Drummer Cindy Blackman Santana brings her band to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Friday.
>> Christie Dashiell is one of the area’s top vocalists and was one of three local singers to make the finals of last year’s prestigious Monk Competition. She will perform this evening at Alice’s Jazz & Cultural Society. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Vocalist Yolanda Rabun plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> No Explanations is an eclectic duo of guitar and piano featuring musical works which rely heavily upon improvisation and the energy of the moment. It plays Twins Jazz tonight. 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. 10 p.m. No cover.
>> Aaron “Ab” Abernathy graduated from Howard University’s prestigious jazz program and then went into the hip-hop realm to serve as music director for the underground hip-hop heavyweight, Black Milk. The pianist will return to his jazz roots on Thursday to play The Carlyle Club. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Cellist and classical music ambassador Yo-Yo Ma formed the Silk Road Ensemble in 2000 as a way to show that music is, in fact, a universal language that brings people together. The group’s members and composers hail from more than 20 different countries and its music weaves together a tapestry of international sound. The Silk Road Ensemble will be at Wolf Trap on Thursday for an 8 p.m. performance. Tickets $30-$80.
>> The Twins Jazz Orchestra plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Thursday. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Organist Will Rast leads a trio on Thursday at Wicked Bloom. 9 to 11 p.m. No cover.
>> The celebrated jazz duo of Tuck & Patti have been performing together for 35 years and will come to Blues Alley on Thursday for a four night run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $27.50-$32.50 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> Paul Carr is not only one of the area’s first-call saxophonists, and has been for quite some time, but he is also a respected educator who has mentored many of the DMV’s finest young musicians. Carr will lead a band on Friday at Jazz In the Garden. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free.
>> Veteran area bassist Kent Miller has assembled a stellar group to play Jazz Night in Southwest on Friday. The band will play selections from Miller’s new album, Contributions. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Cindy Blackman-Santana is a virtuoso drummer who first gained widespread recognition through her work with Lenny Kravitz. In 2010, she married a certain rock guitar legend, adding his group to her already impressive portfolio. First and foremost, Blackman is a jazz drummer in the vein of the great Tony Williams, and she will bring her group to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Friday. 8 p.m. Tickets $25 plus food and drink minimum.
>> Mr. Henry’s hosts trumpeter Kevin Cordt (Friday) and Batida Diferente (Saturday). 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
>> Tim Whalen has emerged as one of the D.C. area’s most distinctive pianists. Equally respected for his composing and arranging as he is for his improvising, Whalen’s septet is sure to create some intriguing sounds on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 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 a group on Saturday at the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.
>> Vocalist Kiyem Ade leads a band on Saturday at Alice’s Jazz & Cultural Society. 7 to 10 p.m. $10 at the door.
>> Vocalist Maija Rejman will bring a quintet to Alice’s Jazz & Cultural Society on Sunday. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
>> Washington area native Gracie Terzian is a jazz singer, songwriter and ukulelist now based in New York City. She plays a homecoming show on Sunday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
>> The Lost Civilizations is an experimental music project between Mike Sebastian (tenor sax, saxello and baritone sax) and T. A. Zook (basscello). The duo will perform on Monday at the Dew Drop Inn with special guest Dominic Fragman. 8 p.m. No cover.
>> Area vocalist George V. Johnson plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Tuesday at Blues Alley. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
