Daily temperatures are starting to cool down but the fall music season is still heating up. There are still opportunities to listen to great music while sitting outdoors but now we also have many traditional venues launching their fall calendars. Here are the October jazz music performances that caught our attention.
If you only catch one show this month:
HILL FEST: The Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, under the leadership of local musicians Herb Scott and Aaron Myers, presents the 2022 edition of Hill Fest. The annual festival brings a lineup of local jazz all-stars to various venues around D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, with the venerable Mr. Henry’s serving as a hub. The main event is a free, day-long concert taking place on October 8 from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on two stages in Garfield Park (2nd & F Streets, SE). Celebrated saxophonist Billy Harper headlines with his group, and other performers include Scott’s quintet, student ensembles, vocalist Imani-Grace Cooper, and other acts that represent a true cross section of the local jazz community. (Oct. 5-8 at various locations, visit the festival website for full schedule and ticketing information)
If you want to see local talent:
SOUL JAZZ: The combination of organ and saxophone has a rich legacy in jazz. Lyle Link, saxophonist and D.C. mainstay, explores that sound with a band at Jazz Night in Southwest. Joining him on stage are Bill Heid on organ, guitarist Donato Soviero, and drummer Jay Jefferson. Vocalist Chad Carter is a featured guest. (Oct. 7 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6-9 p.m.; $10 at the door.)
JAZZ4JUSTICE: The 8th Annual Jazz4Justice concert and fundraiser raises funds to directly support pro bono legal services for low-income individuals, community legal programs, and jazz scholarships. The event will begin with a reception and community jazz jam featuring students and local musicians. The main concert includes performances by the state-ranked Alexandria City High School Jazz Ensemble, the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble, and jazz singer Sharón Clark, backed by a student ensemble. The NOVA Nighthawks will perform a set dedicated to the best big band albums by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Thad Jones. (Oct. 12 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, 6:30 p.m.; FREE)
JAZZ CROONER: Landon Paddock is a rising local singer whose style is the classic tradition of Sinatra and Johnny Hartman. He performs regularly around town in settings that range from intimate piano/voice performances to shows with his six-piece band. He’ll likely bring a larger ensemble to join him in one of D.C.’s favorite listening rooms. (Oct. 15 at Mr. Henry’s, 7:30 p.m.; $15 + food/drink minimum)
ALBUM RELEASE: Paul Carr is one of the area’s most respected musicians, both as a saxophonist and music educator. His latest album, The Paul Carr Legacy Quartet, features musicians that inspired Carr as he was coming up in the ’80s. Bassist Buster Williams, drummer Lewis Nash, and pianist Bruce Barth accompany Carr on the album, which was recorded in one day without rehearsal or overdubs. (Talk about old school.) Those same musicians will join Carr for the album release party. (Oct. 19 at Blues Alley, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. sets; $35 + minimum/surcharge)
If you want to see acts coming through town:
WAYNE SHORTER TRIBUTE: Terence Blanchard is perhaps the most respected trumpeter of his generation. His 2021 album Absence pays tribute to jazz icon Wayne Shorter and features Blanchard’s electric group, E-Collective, and the idiosyncratic Turtle Island String Quartet. Both those ensembles convene tonight for a live performance of materials from the recording, which puts songs from Shorter’s substantial catalog into different contexts. (Oct. 21 at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. sets; $30-$40)
SAX-GUITAR COMBO: Noah Preminger is a busy saxophonist in New York’s crowded scene. Max Light is an up-and-comer who won second place in the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition in 2019. The two join forces to co-lead a quartet through an evening of original music exemplary of what is happening in modern jazz. (Oct. 22 at Takoma Station, 7-10 p.m.; $15 in advance/$20 at the door)
If you’re looking to get out of your comfort zone:
WORDS + SOUNDS: Jaap Blonk is poet and vocalist whose work comes out of the Dadaist tradition. He teams up with vocalist Bonnie Lander, who brings operatic technique and abilities into avant-garde settings, and composer/improvisor Samuel Burt, who is on the faculty at Towson and Johns Hopkins universities. The three team up for an evening of experimental performance that brings together poetry, melody, and improvised music. (Oct. 9 at Rhizome DC, 7 p.m.; $10-$20)
IMAGES + SOUNDS: Setsuhi Shiraishi is a master in the art of traditional, Japanese calligraphy, but she expands that form’s boundaries by creating her work in a live setting with musical accompaniment, in this case from saxophonist Sarah Hughes. In recent years, Hughes has emerged as one of the most important and prolific voices in the local creative music scene. Claire Alrich, another local, opens the bill with a movement-based performance. (Oct. 15 at Rhizome, 4 p.m.; $10-$20)
If you’re in search of global sounds:
DOWN IN THE REEDS: This festival launched in 2019 and like everything else, fell victim to the pandemic. The event returns this year to The Parks at Walter Reed, the former site of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest D.C. Down In The Reeds ’22 builds on the idea of healing through the arts with a main stage featuring local and national music acts, alongside areas dedicated to workshops, open mics, movement, and crafts. Red Baraat headlines the festival’s music component with its infectious blend of South Asian rhythms and brass driven melodies. Other notable performers include dynamic local vocalist Alison Crockett and Medicine Singers. Local businesses and food trucks will be on hand to provide eats and other refreshments. (Oct. 8 at The Parks at Walter Reed, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE w/RSVP)
LA CREACIÓN: Legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés brings his new piece, La Creación, to the District for a performance with the Yoruban Orchestra. The work is an arrangement for big band, Afro-Cuban percussion, and vocals, which draws from Santería ritual music, West African music, and American Blues. (Oct 16. at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m.; $39-$75)
