Results tagged “jazz”

Feeling the limitations of the jazz combo format that was prevalent in the late 1940s, Miles Davis assembled a nonet to play music that allowed for more orchestration and color, while still maintaining the improvisational elements of that era's be-bop sound. With orchestrations from the great arranger Gil Evans, as well as band members Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis, the band performed briefly in the fall of 1948. But it wasn't until 1949 that the group entered the studio to record what would become Birth of the Cool, a seminal recording that kicked off a movement that became known as "cool jazz."

>> With a style she calls "acoustic smashing," vocalist Jaqui Naylor fuses the Great American Songbook with classic rock sounds of the 60s and 70s. Catch this intriguing combination tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

As hip-hop began its ascent in pop culture, many jazz musicians embraced it, trying to infuse its infectious rhythms with an improvisational and harmonic sophistication. While such experiments have mixed results, we've seen several groups who continue to try to bridge the chasm between the two genres.

>> Guitarist Rodney Richardson leads a group tonight at Twins Jazz. His trio features Three Stars alum Will Rast and drummer Larry Ferguson. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information.

>> Chances are that you've never heard the harmonica as it's played by Frederic Yonnet. Blending disparate genres into his amazing technique, it's no wonder this cat has played with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Branford Marsalis, Erykah Badu, and Prince. Yonnet will be performing tonight at the Strathmore Mansion. 7:30 p.m. $17

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz honors its namesake by hosting its annual International Jazz Competition, which since 1987, has provided a springboard to some of the genre's brightest young stars. Past winners include Joshua Redman, Joey DeFrancesco, Chris Potter, and Jane Monheit, making the competition the most prestigious in the world. On Friday, as part of its Discovery Artist series, the Kennedy Center hosts 2008's winner, up-and-coming saxophonist Jon Irabagon, the first Filipino-American to win the award.

>> Inner Loop is a collective of D.C.musicians blending the improvisation of jazz with the programming and looping of electronica. They'll be upstairs at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge tonight. 9 p.m. Call 202-667-0088 for cover information.

>> The Industrial Jazz Group is an adventurous 17-piece band led by composer Andrew Durkin. Bored with the haughtyness of modern jazz, and the blandness of pop, the group describes its sound as "avant-garde party music," trying to introduce humor into its eclectic sound. The band will be playing tonight at Twins Jazz. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information.

Bassist Stanley Clarke was not long out of high school in 1971, when he moved to New York from his native Philadelphia. In the Big Apple, his virtuosic talent made an immediate splash and landed him stints with jazz legends such as Horace Silver and Joe Henderson. But it wasn't until the following year that Clarke's career really took off. He joined Return to Forever, the supergroup that included famed keyboardist Chick Corea and Lenny White, the drummer who got Clarke the gig with Henderson. RTF helped pioneer the fusion movement of the '70s, one of the most adventurous periods in jazz history, in which Clarke also recorded his own fusion classic, the seminal School Days (1976).

>> Founded in Amsterdam back in 1980, Fra Fra Sound initially blended jazz with the indigenous music of Surinam. Since then, the group has incorporated music from the rest of the Caribbean, resulting in an infectious sound that has kept the group going for nearly 30 years. The band will play 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Blues Alley tonight. Tickets are $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

Jazz supergroups always make me nervous. A promoter or artist assembles an all-star cast of musicians in order to sell tickets, and they generally do, but the music is often lacking. Group improvisation requires everyone to be on the same page, listening to one another. If there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and too many oversized egos, the resulting music is often less than the sum of its parts. But bassist Dave Holland assures us this is not the case when it comes to his most recent collaboration, the Overtone Quartet, which will be performing on Saturday at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. While the members of Overtone convened for the first time as a band for a series of shows in New York last month, there are deep connections among its members.

>> Three Stars alum John Lee continues his series of Wednesday nights, leading his fusion quartet at Utopia. 9 p.m. No cover.

