Thursday, Feb. 9
The resurgence of the New Orleans brass band in the late 2000s was just about the unlikeliest musical development of its time. In some ways, it was a product of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, a living proof of the steadfastness of the people of the Crescent City who endured such horror, natural and manmade. It's also a powerful reminder—a welcome one—that that city has been and remains the crucible of American music. The sound's most prominent exponent these days is the aptly named Rebirth Brass Band. These denizens of New Orleans' famed Treme neighborhood are celebrating their 30th year of fusing second-line brass music—proto-jazz—with funk, soul, rhythm & blues, and hip-hop, revitalizing a music that was always about celebration and dancing with modern and cutting-edge sounds. They perform with local favorites Funk Ark at 7 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25.

Saturday, Feb. 11
When NBC's The Sing-Off was forced by popular demand to bring back fourth-place finishers Afro-Blue for last fall's season finale, it was clear that a star had been born. And the name at the crest of that star was Christie Dashiell, the telegenic young vocalist who was frequently the smooth, sparkling lead on the Howard University ensemble's performances. By that time, of course, Dashiell had already been an established presence in our fair city; the North Carolina native was a popular participant in last year's inaugural Washington Women in Jazz Festival, did splendid work with the Jolley Brothers, and performed regularly on her own and with the various configurations of Afro-Blue. In short, America, Dashiell was ours first. And this weekend she's back, showcasing her extraordinary talents with two of her brothers, bassist Christian and drummer C.V.; stellar D.C. pianist Allyn Johnson; and a fellow Afro-Bluer, singer Integriti Reeves. Dashiell performs at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. at Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. $20.

Sunday, Feb. 12
Sunday, kids, is blowing up. From Andrea Parkins and IRIS at the Caverns, to D.C. fusioneer Mychael Pollard at Twins, to Al Jarreau and the Airmen of Note at DAR Constitution Hall. Something for everyone. This writer, however, has two other recommendations that day; both start at the same time, but one will still be running strong when the other ends.

First is the Overtone Quartet, an all-star ensemble that started five years ago as the Monterey Quartet (in celebration of the Monterey Jazz Festival's 50th anniversary), then re-formed two years later in the wake of a live recording from the Festival. By that time pianist Jason Moran had joined, replacing original player Gonzalo Rubalcaba and joining bassist Dave Holland, tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, and drummer Eric Harland. Each member is a prominent, cutting-edge member of the national jazz landscape; each is also a prominent composer in his own right, and represented within the band's repertoire. The key to their ar, however, is the kinetic sense of interplay the musicians share. They shift on a dime, complement each others' improvisations, and make time and harmony a thing of wax to be molded at will. They perform at 7 p.m. at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Route 193 and Stadium Drive in College Park. $9-$45.

Second, on your way home, stop in Columbia Heights, where CapitalBop is presenting its first D.C. Jazz Loft in its new locale: The Dunes. Helping them inaugurate the venue are three of the city's most innovative, edgy acts. Paul Carr, the saxophonist and educator who curates next week's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, leads his band; drummer Lenny Robinson's exploratory trio Mad Curious, featuring saxophonist Brian Settles and bassist Tarus Mateen, adds fuel to the fire; and the Donvonte McCoy Quintet, named by Arts Desk as 2011's Best Small Jazz Group, caps things off...except, of course, for the open jam session at the end of the night. The Dunes is at 1402 Meridian Place NW. $10 suggested donation (and this time no BYOB!).

Thursday, August 18

Until I say that the ensemble plays New Orleans jazz, you may not grasp the proper pronunciation of Yamomanem. Indeed, the group proudly touts its foundation in "D.C.'s secondline scene" (which so far consists of...Yamomanem). If the group first smacks of more middle-aged white guys playing cornball renditions of 1920s black music, then boy, you're in for a surprise. Sure, they play your Jelly Roll Mortons, your King Olivers, your New Orleans Kings of Rhythm, and they play it with the stomping foursquare rhythms of early jazz. Sort of. Because they also aren't shy with booming, 21st-century funk beats, or with the more lilting (but no less aggressive) rhythms of the Caribbean. In the past I've said that these elements "gleefully subvert" New Orleans jazz. But that, perhaps, is unfair: The aforementioned New Orleans musicians were happy to use elements of whatever they could find useful in their music, and that included Caribbean accents and ragtime (surely the contemporary equivalent of funk). But why bother with that discussion? It's fun, it sounds great, so go see 'em! Yamomanem performs at 10 p.m. at Haydee's, 3102 Mount Pleasant St. NW. Free.

