Tedd Baker celebrates John Coltrane’s 90th birthday on Thursday at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Kogod Courtyard.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Saxophonist Michael Hairston’s band plays Alice’s Jazz & Cultural Society this evening. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
Blues Alley‘s Brazilian Jazz Series continues tonight with Nilson Matta & Brazilian Voyages. Matta has been at the forefront of Brazilian jazz in the U.S. for over 30 years and this is his new ensemble, which features Helen Sung on piano. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.
Jeff Weintraub is an area baritone jazz vocalist who draws heavily from the Great American Songbook, but also from songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. He and his band will play 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Twins Jazz. 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.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
September 23rd marks what would have been jazz icon John Coltrane’s 90th birthday. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is using this month’s Take 5! concert to celebrate the occasion with saxophonist Tedd Baker, whose ensemble will play Coltrane’s masterpiece, A Love Supreme, in its entirety. The performance takes place in the museum’s Kogod Courtyard. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.
Pianist Levon Mikaelian will bring his globally inspired jazz to the Bossa Bistro & Lounge, leading a trio. 8 p.m. $10 at the door.
The Latin Grammy nominated Afro Bop Alliance will be at Twins Jazz for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.
The Harry Bells is a group that local saxophonist Matt Rippetoe (one of the first local jazz musicians we profiled here on DCist) co-founded with the ubiquitous trumpeter Joe Herrera. The band plays an infectious calypso style inspired by Harry Belafonte, and will perform at Boundary Stone. 9 p.m. No cover.
Bossa‘s late set features Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band, whose music will take you back to the heady days of the early ’70s, when artists like Sun Ra, Miles Davis, and George Clinton were pushing music in more cosmic directions. 10 p.m. $5 at the door.
Eliane Elias moved from Brazil to the U.S. in 1981 and gained exposure through her work with Steps Ahead. She has been releasing albums steadily as bandleader since the mid-’80s and is celebrated as both a pianist and vocalist. Elias and her band come to Blues Alley on Thursday to start a four-night run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $50-$60 plus minimum and surcharge.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Allyn Johnson is one of the region’s best pianists, and has been considered as such for nearly 20 years, but his organ playing should not be overlooked, especially because opportunities to see him perform on the instrument are relatively rare. Johnson and his Hammond B3 lead a quartet on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
Saxophonist Herb Scott leads a band at Mr. Henry’s. 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
The Landham Brothers, alto saxophonist Robert and drummer Byron, are mainstays of Philadelphia’s underrated jazz scene. They will join the veteran local trumpeter, Thad Wilson, at Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday for 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Maija Rejman is the featured vocalist at Mr. Henry’s. 8 to 11 p.m. Two item per person minimum.
Allyn Johnson leads an organ quartet on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Alex Jenkins’ soulful take on jazz is based on his being steeped in the gospel tradition. The organist plays from 6 to 9 p.m. at Alice’s Jazz & Cultural Society. $5 at the door.
Sullivan Fortner got his breaks playing piano with many of the giants that came out of his native New Orleans, including the Marsalis family and Donald Harrison. He is embarking on a career as a bandleader and will be at AMP on Sunday to perform material from his latest album, Aria. 8 p.m. Tickets $30-$40.
Brazilian vocalist Juliana Galdeano plays the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 9 p.m. $5 at the door.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
The J.A.S.S. Quartet aims for an aesthetic that blends melodies from the Indian subcontinent with jazz harmonies and rhythmic influences from Latin America. The global fusion ensemble plays the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.
Blues Alley‘s Brazilian jazz series concludes on Monday with a performance from Maija Rejman and her band, Influência do Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Julian Lage came to the jazz world’s attention while still in his teens and he has now established himself as one of the finest guitarists of his generation. He is teaming up with the dynamic Scottish folk trio, Lau, and the tour stops at AMP. 8 p.m. Tickets $25-$35.
Stanley Clarke was barely out of his teens when he turned the bass playing world on its ear in the early ’70s. His combination of musicality and virtuosity have made him a successful bandleader, sideman, and producer in genres ranging from acoustic jazz to funk to film soundtracks. Clarke will bring his band to The Howard Theatre for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets $37.50-$75.
Terry Bozzio made his bones playing drums with the iconoclastic Frank Zappa in the ’70s. Since then, he has played in genres ranging from New Wave to the avant-garde. For the past 20 years, he has elevated solo drumset performance into its own art form, with help from the most spaceship-like kit you’ve ever scene. Bozzio performs solo at The Hamilton on Tuesday. 8 p.m. Tickets $20-$25.
