Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard (pictured right) is a friend to D.C. The New Orleans native chose Blues Alley as the spot to release his latest CD, A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). Though he is a celebrated bandleader and performer, he has also been quietly making his mark in the film world as Spike Lee’s chief musical collaborator. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., the Kennedy Center will host Terence Blanchard for what…

“It pissed me off.” That is how R.E.M.’s Mike Mills described his reaction to seeing firsthand the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and the stagnated recovery effort since. Though his band has a history of political involvement, Mills himself has shied away from activism until now. Having seen the suffering of New Orleanians in the aftermath of Katrina, he declared, “No one can appreciate the destruction without seeing it and I was very aware that…

MONDAY: Democratic presidential candidate and Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd will make an appearance at Politics and Prose to talk about his book Letters from Nuremberg, which has nothing do with 2008 and everything to do with 1948 (or thereabouts). Dodd’s father, Thomas, was an attorney during the famous Nuremberg trials, in which members of the Nazi Party in Germany were prosecuted for their crimes, and the book consists of letters written by Thomas to his…

>> D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s plans to hold a “major Katrina anniversary hearing in New Orleans” on Aug. 27 fell apart due to congressional vacation schedules. A new date for the hearings has not been set. [City Desk] >> Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.) died unexpectedly Tuesday night in Alexandria from a pulmonary embolism. As we mentioned earlier, Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) also passed away last night unexpectedly, reportedly from natural causes, in…

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to a world of omnipresent peril. That’s what it seems like, anyway, given the constant stream of recalls that we’ve been facing lately. This morning’s additions to the list of things that are trying to kill you and your family: children’s cribs and Mattel toys. Oh, and microwave popcorn — but then, that stuff’s so delicious that you probably already suspected its deadliness. Firefighter Sex Ring Press Conference: WUSA…

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to September. After what was quite possibly the most beautiful weekend in the history of late summer weather in this city, we’ve finally arrived at the date many of us still associate with “back-to-school” — the Tuesday after Labor Day. So sharpen your pencils, polish your lunchbox and make sure you have the right Trapper Keeper as we check out today’s headlines. At Least Four Weekend Killings: The Examiner…

This weekend, Blues Alley hosts Terence Blanchard (pictured) and his fantastic quintet for the release of his new album, A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). Going into Thursday’s early set, it was unclear how lushly orchestrated material would translate into a more traditional combo setting. As it turns out, it translates quite well, though we didn’t get to hear very many of the new songs. While the band was burning, they only…

>> Sigh. It’s the last night of Fort Reno, which means summer is officially ending soon. Hopefully it’ll dry out in time to make this a great final concert — scheduled to play are drag-rocker Edie Sedgwick, Sentai, and the adorable Eyeball Skeleton, a Maryland band featuring brothers age 8 and 10 (plus their dad) who are known to sing the lyric “eyeball skeleton” over and over again in what sound almost like fake…

This month marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s assault upon the city of New Orleans. The suffering and hardship of that city’s citizens no longer makes headlines, but the havoc caused by the storm is something many people still live with on a daily basis. Jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard is one of those people. A son of the Crescent City and musical descendant of fellow New Orleanians Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, and…

With Congress in recess, it’s officially the August doldrums here at Reader, Meet Author. If you have any tips, feel free to drop us a line. Otherwise, read some good books and stay cool. MONDAY: Pushcart Prize-winning author Katherine Taylor will be at Olsson’s Books & Records in Dupont Circle to talk about her debut novel Rules for Saying Goodbye, a coming-of-age tale that straddles the line between fiction and non-fiction. 7 p.m. TUESDAY: Man…