Friday, August 19

Boy, oh boy, is Donvonte McCoy something. His is a dark, slightly foreboding trumpet sound, full and hearty though it is; but we tend to associate brighter, gleeful tones with the kind of fearsome chops McCoy also puts on display. But there's plenty of range and versatility in there too. He's got great and flexible time, fluid motion, and an affection for soulful textures. McCoy swings and bops with the best of them, but he puts those soul touches into his quintet, along with doses of funk and hip-hop and trippy outer space. It's appropriate for the atmosphere of the Eighteenth Street Lounge, where they practice their black magic every Friday night, and it's a fantastic time that you don't need to be an ESL-style dance music-junkie to appreciate. Just grab a cocktail and a couch, and hold on tight. The Donvonte McCoy Quintet performs at 10:30 p.m. at Eighteenth Street Lounge, 1212 18th St. NW. $10.

Sunday, August 21

Brian Settles is always busy, but lately it seems he's been busier than most. The tenor sax man fronts an acclaimed and creative local trio; works frequently with his wife, the wonderful vocalist Jessica Boykin-Settles; and often travels to New York to work in progressive ensembles there. But Settles has a progressive ensemble of his own, the quintet he calls Central Union (also featuring brilliant young D.C. native Corcoran Holt on bass), who's just released an astonishing recording. Secret Handshake (Engine Studios) is exciting music, skewed and irregular compositions with sudden twists and turns that beguile even as they warp the perceptions—oh, and no shortage of free-blowing tunes, either. It's a flexing of Settles' avant-garde muscle, along with some of his most truly creative impulses, and he's celebrating it with a release party that brings Central Union to D.C. for the first time. The ensemble performs at 7 p.m. at Bohemian Caverns, 2001 Eleventh St. NW. $15.

Tuesday, August 23
Once upon a time, Butch Warren was the house player for Blue Note Records and a member of Thelonious Monk's band. Today he is practically exile in his hometown (D.C.) after a difficult life and career. Nonetheless, he remains one of the most respected living bassists in jazz. He's the reigning king of the aggressively zesty D.C. bass sound. All reasons that if you haven't seen him play, well, you simply have no excuse. Warren's steadiest gig these days is on Tuesday nights at Tryst in Adams Morgan, where he leads a trio called the Butch Warren Experience (which often expands to include any number of musicians) and maintains a link to the deepest, headiest days of the bebop revolution, plus a booster of blues and that uniquely Washington sound. How often do you get to see living jazz royalty—and with no cover at that? Butch Warren performs at 7 p.m. at Tryst, 2459 18th St. NW. Free.

The lineup is a doozy: the core, of course, is an ace quartet featuring pianist Tim Whalen, bassist Tarus Mateen, and drummer Nasar Abadey, all of them among the finest talent the District has to offer. But Balbed has stacked the deck with even more great players, including the acrobatic trumpeter Donvonte McCoy, subtle and sultry young vocalist Integriti Reeves, and uniquely gifted steelpan drummer Victor Provost, who will appear as special guests.They'll be working out new material for an album Balbed hopes to record this year, as well as favorite tunes and new arrangements by the other musicians.

Stellar as the evening promises to be, though, this one has a more important dimension to it than just a night of great music (important as that is). Balbed's 15-year-old sister Yaya has recently undergone a major surgical procedure in her back as treatment for her scoliosis. The proceeds from the concert will help with Yaya's medical bills, recovery costs, and musical training—Yaya has discovered a passion for singing. Call it an investment in D.C.'s musical future.

Elijah Balbed performs at 8 and 10 p.m. at Bohemian Caverns, 2000 11th St. NW. $7 in advance, $10 at the door.

Photo: Liz Medina Chiomenti.

Thursday, March 24
You could be forgiven if his nearly 20-year association with Jay Leno made you think Kevin Eubanks was a mediocre hack, too—forgiven, but you wouldn't be correct. Before he Jaywalked, guitarist Eubanks (the second of three musical brothers from Philadelphia) was a member of the M-Base Collective, the Brooklyn-based pool of musicians who made revolutionary musical and rhythmic structures in the 1980s. As a soloist, though, he's tended toward the fusion domain, albeit with a refreshingly progressive current running through it. The rock-ish textures still fool some critics into thinking Eubanks has watered his sound down, labeling his latest album, Zen Food (Mack Avenue), as pop-jazz; if you're tempted to agree, listen to Zen Food yourself...and try to hum any of the tunes you hear. Better yet, go see him play! Kevin Eubanks performs at 8 and 1 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $30.

Friday, March 25
Donvonte McCoy first appeared in this column two weeks ago when he was appearing in a solo set at Twins; at the time, I praised his "fluid, bouncy legato line, blinding speed...and hearty quicksilver tone on his horn." Having heard that solo set, I have to qualify my description. No question of his fluidity or legato (though McCoy also has some staccato tendencies), but his playing also has a tremendous capacity for languid, deliberate pace, and his tone has a smoky undertone both on trumpet and flugelhorn. His range, in other words, is wide and magnificent. That's apparent in the sets he performs weekly with his quintet at Eighteenth Street Lounge, where large insertions of funk and hip-hop, and the soulful stylings of singer Mavis Waters, infiltrate his spacey jazz music. It's something special. The Donvonte McCoy Quintet performs at 10:30 p.m. at Eighteenth Street Lounge, 1212 18th St. NW. $10.

