Federico Gonzalez Peña celebrates his return to D.C. with Friday and Saturday night sets at Bohemian Caverns.>> Saxophonist Kamasi Washington is responsible for several of the jazzy arrangements on rapper Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, which will surely be on many 2015 “Best Of” lists. Washington also released The Epic, a 172-minute, triple-disc jazz opus featuring his ten-piece band, The Next Step. The Next Step will be at The Howard Theatre tonight to play songs from The Epic. 8 p.m. Tickets $25-$40.
>> Smooth jazz multi-instrumentalist Earl Carter performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> A German native now on the faculty at Indiana University’s excellent jazz program, pianist Monika Herzig leads her band tonight at Twins Jazz to perform selections from her latest recording, The Whole World In Her Hands. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Water Seed hails from the Crescent City and blends the infectious sounds of traditional New Orleans jazz with the funk of Parliament and an experimental edge. The band will play at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge tonight. 10 p.m. Tickets $10 at the door.
>> Fans of international music should make it a point to visit the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage this week. Congolese vocalist Rafiya performs tonight, Indian classical musician Ustad Shafaat Khan plays on Thursday and Egyptian oud player and composer Ramy Adly closes out the week on Friday. 6 p.m. Free.
>> Area pianist Joe Vetter leads his quartet through 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Twins Jazz. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Brazilian vocalist Cissa Paz takes the stage on Thursday at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 9:30 p.m. Tickets $5.
>> Guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dennis Chambers rose out of jazz’s fusion era and are now two of the most celebrated musicians of their generation. The masters join forces to co-lead a quartet at Blues Alley from Thursday through Sunday. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $40 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden series concludes this Friday with a performance from the Afro-Bop Alliance. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free.
>> Astro Nautico, a Brooklyn-based electronic label will host a showcase on Friday at Union Arts to celebrate the release of Osaka-based producer/multi-instrumentalist Magical Mistakes‘ 12-inch, Cracks in The Surface, as well as Time Wharp‘s recent self-titled release. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10.
>> Keyboardist Federico Gonzalez Peña has toured with heavyweights ranging from Marcus Miller to Cassandra Wilson. D.C. lost him to St. Louis for the past year, but fortunately we have him back and he will celebrate his return with a group of the DMV’s finest for 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns. Tickets $18 in advance/$23 at the door.
>> Veteran bassist Cheyney Thomas leads his band on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Vocalists Aaron L. Myers II (Friday) and Anita King (Saturday) will be featured this weekend at Mr. Henry’s. 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
>> Local cellist and experimental artist Janel Leppin will open a terrific bill on Saturday at Paperhaus that features headliner Shilpa Ray and Nashville’s Linear Downfall. 8 p.m. Donations welcome.
>> Vocalist Indigo Love will pay tribute to the great Sarah Vaughan on Sunday at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club with a 12 p.m. brunch set and 7:30 p.m. dinner set. Tickets $25-$39.50 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The Jegna School of Music is partnering with Sankofa Cafe to present a series of performances that pair veteran local musicians with talented up-and-coming artists. On Sunday, the first of the series features bass master Tarus Mateen and saxophonist Elijah Easton. 6 p.m. Tickets $15 in advance/$20 at the door.
>> Chicago-based cellist, composer, and educator, Tomeka Reid, is equally adept in jazz and classical contexts. She will lead a quartet of cutting edge musicians through 7 and 8:30 p.m. sets on Sunday at Bohemian Caverns, including guitarist Mary Halvorson. Tickets $15 in advance/$20 at the door.
>> Saxophonist Bobby Muncy brings his Radiohead Jazz Project, which includes the alchemic sounds of guitarist Anthony Pirog, to Twins Jazz on Sunday. Like its namesake, this band always takes its music in surprising directions. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Monday’s performance by the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra will focus on the rich world of contemporary big band music, featuring work by composers including Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, Miho Hazama, Nathan Parker Smith and Elliott Hughes. 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets $10.
>> Brad Linde is one of the busiest voices on the local jazz scene. In addition to co-directing the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra and producing many of the jazz performances at the Atlas, he also leads several distinct ensembles under his own name. Linde is serving as September’s Artist-in-Residence at Bohemian Caverns and each Tuesday this month will feature a different lineup. 7:30 and 9 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door.
>> Dwayne Adell is a mind-blowingly talented area pianist whose reputation should extend much further than it does. A largely self-taught musician who reads very little music, Adell once won an international Rachmaninoff competition with a piece he learned by ear off a recording. Not only is he a gifted artist, his genius—and we don’t use that word lightly—carries over into mathematics and a variety of other subjects. He performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Tuesday at Blues Alley. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
