Local DJ faves Jesse Tittsworth and Will Eastman and a group of partners are opening up their own space on U Street, the Going Out Gurus report at The Post. Expect the 250- to 300-capacity U Street Music Hall to open early next year at 1115 U St., formerly the Cue Bar. “The whole place is going to be a dance floor,” Eastman told the Gurus. “There will be a few booths and bar stools, but it’s a dance club. It’s for dancing, not sitting.” Eastman will still be hosting dance nights elsewhere though, like his popular Bliss night at the Black Cat.

From the Dept. of Ex-Washingtonians: Ted Leo And The Pharmacists, whose last two labels stopped releasing music, are now signed to Matador Records. And the dubby, noisy group Mi Ami—which, like Leo & Co., was on Touch & Go—has signed with Thrill Jockey. The San Francisco outfit includes two members of the disbanded Black Eyes.

The Kennedy Center announced its 2009-2010 jazz season, Jazz Times reports. Highlights include Mavis Staples on April 23 and a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald on Jan. 24 featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Al Jarreau, Janis Siegel, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band.

In other jazz news, the Congressional Black Caucus is hosting a free jazz (but not Free Jazz) forum and concert tonight in Ballroom A of the Convention Center. The evening features lots of local names, and caps off with a tribute to Miles Davis‘ Kind of Blue, in celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary this year.

Area DJ Dave Nada and engineer Matt Nordstrom’s Nadastrom project dropped a digital EP today.

Aural Suppository has some videos from the Black Cat’s recent 16th anniversary show with Dead Meadow and The Shirks. Including this one:

Dead Meadow performing at the Black Cat’s 16 anniversary in DC from Denman C Anderson on Vimeo.

Photo courtesy of Mi Ami’s MySpace page.

All Our Noise recently shot this footage of him performing a couple of songs at Comet Ping Pong:

Bite Sized Sets At Comet: Vandaveer from All Our Noise on Vimeo.

Vandaveer
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
2700 F St., NW, Washington, D.C.
6 p.m.
Free

• Never Too Late, Crimestoppers. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• Hermans Hermits featuring Peter Noone. Birchmere. $45.
• Pat Martino Trio (June 26-28). Blues Alley. $32.50.
• Ozric Tentacles. The State Theatre. $20.
• Anthony Nelson (second performance on June 27). Twins Jazz. $15.
• Sunsets with a Soundtrack: The U.S. Army Blues Band performs an Evening of Latin Jazz. West Steps U.S. Capitol. Free.
• Hot Coffee, Mississippi, The Convertible Jennifers, The Long Time Darlings. The Red & The  Black. $8. +21.
• Who’s Bad Michael Jackson Tribute Band. 9:30 club. $15. All ages.
• Doris Justis, The Cold June Tomorrows, Colin Jenkins, h double, Flo Anito, Riots On U, Wesley Gentle, Paper Ship Armada, The Yawns, Pup Tent, Jay Paslay, Miss Jess, Reversal, Space Tigers, WATERPLANET, David Correy. Artomatic. Free, donations accepted. Check out WCP’s Artomatic Manual for more info.

Saturday

• Femi Kuti & The Positive Force. 9:30 club. $27.50. All ages.
• The Big Cheese, Big Tow. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• The Seldom Scene, The Dillards. Birchmere. $25.
• The Lemonheads, Appomattox, Title Tracks. Black Cat. $15. All ages.
• Del Ray Music Festival. Mt. Vernon Recreation Center. Free.
• Buddham Sharanam Gachaami: “Celebrating Lord Vishnu and the Path of Peace.” Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. $40–$75.
• The Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra: Jeong-Won Suh, piano. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. $35.
• Lode Runner, Wild Fictions, Ribbons. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• Dogs Without Boarders, Eagle and Talon. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.
• Nick, Solograph, Ember, Music Temple, Matt Ambrosio, Someone Special, Latricia Lee, Rob Martino, Andrea Zarkauskas, Treevibes, The Galt Line, James Stephen Terrell, Eubonics, Long Walks On The Beach. Artomatic. Free, donations accepted.

