sets on Friday and Saturday. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum.
>> The Sunday Jazz Lounge, curated by guitarist Rodney Richardson and trumpeter Joe Herrera, will be at Twins Jazz every Sunday in August. The Lounge features an opening solo set from a different artist each week, and then the guest joins the Richardson/Herrera Quartet. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $5.
>> Though unrelated to the jazz world, Alison Krauss and Union Station features some of the finest musicianship bluegrass has to offer, in particular with dobro player Jerry Douglas. The band will appear at Wolf Trap on Sunday for an 8 p.m. show. $30 to $48 + fees.
>> Every Monday in August, the Millennium Stage hosts a happy hour series where patrons can enjoy a cold beverage whilst grooving to the latest in global sounds. Next Monday’s show features Ethiopian pop groups Debo Band and Fendika. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Free with cash bar.
>> Blue Monday Blues hosts the Lou Jerome Band. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.
>> Local smooth jazz saxophonist Marcus Mitchell will lead his group through 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Monday at Blues Alley. $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.
>> Percussivo Mundo Novo is a project by producer, musician and inventor Mikael Mutti. The group mixes traditional drums and Bahia percussion with original instruments fashioned from digital objects, such as video game controllers. They will be performing on Tuesday at the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.
>> In the 1970s, Chick Corea‘s Return to Forever helped pioneer the jazz fusion movement. The band has undergone several lineup changes and the newest iteration — featuring Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Lenny White on drums, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin and Frank Gambale on guitar — will perform on Tuesday at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Zappa Plays Zappa will open. 5:30 p.m. doors. $40 to $125 + fees. Stay tuned for a full preview.
>> There was a short period in the early ’90s when guitar shredders were all the rage. One of the more tasteful and well-rounded players to come out of this period was Eric Johnson, whose 1990 track, “Cliffs of Dover“, was a must-learn for many an aspiring musician. A prolific artist, Johnson still tours regularly and will pay a visit to The Birchmere on Tuesday. 7:30 p.m. $35 + fees.
>> Talented local saxophonist Lyle Link has played with pop icons Patti Labelle, James Ingram and Isaac Hayes. He will hold a Tuesday night residency at Twins Jazz in August. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.