Sunday, March 27

One of my items in this week's Best Of D.C. issue ("Best Instrument: Bass") inspired an open question from walking jazz library Larry Appelbaum: "What ever happened to Marshall Hawkins?" What an opportune time to ask! Hawkins is performing at a homecoming concert this weekend. He's sharing top billing with New Orleans clarinetist Evan Christopher; both of them work with Christopher's ensemble Clarinet Road. Christopher is a deep scholar of the clarinet styles that flourished in the early jazz of New Orleans, and has built his career on extending the elements of those sounds into the contemporary jazz milieu—accordingly, he calls his music "contemporary early jazz." Christopher got his musical education at the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts near Palm Springs, Calif.—which is how he met Hawkins, the D.C. native and bassist who has been the school's jazz head since 1985. Teacher and student bring it home at 4 p.m. at All Souls Unitarian Church, 16th and Harvard streets NW. $20.

Tuesday, March 29
It's probably no surprise to anyone who watches jazz these days that Radiohead's oeuvre is popular and fertile ground for jazz musicians. Brad Mehldau's piano renditions are the stuff of myth at this point, and on the best album of last year, Christian Scott's Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, the best track was a cover of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser." Well, D.C.'s jazz musicians are as eager to blaze those trails as anyone else, and a group of the most adventurous among them— tenor saxophonist Bobby Muncy, trumpeter Joe Herrera, guitarists Rodney Richardson and Greg Loman, bassist Blake Meister, drummer Larry Ferguson, and vocalist Lena Seikaly—have come together under the auspices of the "Radiohead Jazz Project." Their mission, obviously, is to explore the British band's work in depth. Given the players involved, it can't help but be a stirring encounter. The Radiohead Jazz Project performs at 8 and 10 p/m/ at Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. $10.

Saturday, March 12
Much like Ron Carter (who, incidentally, will be in town next month), Robert Glasper will always get a plug from me when he's in town. The favorite hip-hop keyboardist is one of the most impressive jazz talents of his generation. Hearing his gymnastic piano style is like riding a rocketship through jazz harmonies; when he switches to electric keyboards he breaks new ground in rhythm, as well as melodic and harmonic washes that feel like dark, dreamy impressionistic murals of sound. Though he never abandons his lyricism, which is frequently playful even in its stateliest presentations, Glasper's an experimenter, an explorer, and a fearless one. Hence, every appearance is different from the last, and promises some newly discovered musical dimension that will transform how you hear him. That's why he gets mentioned in this column every time he plays, and why you should by God go hear him every time he plays too. Glasper and his band perform at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. at Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. $22.

Sunday, March 13
D.C. trumpter Donvonte McCoy has a sensibility not unlike Glasper's, in the sense that he is an experimenter who grabs hold of whatever sound or texture he can use. But he's got the heart of a traditionalist, and expresses it with a fluid, bouncy legato line, blinding speed in the Dizzy Gillespie/Jon Faddis lineage, and hearty quicksilver tone on his horn. The alumnus of the New School and of Howard University (where he played with both the Jazztet and HUJE) is one of the best musicians in Washington, and has long deserved much more attention from the Jazz Setlist. If you haven't seen McCoy already (either as a sideman or in his primary guises as jam-session leader at HR-57 and quintet leader on Friday nights at Eighteenth Street Lounge), here's a rare chance to hear his music unadorned, bare and intimate. McCoy is the featured soloist opening this week's Sunday Jazz Lounge, the program at Twins Jazz on Sunday nights. Come for McCoy's solo trumpet, stay for the Joe Herrera-Rodney Richardson quintet that will play two sets afterward. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Twins, 1344 U St. NW. $5.

This last, it seems, has finally been booked through the month. The schedule:

Mar. 6: Harry Appleman (piano)
Mar. 13: Donvonte McCoy (trumpet)
Mar. 20: Brian Settles (tenor saxophone)
Mar. 27: Lena Seikaly (vocal)

Each Sunday is $5, which essentially means two acts for less than the price of one.

Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed reports that he was at U-Topia Bar & Grill at about 1 a.m., listening to the regular Sunday night band co-led by keyboardist Wayne Wilentz and drummer Jim West, when "next thing I know a man wearing a leather suit with black and orange Nike shoes is walking up to the stage to sit in with a flugelhorn. That was Roy Hargrove." Over the next few hours, Hargrove's impromptu sit-in became an open jam session featuring Jamal, singer Cheryl Jones, and local trumpet mainstays Donvonte McCoy, Joe Brotherton, and Israel Lattimore.

See what you miss when you decide you've "got to get up for work in the morning?"

But despair not! For, says Balbed, "I run a jam session at Utopia on Mondays, and although Roy has already left town, we may have appearances there tonight by some of the members of his band." Not quite the same, perhaps, but a hell of a good excuse to hit U-Topia this evening anyway. (Another good excuse: the chicken pecan.)