>> Tonight, New York based woodwind player Rob Jacoby comes to Twins Jazz for an evening of straight ahead jazz. Call (202) 234-0072 for set time and cover information. >> The Big Apple sends another one of its gifted talents to Twins. Daniela Schaechter, a skilled composer, vocalist, and pianist, has already wan numerous awards including the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition 2005, The Sister in Jazz Competition 2002, and the Betty Carter’s Jazz......

My mother and I used to think we were so clever sneaking out of the house after the post-pumpkin pie haze to spend our tryptophan relaxing time at the movie theater, while our extended family lay sprawled on the couches in front of the boob tube ... until a few years later when the entire world caught on and every theater had lines around the block on Turkey Day. Lucky for you, we're in Washington,......

>> Those who want to hear smooth sounds with global influences should head down to Blues Alley this week as guitarist Jonathan Butler comes to town for a 3-night stand beginning Thursday. Tickets to the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets are available here. $43 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge. >> Mavis "Swan" Poole, an up-and-coming young vocalist who is an alum of the prestigious Betty Carter Straight Ahead Jazz Workshop will perform at Twins Jazz on......

Betty Rules! is the title of a much-celebrated show for which Amy Ziff, one-third of the long-lived, D.C.-bred pop band Betty, got a Helen Hayes Award nomination last year. I didn’t see it, and I’ve never seen Betty play, so I can’t comment upon its, or their, alleged reign. But I can state with authority the following: Accident, Ziff's one-woman show that opens Theatre J’s new “Incubator Series” of works-in-progress, does not rule. Oh,......

Early in last night's set at The Birchmere, jazz vocalist par excellence Cassandra Wilson announced that she was on tour despite not having an album to support (in fact she has released thirteen albums during her stellar career). As a result, last night's audience was witness to a lighthearted and informal evening of music that was as much jam session as it was a concert. Wilson and her first-rate band came out without a set......

>> Of course, this week's big event is the Congressional Blues Festival, which we told you about yesterday. We'll keep you posted on how it goes, but it should be a fabulous show. The lineup features The Derek Trucks Band, Sweet Betty, Mudcat, and Adolphus Bell. >> Every Thursday, the Thad Wilson Trio plays at Jojo's on U Street. The trumpet/bass/drums trio has an extensive repetoire of standards and occasionally breaks out more adventurous material.......

The roots of modern American music lie in the blues. The music has rich history, but sadly some of its most eminent practitioners have been forgotten and are struggling just to get by. The Music Maker Relief Foundation was formed to help provide grants to struggling musicians. One important tool the Foundation uses to raise money and awareness is the Congressional Blues Festival. The festival, now in its fourth year, takes place tomorrow at the......

Last time we live blogged the House debate on District voting rights, things didn't go too well. We're hoping for a bit of an improvement today. From what we've heard on the Hill, debate kicks off at 10:30 a.m., and the legislation has been split up into two separate parts -- one covering the actual voting seats both D.C. and Utah would receive and the other dealing with the minor increase in annual spending the......

We regret that we must bring you this headline in earnest, D.C. It's not just hype, it's the real deal. Cold weather is up in your grill: literally if you try to start your car this morning and figuratively if you're walking outside without a scarf or mouth guard of some kind. Several wind-chill advisories are out, predicting the coldest temps in three years and real threats of hypothermia and frostbite for those most vulnerable......

It isn't easy being the District. While we District residents pride ourselves on living in a city that is diverse and dynamic, the rest of the country tends to lump us together with the federal government that shares our geographic space. Call it guilt by association -- Congress wastes money and the president lies, and suddenly everyone who lives within the city limits has something to do with federal excesses and excuses. This couldn't be......

Holiday? What Holiday? While some of us were home devouring pumpkin pies instead of writing the Arts Agenda last week, a few galleries opened their doors to new exhibits. The National Portrait Gallery is giving thanks to Josephine Baker by displaying images, posters, music sheets and other artifacts that tell the story of this amazing performer and civil rights activist. Meanwhile, the National Geographic Museum has opened their Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, showcasing......

Betty Friedan, feminist, author, and founder of the National Organization for Women, passed away on Saturday, February 4 at her home in the District. Friedan wrote "The Feminine Mystique," a key work of feminist literature that launched the second-wave of feminism. In it, Friedan expounded on the trials and tribulations of the modern housewife, many suffering from what she penned as "the problem that has no name." The New York Times offered a detailed biography......

"For whatever reason, we're the restaurant you all love to hate," remarks Chef Gillian Clark of her Brightwood restaurant, Colorado Kitchen. Some patrons have complained about slow service. Others are put off by the tone of the menu. "Are you starving?" it reads, "...you'd better have a salad and stop staring at the folks in the kitchen with that anxious look in your eye. You're making them nervous." PCists are skeptical of her more recent......