Sriram Gopal

In 2007's Capital Fringe Festival, local actress Zehra Fazal mounted an impressive and potentially controversial staging of My Friend Hitler, a solo show depicting the internal tension the dictator might have felt during his rise to power. Fazal returns to this year's Fringe with another solo production that has... continue reading on DCist

Lee Konitz >>Vocalist Diana Rodriguez is a relative new comer to the local scene, but this NYU grad shows promise. She will be playing Twins Jazz tonight in a guitar/bass/vocal trio. Call. 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> 81-year old altoist Lee Konitz was a pioneer of... continue reading on DCist

Pat Martino>> Trombonist Jen Krupa and saxophonist Leigh Pilzer team up tonight at Twins Jazz to lead their quintet, JLQ. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> Bassist Michael Feinberg is an up-and-comer whose compositions blend jazz with his Middle Eastern and Eastern European heritage. He will... continue reading on DCist

Trumpeter Dave Douglas cites the great Miles Davis as a major influence, not just as a player, but also in terms of musical philosophy. The jazz legend had an extremely expansive and inclusive take on music, so it's no surprise that Douglas, like his idol, has carved out a... continue reading on DCist

The late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré was among Africa's most internationally renowned musicians. Listening to him, it was easy to draw the connection between the blues and its West African roots. If he was the bridge between two traditional forms, then it is only fitting that his contemporary... continue reading on DCist

By now everyone in the District knows about the very popular events taking place at the House of Sweden, and many of the other embassies around the city. Though somewhat out of the way, and that may not be a bad thing for those hoping to avoid crowds, the... continue reading on DCist

House of Soul, photo by Erika Victoria Horn>> Local Latin outfit, Cachaça, a vocals/flute/guitar trio, puts traditional and contemporary South American sounds into a jazz context. They will be playing Twins Jazz tonight. Call 202-234-0072 for set times and cover information. >> Jazz poet Anna Mwalagho performs tonight at... continue reading on DCist

Ellis Marsalis This year's Duke Ellington Jazz Festival celebrated the musical heritage of New Orleans. Fittingly, the festival's fifth iteration came to an end with the first family of New Orleans jazz convening at the Kennedy Center to honor its patriarch, the great pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis. Joining... continue reading on DCist

Woodwind artist Bobby Muncy has become a fixture on the local jazz scene over the past several years, playing with no fewer than six groups. These collaborations range from his own band, to avant-garde explorations with guitarist Anthony Pirog (***), and the in-your-face grooves of Three Stars alum Will... continue reading on DCist

Duke Fest Artistic Advisor Paquito D'Rivera, photo by Alberto Romeu >> Pianist Tony Madruga is only 14 years old, but has already accompanied some of the best in jazz. Catch this prodigy tonight on the Millennium Stage as part of Jazz on the Potomac.6 p.m. Free >> The Duke... continue reading on DCist

Howard University's Afro Blue ensemble >> Local group Chaise Lounge specializes in a brand of incredibly catchy jazz-pop that was very popular in the early 60s. The band will be performing tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $18 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge. >>... continue reading on DCist

It's about that time, jazz lovers: The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is upon us. The event is the District's premier jazz happening, and is now in its fifth iteration. Though its official dates are June 5 to June 15, pianist and local mainstay Allyn Johnson will open the festival... continue reading on DCist

Matt Rippetoe, photo by Doug Sanford >> Tonight's pick takes place at Utopia, where Three Stars alum Matt Rippetoe will be leading a group that includes trumpeter Joe Herrera, pianist Dan Roberts, bassist Andrew Cox, and drummer Larry Ferguson. The band will be playing Rippetoe's original material, in addition... continue reading on DCist

The Afro Bop Alliance >> Up-and-coming vocalist Lulu Fall performs tonight at Twins Jazz. Her band includes talented local artists, the Jolley brothers on piano and drums, and Oliver Albertini on bass. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> Cuban born saxophonist Luis Faife performs regularly around... continue reading on DCist

Every now and then a young musician comes along and accomplishes so much, so quickly, that the rest of us are forced to wonder what we are doing with our lives. That is the position in which we found ourselves when, during a recent interview, we tried to hide... continue reading on DCist

Eric Lewis >> Trombonist Jen Krupa and saxophonist Leigh Pilzer team up tonight at Twins Jazz to lead their quintet, JLQ. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> Cheick Hamala Diabate is recognized as one of the world's masters of the ngoni, a traditional Malian instrument. Fresh... continue reading on DCist

Vocalist Sara Serpa's career track is a road less traveled in today's jazz world. Many singers are beholden to the past, choosing to express themselves through the standards of yesteryear, while trying to recreate the sound of the great crooners, whether it be Sinatra, Holiday, or Fitzgerald. Serpa, originally... continue reading on DCist

Sara Serpa >> The D.C. based Fuse Ensemble is a collaboration between composer Gina Biver and multimedia artist Edgar Endress. The ensemble performs classical music with influences from jazz, world, minimalism, avant-garde, and electronica. Fuse will perform tonight on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free >> The Wright-Spera-Braida Trio... continue reading on DCist

John McLaughlin and Chick CoreaAs a high schooler, I was obsessed with jazz's fusion movement of the 1970s. Bands such as Return to Forever, Tony Williams' Lifetime, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra were in constant rotation on my CD player, because those were the groups that appealed to an inexperienced... continue reading on DCist

>> It's been over a year since Chick Corea last came to the area. He will return tonight to Strathmore, for this week's top pick. Corea and guitar legend John McLaughlin began their collaboration 40 years ago, playing in Miles Davis's pioneering electric groups. Their group, called The Five... continue reading on DCist