Thursday, January 12
Setlist has not said enough—not nearly enough—about tenor saxophonist Bruce Swaim. A D.C. jazz musician for 30 years, Swaim has a deep, vinegary sound on his instrument and an enormous swagger that's matched by the enormity of his swing. He's worked all around town (he's a frequent player at the National Gallery's weekly [...]
This is one of those weeks when I wish I could be in several places at once. Alas, dear reader, I cannot, and therefore can't recommend more than one at a time for you.
Friday, Dec. 9
Tim Warfield is one of the best Christmas gifts D.C. gives its jazz fans every year. He does an annual [...]
Already boasting an impressive resume on the D.C. jazz scene, tenor saxophonist Elijah Balbed added another major entry in June: artist in residence at Bohemian Caverns. The fourth such artist since club owner/manager Omrao Brown began the residency program last November, Balbed's monthlong tenure was truncated—and overshadowed—by the presence of the DC Jazz Festival [...]
Tonight, Jan. 20
The rise of young Miguel Zenon has brought renewed attention on the jazz strands of Puerto Rico, but the Island of Enchantment has a long, long lineage in the music from Juan Tizol to Tito Puente to David Sanchez. Puente remains the king; if there's a Crown Prince of Puerto Rican jazz, however, [...]
Thursday, Jan. 13
You might know Amy K. Bormet from her weekly role as pianist and backbone of the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra (and perhaps you saw her thoughtful interview on this WTTG tribute to the late Dr. Billy Taylor). But she's got other tricks up her sleeve. Her 2011 resolution, she recently stated, is "MORE [...]
My editor suggested in a post yesterday on the Wammies awards ceremony that I might want to add my two cents regarding this year's nominees, and he’s right. The slate of nominees for the 25th anniversary Wammies contains a familiar ratio of impressive choices, mind-boggling omissions, and troubling mistakes (2008-formed Baltimore band Mama's Black Sheep as “New [...]
Friday, Jan. 7
It's perhaps the most casual gig in town, but something interesting is always happening at Westminster Presbyterian's Jazz Night. Under the buzz of people chatting quietly to each other, or the scraping of plates of food sold by the SW Catering Company downstairs, can be heard the most swinging and warm jazz music [...]
One of these days someone will write a comprehensive history of jazz in the District of Columbia, and 2010 will have a volume all to itself. Or at least a very long chapter. It's simply been a spectacular year for the scene; not always "spectacular" in the positive sense, but momentous and monumental no matter [...]
Friday, Oct. 8
Nasar Abadey is home! Just under a year ago, the imaginative virtuoso drummer (who calls his music "Multi-D") was accepted for a State Department cultural tour that took him and his Supernova quartet (saxophonist Joe Ford, pianist Allyn Johnson, and bassist James King) to Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Mozambique for a [...]
Thursday, June 17
Festival season continues. They don't call it a festival, but Nordic Jazz Week is a small one in all but name, this year featuring three nights of music by bands from Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway, sponsored by those nations' embassies. (A great set of photos from last year's concerts is here.) [...]