>> A jazz chanteuse in the classic Parisian style, Eva Lopez plays a mix of original compositions and selections from the French jazz repertoire. She will perform tonight on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free

>> As we mentioned yesterday, the Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music is in session. Tonight, the Millennium Stage will host several of the festival's performers for a preview. 6 p.m. Free

At one point during last night's early set at Blues Alley, drummer Matt Wilson turned over his snare drum and started playing the bottom head with one stick, while his right hand stick alternated between playing his cymbals and rubbing against the snares themselves. The result was an effect that sounded like a DJ's scratching to augment the groove Wilson was playing with his other three limbs.

>> Drummer Matt Wilson is one of the most inventive players on the scene today. His playful approach to music is refreshing in today's world of the all-too-serious jazz musician. Catch him lead his group through 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets are $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

>> Philly based saxophonist Elliot Levin brings his experimental sounds to the Bossa Bistro & Lounge tonight at 10 p.m. Call 202-667-0088 for cover information. 10 p.m.

>> In the mid 1990s, Joe Breidenstine set up shop in New York after spending several years performing in Japan. He has since performed with greats such as Tito Puente and Lou Rawls. The trumpeter will be playing with his own group tonight and tomorrow at Twins Jazz. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information.

Woodwind artist John Surman is not a name one hears in this country very often, even in jazz circles, despite a career that spans 45 years. This is largely because his journey is centered in Europe, where the native of Devon, England first gained recognition in the fertile London scene of the mid-1960s. There, he played with band leaders like Mike Westbrook, Alexis Korner, and Ronnie Scott, all pioneers of British jazz. The soon-to-be 65-year old went on to record with guitar great John McLaughlin, Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, and others. In the late '70s, Surman began a relationship with the quintessential European jazz label, ECM Records, which continues to this day. Tonight, he begins a rare area appearance at Blues Alley, in support of his latest ECM release, Brewster's Rooster.

>> At just 28-years old, saxophonist Benny Reid is a musician of considerable talent, but also someone who has not received as broad recognition as he deserves. The highly melodic composer and improviser will be playing tonight at Blues Alley in support of his forthcoming release, Escaping Shadows, an upbeat departure from his last release, which was a loving tribute to his late sister. Tickets to the 8 and 10 p.m. sets are $25 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

>> Many a jazz musician has looked to the Indian subcontinent for inspiration. Tonight, the Millennium Stage hosts Sreevidhya Chandramouli, a Carnatic musician and faculty member at the University of Oregon who plays the veena. 6 p.m. Free

>> Recently profiled saxophonist Bobby Muncy teams up with Three Stars alums Brad Linde and Matt Rippetoe to form The Three Tenors, a group that plays a mix of standards and originals by the trio. The band, playing at Utopia tonight, also features pianist Gene D'Andrea, bassist Andrew Cox, and drummer Larry Ferguson. 9 p.m. No cover

>> Fans of world music should consider spending some time at the Millennium Stage this week. Tonight's show features sahraoui music, which combines dance, poetry, and songs unique to the Ahouach and Hassani tribes from Assa, Morocco. On Thursday, the venue hosts the Alash Ensemble, a group of master Tuvan throat singers. 6 p.m. Free

>> Tonight, recently profiled saxophonist Bobby Muncy leads a fine band at Utopia. The ensemble will feature some of the city's most promising talent, including trumpeter Joe Herrera, guitarist Rodney Richardson, drummer Dave McDonald, and bassist Andrew Cox. 9 p.m. No cover

>> Local guitarist Rodney Richardson is a product of the jazz programs at Ellington and Howard University. Catch his classic sound tonight at Twins Jazz, where he'll lead a trio featuring Three Stars alum Will Rast on organ. Call 202-234-0072 for set time and cover information.

>> The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra was assembled for the 2009 Monterrey Jazz Festival and features 22 all-star players from 13 U.S. high schools. They will perform tonight on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free

>>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.

>> 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.

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 career as a musical chameleon. Often referred to as an avant-gardist because of his work with John Zorn's Masada and other groups, Douglas's music cannot be confined to such narrow labels.

>> 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.