Rochelle Rice pays tribute to Carmen McRae tonight at Blues Alley.
>> Flautist Robert Dick is the world’s leading practioner of modern flute techniques. He will play tonight at The Hill Center, performing Air is the Heaviest Metal. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
>> Buckethead‘s music can’t really be classified as jazz, but the fact is he is one of the most prolific and virtuoso guitarists of all time. He has released a mind-boggling 250 albums on his own and has appeared on 50 others as a guest. He will be at The Howard Theatre tonight for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets $26-$45.
>> Rochelle Rice is one of the area’s best vocalists and she is slowly, but surely, getting the notice she deserves. Rice will lead a band through 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley, paying tribute to the great Carmen McRae. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Pianist Jason Yeager co-leads a band with saxophonist Ben Roseth tonight at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Baltimore’s Orchester Praževica plays high energy music that comes from the traditions of Eastern European Czardas and Gypsy Swing, accompanied by a heavy dose of jazz and blues. The band will be at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge tonight. 9 p.m. No cover.
>> The Twins Jazz Orchestra plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets at the club on Thursday. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Vocalist Jamie Broumas performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Big Lazy is a band out of New York that blends together a variety of American sounds, ranging from country to jazz. They will share the bill with The El Reys, a local surf rock outfit comprised of some of the area’s best jazzers, on Thursday at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 10 p.m. $8 at the door.
>> Vocalist Dred “Perky” Scott leads some of Baltimore’s veteran musicians on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Smooth jazz saxophonist Walter Beasley plays a 7:30 p.m. show on Friday at The Birchmere. Tickets $45.
>> Robert Glasper helped pioneer the nu-jazz movement out of New York. The pianist will lead his critically acclaimed trio at THEARC on Friday as it plays material from his latest album, Covered. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25-$45.
>> Vocalist Lena Seikaly will perform at Old Engine 12 on Friday. 8 to 11 p.m. No cover.
>> The 21st annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival takes place this Friday and Saturday at the Kennedy Center. Friday’s show, A Conversation with Mary Lou Williams, features the jazz legend’s music interspersed with dialogue and vignettes of Williams’s life and work. Performed by pianist and music director Geri Allen, vocalist Carmen Lundy as Mary Lou Williams, Kenny Davis (bass), and Kassa Overall (drums), with a script written by Farah Jasmine Griffin, the work premiered at Harlem Stage in 2014. Saturday’s performance is a double bill with bands led by drummer Allison Miller and saxophonist Jane Bunnett. 7 p.m. Tickets $38-$45. Free 6 p.m. shows on the Millennium Stage precede each concert. Saturday’s performance by the up-and-coming area drummer, Savannah Grace Harris, is of particular note.
>> Mr. Henry’s hosts trumpeter Kevin Cordt (Friday) and Batida Diferente (Saturday). 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
>> Benito Gonzalez took the D.C. jazz scene by storm in the early 2000s when he moved to this area from his native Venezuela. He moved to New York several years ago, leading his own bands and playing with a number of jazz greats, but he still pays regular visits to our fair city. Gonzalez will play Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Melba Moore brings her cabaret act to Blues Alley on Friday for a three night run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25-$30 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Chopteeth‘s blend of jazz, afrobeat, and funk have made the band an area mainstay for over a decade. The group will perform at AMP on Saturday. 8 p.m. Tickets $20-$30.
>> Pianist Chris Grasso has made a specialty of accompanying vocalists. Connaitre Miller is the long time head of the vocal program in Howard University’s jazz department. The two will host a workshop for singers on Sunday at the Jazz & Cultural Society. 12:30 to 5 p.m. $10. Pianist Brad Murad will perform at the venue with his group later that evening. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Guitarist Nelson Dougherty plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz on Sunday. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Every Tuesday, trombonist Shannon Gunn assembles a band at Adams Morgan’s Columbia Station to cover a classic jazz recording in its entirety. This week, with help from pianist Allyn Johnson, she will interpret Into Somethin’, an album by jazz organist Larry Young. 8-11 p.m. No cover.
>> The Preparation, a creative music series that takes place at Songbyrd, will feature bassist Luke Stewart and violinist C. Spencer Yeh on Tuesday. 9 p.m. $10.