Sunday

• Blues Jam with the Idle Americans. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• The Soul Sista Summit: Conya Doss, SY Smith, Maya Azucena, M.C. YahZarah. Birchmere. $29.50.
• The Shondes, The Bitter Tears. Black Cat Backstage. $10. All Ages.
• Team B, New Numbers, Evan Voytas. DC9. $8. +18.
• The Kennedy Center Chamber Players. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. $35.
• 311, Ziggy Marley, The Expendables. Nissan Pavilion. $30-$45.
• The Church, Adam Franklin, Bolts of Melody. The State Theatre. $25.
• Sugarplums, Puffy Areolas, Nun Party, Secret Pop Band. Velvet Lounge. $8. +18.
• Tiny Vipers, Balmorhea, Argos. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.
• Daniel Gage, Organize, ALONA, SAW Showcase, Iritis, Copper Rose & Bone, Y. Misdaq aka Yoshi, Storm The Unpredictable, The Mesmers, Walker & Red, Moon Pie, Sweet Interference. Artomatic. Free, donations accepted.

Photo of Femi Kuti via MySpace.

Fresh off a well-reviewed performance at NEARfest, the most prestigious progressive rock festival in the United States (don’t laugh), Mexican instrumental trio Cabezas de Cera are playing two dates this week in D.C. plus one in Baltimore. Cabezas de Cera aren’t your typical bombastic prog band; rather, they combine folk, prog, free improv and a touch of the avant-garde into a fascinating and fairly uncategorizable mish-mash, and they’ve been doing it for about ten years now. While the basic format of the trio (plus a member credited as a “sound designer”) is guitars/saxes/drums, in reality they play a bewildering array of instruments, from traditional instruments to nontraditional rock instruments like the Chapman Stick, plus a variety of homemade implements.

Cabezas de Cera are playing the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage tonight at 6pm sharp, then at Artomatic tomorrow night at 8:30pm. Both these shows are free. On Sunday, they will make an appearance at Orion Sound Studios in Baltimore alongside Might Could – you can expect a longer set at this show for your $15. Orion is at 2903 Whittington Ave, shows are usually scheduled to start around 8pm.

Have a listen at Myspace or check out their website for more info.

Image courtesy Cabezas de Cera’s Myspace page

He’s still controversial, but recently Wynton Marsalis has seen a bit of a re-evaluation—pointing out that beneath all the bile over his musico-political views, Marsalis is a brilliant and absurdly accomplished musician. His performance last night at the Kennedy Center (sponsored by the Washington Performing Arts Society), with the 14-piece Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, bore that premise out.

The program was designed with the broadest appeal in mind: big band arrangements of two children’s songs (”Old MacDonald Had A Farm” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”); a rip-roaring, traditional New Orleans blues; and tuneful pieces by Benny Carter, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. A fairly safe setlist, perhaps, but with superlative arrangements tackled by stellar, risk-taking performers. Trombonist Vincent Gardner might be the band’s most gifted arranger (apart from Marsalis himself), turning in gorgeous settings of Kenny Dorham’s “Trompeta Toccata” and Monk’s “Light Blue.” He’s one to watch in the future…as are soloists Marcus Printup (trumpet) and Walter Blanding (saxophone). The former played one of the most flawless solos I’ve ever heard on “Bye-Ya”; the latter has done something entirely fresh on his tenor, emoting confidence and forthrightness while reining in the instrument’s inbred swagger.

As for Marsalis, his trumpet playing was as golden and resourceful as always. One of its overlooked aspects is the absence of cliche in his improvisations (as opposed to the ones in his compositions): he uses standard devices, but always in fresh and startingly original ways. With any luck, his declarative solos last night on “Old MacDonald” and Dorham’s “Stage West” were recorded; they demanded a note-by-note study.

