The duo of vocalist Joanna Wallfisch and pianist Dan Tepfer is among the acts playing at this week’s jazz series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
>> Drummer Lenny Robinson has been one of the area’s first-call drummers for decades. He will drive his own band with his swing this evening at the Jazz & Cultural Society. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Brad Mehldau has led one of the most acclaimed piano trios of the past two decades. The group’s Art of the Trio series is a must-listen. Combining inventive takes on rock and jazz standards alongside creative originals, Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard have achieved a cohesion that is both inventive and accessible. The Washington Performing Arts Society presents the trio at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue tonight. 8 p.m. Tickets $47.
>> Delfeayo Marsalis, as you might guess from his name, is one of the many talented members of America’s first family of jazz. Unlike his brothers, he does not record prolifically and instead splits his time between performing and producing jazz recordings. He will be at the Barns of Wolf Trap tonight with pianist Marcus Roberts‘ quartet. 8 p.m. Tickets $35-$40.
>> Blues Alley‘s Japanese jazz series concludes tonight with a performance from pianist Chihiro Yamanaka. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25.
>> Area pianist Joe Vetter leads his quartet through 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Twins Jazz. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Cubano Groove brings its Afro-Cuban jazz to the Jazz & Cultural Society on Thursday. 6 to 9 p.m. $10 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 at 8 p.m. show tonight at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club. No cover but food and drink minimum may still apply.
>> It’ll be an evening of horn-driven dance music tonight at DC9 as The Lowdown Brass Band headlines a bill that includes The Pocket Band and The Fuss. 8 p.m. Tickets $10.
>> The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Take 5! series continues on Thursday with a performance from Baltimore-based bass clarinetist, Todd Marcus. Marcus’s music not only embraces the many facets of straight-ahead jazz, but also incorporates elements from his Egyptian heritage. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.
>> The Atlas kicks off a Jazz Appreciation Mini-Series on Thursday with City of Poets. French pianist and composer Cedric Hanriot and American trumpeter Jason Palmer co-lead a stellar group of musicians, including saxophonist Donny McCaslin, bassist Michael Janisch, and drummer Clarence Penn. The ensemble will pay musical homage to the work of science fiction writer Dan Simmons. 8 p.m. Tickets $28. CapitalBop will host a pre-concert listening session at 7 p.m. Free with RSVP. Multi-show packages are also available for the series.
>> Nasar Abadey is a mainstay of the local scene and has played drums for all of the prominent musicians in the region. His quartet will be at Twins Jazz on Thursday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Smooth jazz trumpeter Rick Braun comes to Blues Alley on Thursday to begin a 3-night run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $35 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Charles Covington is not only a respected jazz musician and educator who has taught at Howard University and the Peabody Conservatory, but he is also a U.S. Life Master in chess. Covington will lead an organ trio on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Peter and Will Anderson are twin woodwind players that grew up in the Maryland suburbs. The brothers will be at the Kennedy Center‘s KC Jazz Club on Friday for 7 and 9 p.m. sets. Tickets $25.
>> Vocalist and composer Joanna Wallfisch has been collaborating with pianist Dan Tepfer since 2013. The Origin Of Adjustable Things is their debut release and they will play material from the album on Friday at the Atlas. 8 p.m. Tickets $28.
>> Mr. Henry’s hosts vocalists Aaron Myers (Friday) and Akua Allrich (Saturday). 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
>> Jeff Antoniuk & the Jazz Update was one of the first local groups we profiled here on DCist. The band is comprised of some of the DMV’s finest veteran artists and they will be making an appearance on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will celebrate the legacy of the great Ella Fitzgerald on Saturday afternoon at the Smithsonian American Art Museum‘s Kogod Courtyard. Joining the big band will be speed painter Dan Dunn, who will create pieces based on the music. 2 to 4 p.m. Free.
>> 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 dexterity allows her to sound authentic in a number of styles. Veronneau will conclude Creative Cauldron‘s Passport to the World on Saturday. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $18-$20.
>> The Tizer Trio, comprised of keyboardist Lao Tizer, Senegalese bassist Cheikh N’Doye, and powerhouse drummer Joel Rosenblatt, is one of the most dynamic groups on the world fusion scene. The group visits the Atlas on Saturday for an 8 p.m. show. 8 p.m. Tickets $28.
>> Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, a recent finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and pianist Vijay Iyer, a MacArthur “genius” fellow, recently released their first recorded duo collaboration on ECM Records. A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke is already on many short lists for the year’s best jazz recording. The duo will perform the final show of its tour on Saturday at the Abramson Family Auditorium (1307 L Street, NW). 8 p.m. Tickets $25 in advance/$30 at the door. Presented by CapitalBop.
>> The Atlas Jazz Appreciation Mini-Series concludes on Sunday with a performance from ubiquitous area saxophonist Brad Linde‘s latest ensemble. The Lonely Poet Project plays material inspired by the work and life of the great tenor saxophonist, Lester Young. 7 p.m. Tickets $28.
>> Pianist Chris Grasso continues his Sunday spotlight series at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club. Joining his trio will be saxophonist Lyle Link, who lived and played for many years in this area before leaving for the West Coast, and South African jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe. Sotashe recently finished third in the prestigious Monk Competition. 1 p.m. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Organist Alex Jenkins brings a group to the Jazz & Cultural Society on Sunday. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> A German native now on the faculty at Indiana University’s excellent jazz program, pianist Monika Herzig leads her band on Sunday 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.
>> Sufi vocalist Nauman Ahmed will be a featured guest as The Fourth Stream, my band, plays the Bossa Bistro & Lounge on Sunday. 8:30 p.m. No cover.
>> The U.S. Navy Commodores, the Navy’s premiere big band, pays tribute to John Coltrane with 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Monday at Blues Alley. Free, but you must call the club to make a reservation at 202-337-4141.
>> The Calvin Jones Big Band Jazz Festival returns to the University of the District of Columbia on Monday, once again featuring ensembles from UDC, the University of Maryland and Howard University. Named after the late and beloved UDC director of jazz studies, the festival began in 1987 as part of a citywide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains a favorite on the local jazz calendar. 8 p.m. Tickets $10-$20.
>> Saxophonist Andrew White is nothing short of a local legend. He has been performing or recording for over 50 years with a who’s who of jazz greats, and he is also considered among the world’s foremost authorities on the music of John Coltrane. White will lead a group on Tuesday at Blues Alley. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.
