Local Brazilian vocalist Cissa Paz celebrates the release of her new, self-titled album on Tuesday at the GALA Hispanic Theatre. >> Argentine guitarist/composer Cristian Perez brings together South American, classical, jazz, and international folk styles to create a sound all his own. He will be at Twins Jazz tonight for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> You might remember Aaron Myers as the local jazz vocalist who gave Metro riders some very sage advice earlier this year. That song’s novelty belies a very talented singer who will be at Blues Alley tonight for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The Clarice on the University of Maryland’s campus hosts the NextNOW festival, beginning on Thursday and running through the weekend. The multi-arts program includes a Thursday evening concert by the UMD jazz faculty, a performance by Reggie Watts, and a number of other intriguing performances. Visit the festival web site for the full schedule.
>> Sharón Clark is one of D.C.’s most gifted jazz vocalists, delivering a wide array of material with impeccable style and tone. Clark will lead her band through a 7:30 p.m. show at The Carlyle Club on Thursday. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Area vocalist Jeff Weintraub brings his interpretation of the the Great American Songbook and other classic songs to Twins Jazz on Thursday. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Union Arts continues its experimental music series on Thursday with performances from Causings, Tashi Dori, and Elisa Ambrogio. 8 p.m. Tickets $8.
>> Busy area pianist Chris Grasso will bring a quartet to Dukem Jazz on Thursday. 9 p.m. to midnight. No cover.
>> Smooth jazz saxophonist Walter Beasley comes to Blues Alley on Thursday to begin a three-night run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $37.75 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Last week we told you all about the Finding A Line festival, currently taking place at the Kennedy Center. There will be jazz accompanying the open skates this week with The Pedrito Martinez Group performing free 6 and 8 p.m. sets on Thursday. The festival’s marquis event takes place on Friday and Saturday as Jason Moran‘s Bandwagon provides the music for twenty world class skaters. 8 p.m. Tickets are sold out, but it’s worth contacting the box office for last minute availability.
>> There were a few years in the late ’90s into the late naughts when Fertile Ground was regularly name checked as one of D.C.’s most exciting live acts. Unfortunately the classic lineup decided to part ways, both musically and geographically. But a big part of the group’s success was its horn section of which Craig Alston was a key member. The Baltimore-based saxophonist is now leading his own band and will be at Bohemian Caverns on Friday. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $18 in advance/$23 at the door.
>> Mr. Henry’s hosts trumpeter Kevin Cordt (Friday) and vocalist Natalie Jean (Saturday). 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
>> Veronneau, the 2013 WAMMY winners for Best Jazz Group, moves effortlessly from samba to gypsy jazz. The group is built around the vocalist Lynn Veronneau, whose vocal dexterity allows her to sound authentic in a number of styles. Veronneau will be at Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday for 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The Rosslyn Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday at Gateway Park with performances from D.C.’s own, The Funk Ark, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and more. 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free.
>> The other side of the Potomac has its own jazz festival on Saturday. The Silver Spring Jazz Festival takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. at Veteran’s Plaza and features headliner Marcus Johnson, Halley Schoenberg and more. Free.
>> Liv Nightclub hosts an evening of dance music with jazz underpinnings on Saturday. The bill features Elijah Balbed‘s JoGo Project, which brings together jazz and go-go, along with The Lucky So and So’s, a band that blends elements of bossa nova, samba, funk, Latin jazz, gypsy jazz and blues with hip hop vocals. 8 p.m. Tickets $8 in advance/$13 at the door.
>> Matt Schofield is considered one of the best British blues guitarists of his generation. He will be at AMP on Saturday for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets $20-$30.
>> The Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet‘s nimble melodies and rich harmonics have made it one of the most respected jazz vocal groups in the country. The ensemble will be at The Carlyle Club on Sunday for a 7 p.m. show. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Avant-garde woodwind artist Bill Cole will lead the latest iteration of his Untempered Ensemble on Sunday at Bohemian Caverns. 7 and 8:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 online/$20 at the door.
>> Ana Popovic, a Serbian native whose parents had an extensive soul and blues collection, has been in the U.S. for the past 15 years and is an award-winning blues singer and guitarist. She’ll be at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Sunday. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25-$35 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> CapitalBop brings its Traveling Loft series to the Paperhaus (4912 3rd Sreet NW) on Sunday for a night of experimental jazz. Guitarist Mary Halvorson and percussionist Ches Smith are mainstays of Brooklyn’s avant-garde scene and will each be playing a solo set. The evening’s opening act will be a drum duo comprised of Ian McColm and Nate Scheible. 8 p.m. $15 suggested donation.
>> Veteran area saxophonist Mary Nau leads a band through 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz on Sunday. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> 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.
>> Legendary drummer Billy Cobham assembled a quartet two years ago to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his album, Spectrum, considered a landmark of the 1970s fusion era. The group is still at it and will come to The Birchmere on Tuesday. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $35.
>> Cissa Paz is a mainstay of the local Latin music community, bringing her Brazilian sounds to venues across the region. She is releasing her self-titled album and will celebrate its launch with a performance on Tuesday at the GALA Hispanic Theater. Performing with Cissa at the release party will be the finest Latin jazz musicians this area has to offer. 8 p.m. Tickets $25.
>> Jonathan Scales has taken the steel pan in a number of new directions, incorporating the instrument’s distinctive sound into contemporary grooves and exploratory improvisations, sometimes in the same tune. His group will be at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Tuesday. 8 p.m. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Terakaft is a group of Tuareg guitarists from Mali. They will bring their desert sounds to the Bossa Bistro & Lounge on Tuesday, sharing a bill with the venue’s usual Tuesday night act, Cheick Hamala Diabate who also comes from Mali, but out of the griot tradition. 9 p.m. Tickets $10.