If it’s easy forget Marsalis’ music when raging about his conservatism, it’s also easy to forget his charm. He spent the evening poking fun at his musicians and joshing the audience. Even his (inevitable) cheap shot at Cecil Taylor was funny; explaining how his son had always fallen asleep at concerts when he was little, Marsalis noted that Taylor was excepted: “He stood right up and leaned over the railing, then turned back to me and whispered ‘I can’t believe how many people are showing up to listen to this!‘”

Now that the “Jazz War” controversy is fading a bit, giving way to the knowledge that tradition and progression are both vital, Marsalis’ value is becoming clear. His “conservative” music is sui generis, and he’s a mentor to dozens of younger players like the ones who shone last night. No matter what you think of Wynton’s musical views, nobody without great talent and skill gets as far as he has. See him when you can.

A number of Kennedy Center “Arabesque” music events sold out in advance including this weekend’s show with wonderful Lebanese oud player Marcel Khalife, and another likely good one with Simon Shaheen, a 15-piece orchestra and guest vocalists in a program entitled “Aswat-Celebrating the Golden Age of Arab Music -1920’s to 1950’s.” However, there are a handful of gigs left that are free or with tickets available (and maybe you can score tickets for the sold-out shows somewhere). Do not think that because these performances are at an upscale bastion, that these performers are bland and offering stereotypical middlebrow, overly safe “world music.” Nope, these acts are the real thing, and many of them are challenging and innovative or at least entertaining.

Sunday evening March 8 begins with Hoba Hoba Spirit. They are a Casablanca, Morocco electric guitar and drums led group who play self-described “Haiha Music,” loosely translated as “Wild Partying Music,” inspired by metal-punk, Gnawa, and Sufi sounds. They will be playing for free from 6 to 7 tonight at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

The night closes with Fathy Salama and orchestra’s “Sultany.” He is an Egyptian pianist, producer, arranger, and composer who combines traditional middle-eastern harp, tambourine, and percussion sounds with modern influences (funky programmed beats and jazzy piano). He first came on my radar when he collaborated with Youssou N’Dour on that vocalist’s daring and likeable Senegalese meets Arabeque album Egypt. Salama and company will be at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater at 7:30. This program just sold out.

On Thursday March 12, the Oriental Music Ensemble of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine will be playing classical and contemporary Arab music for oud, nay, clarinet, qanun, and percussion for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

I will be highlighting the final March 13 to 15th weekend of Arabesque musical performances later in the week.

• Imperial China, New Rock Church Of Fire, The Sentiment, A Born Idler. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. All Ages.
• Julie Murphy Wells. The Barns at Wolf Trap. $20. All ages.
• Donald Harrison, John Lamkin Quartet. Bohemian Caverns, (Friday & Saturday). $25. All ages.
• Velodrome feat. Mas y Mas, DJ Ed Dudes, DJ Scott Bauer. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• Holy Ghost! (DJ set), Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better), DJ Will Eastman. 9:30 club. $15. All ages.
• Candlewax Records presents Blake 9. Cafe Saint Ex. Free. +21.
• NSO Prelude. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage. Free.

Saturday

• Shemekia Copeland. The Barns at Wolf Trap. $20.
• ELEW (Eric Lewis). HR-57. $20. All ages.
• Valentines Day Bash with The Ambitions, The Electrocutions. Black Cat. $8. All ages.
• Andrea Parkins, Susan Alcorn, Janel and Anthony. Velvet Lounge. $10. +18.
• Rodney Atkins, The Lost Trailers. 9:30 club. $35. All ages.
• Sharkey. Cafe Saint Ex. Free. +21.

Sunday

• The Next Big Thing, feat. +20 local alterna-punk bands. 9:30 club, DC9. $15. All ages.
• Matt Jones, Bama. Velvet Lounge. $7. +21.
• The 23rd Annual Wammies. The State Theater. $35. All ages.
• DJ Sam “The Man” Burns, DJ Thomas Blondet. 18th Street Lounge. Free. +21.
• Jerry “The Iceman” Butler. Blues Alley. $43. All ages.
• NSO Young Soloists. Kennedy Center. Free.