The city’s jazz clubs and concert venues may be preparing for the mid-to late-summer slowdown, but it’s still pretty busy, especially as musicians continue to make up for lost pandemic time with tours and other shows. There’s some great music to catch this month on the region’s jazz calendar.

If you only see one show this month:

SILKROAD ENSEMBLE: Formed by Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the Silkroad Ensemble brings together musicians from around the world to explore the possibilities of cross-cultural collaboration. The current iteration is on tour under the direction of the multi-faceted singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens. The production, Phoenix Rising, brings together newly commissioned works alongside pieces from the ensemble’s rich catalog. (July 24 at Wolf Trap; $32-$127)

If you want to see local talent:

SAXOPHONE SUMMIT: Paul Carr and Marshall Keys are local jazz mainstays. Carr has mentored several of the area’s top jazz musicians and is the driving force behind the annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Rockville. Keys began his pro career with The Blackbyrds and has worked with a number of jazz luminaries, but still focuses on building up the local jazz community. The two saxophonists join forces to record a live album at Blues Alley. (July 18, 8 and 10 p.m. sets; $25 + minimum/surcharge).

PIANO PRODIGY: José André is a self-taught child prodigy who has been performing at prestigious venues since before he entered his teens. Now 16, André — who is blind — lives in the D.C. and juggles concerts with being a high school student, all while becoming more than “good for his age” and developing into a realized musician. André teams up with a killer group of local musicians to perform at Jazz Night in D.C. (July 22 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m.; $10 at the door)

ORGAN-IC JAZZ: The organ has a long tradition in jazz, lending a visceral feeling to a genre that can be overly intellectual. Elijah Balbed, a D.C. native that now splits time between here and New York, previously worked with Chuck Brown and his own jazz/go-go fusion band, the JoGo project. Though Balbed plays saxophone, he also has an organ-based group, Soul Station, that convenes from time to time, and is doing so this month at Takoma Station. (July 23, 7 p.m.; $15 in advance/$20 at the door)

AN UNDER-THE-RADAR ARTIST: Janelle Gill doesn’t seek out attention, but sometimes we wish she would. A pianist with world-class talent, she is highly respected by those who keep close tabs on the local scene, but she deserves widespread attention. She leads a quartet through with special guest Amadou Kouyate on kora. (July 25 at Blues Alley, 8 and 10 p.m. sets; $25 + minimum/surcharge)

THE PROFESSOR: The local jazz community added a big name to its roster when pianist Cyrus Chestnut joined the faculty at Howard University’s storied jazz department. Chestnut’s gospel-infused approach to jazz piano delights the ear with playing that brings all the complexity one associates with jazz, but also exudes joy. He’s a must-see for anyone seeking an uplifting experience in these times. (July 30 & 31 at Blues Alley, 8 and 10 p.m. sets; $40 + minimum/surcharge)

If you want to catch acts coming through town:

TURN UP THE BASS: Tal Wilkenfeld was barely out of her teens when she joined guitar legend Jeff Beck’s band as its bassist. Since then, she has worked with Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Prince, and a host of other household names. Her tour to support her latest album, 2019’s Love Remains, was put on a lengthy hold due to the pandemic, but she’s back on the road. (July 13 at The Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.; $20-$40)

A ROOTS EXTRAVAGANZA: The 12-member strong Tedeschi-Trucks Band, led by the husband and wife team of guitarist Derek Trucks and vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, draws from blues, jazz, country, soul, and international sounds to create a musical blend that is both accessible and far-reaching. The band headlines its Wheels of Soul tour as it stops in the area with openers Los Lobos and a TTB keyboardist Gabe Dixon‘s band. (July 19 at Wolf Trap, 7 p.m.; $32-$62)

If you want to get out of your comfort zone:

AACM MEETS D.C.: Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is a collective dating back to 1965 that aims to push artistic boundaries through the lens of the African diaspora’s past, present, and future. Mankwe Ndosi is an AACM member who adds a layer to its legacy by looking at Black music from a woman’s perspective. She comes to D.C. for improvised collaborations with stalwarts of D.C.’s creative music community, including Luke Stewart, Jamal Moore, Nate Scheible, Jim Ryan, and Darien Baiza. (July 14 at Rhizome, 7 p.m.; $10-$20)

GUITAR-DRUMS DUO: Garrett Gleason spent several years in the D.C. area, studying music at the University of Maryland and becoming a busy working guitarist on the local scene. He continues to perform locally and will be here as part of his tour with drummer Niko Wood. The two are supporting their recently released album, An Abundance Of Compassion, which draws from fusion, punk, jazz, and experimental influences. Gleason and Wood share the bill with Last Scene Alive and Jack Funk. (July 16 at Slash Run, 9 p.m.; $10 at the door).

ALBUM RELEASE: Cellist Janel Leppin plays in a number of ensembles and leads or co-leads bands as well. One of her projects, Ensemble Volcanic Ash, is a septet comprised of some of the area’s finest musicians, including guitarist Anthony Pirog, bassist Luke Stewart, and saxophonist Sarah Hughes. This performance celebrates EVA’s self-titled album, due for a July 29 release on Cuneiform Records. (July 18 at Rhizome, 7 p.m.; $10-$20)

If you’re in search of global sounds:

COLOMBIAN BULLERENGUE: This traditional style of music draws from the African influences of Colombia’s Caribbean culture and is native to the country’s Guamanga region. Eighty-year-old Ceferina Banquez is one of the genre’s best known vocalists. Banquez brings her distinctive sound to the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. (July 8 at Kennedy Center, 6 p.m.; FREE)

EAST MEETS… NORTH?: Mames Babegenush is a Danish sextet whose music draws heavily from both Nordic influences and Eastern European folk dance music, such as klezmer. The result is a sound that shifts from a serene ambiance to a wedding party. (July 27 at Bossa Bistro + Lounge, 8:30 p.m.; $20 in advance/$25 at the door)