Friday, October 7
We all know easy-listening trumpeter Chris Botti, right? He wasn't always such light, soft fare. He moved to New York City in 1985, the story goes, to establish himself as the baddest young bebop trumpeter on the scene. But something happened there to scare him away from that goal, sending him running into [...]
It's all been leading up to this, funseekers.
For many music festivals, a daylong program of artists on an outdoor stage would constitute the entire festival. For the DC Jazz Festival, Jazz on the National Mall is merely the crown jewel of a two-week, 50-venue event. And as crown jewels go, six-and-a-half free hours of [...]
Ahh, it comes 'round again—the big event, the area's jazz gig of the year: The D.C. Jazz Festival, scheduled this year for June 1-13. The lineup was announced today.
Some good news: The festival's signature event, Jazz on the National Mall, returns after last year's absence, with a new sponsor (Bing). The free daylong concert this [...]
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 [...]
Well, kids, here it is—the DC Jazz Festival’s annual flagship event, the big plenary session—the free concert. Things are a little different this year, though: it’s not on the National Mall, as it has been every year before. And, it’s not all free.
Lisner Auditorium, on the GW campus, plays host this year. The afternoon [...]
Where was Moody? That's the mystery.
Actually, the physical whereabouts of James Moody, 85, were well-known, even though the saxophonist/flutist wasn't present at the Lincoln Theatre last night for the NEA Jazz Masters' tribute to him. "James recently had a surgical procedure done," DCJF producer Charlie Fishman explained from the stage. "So unfortunately he couldn't be [...]
"This will be a taste of things to come," Charlie Fishman, the DC Jazz Festival's founder and producer, told the crowd of VIPs assembled at the Mandarin Oriental for last night's festival gala. He meant it literally. The lineup for the evening featured a group of musicians who will also appear tonight at the NEA [...]
Roy Hargrove is no stranger to D.C., making frequent appearances at Georgetown's Blues Alley and playing a headline engagement during 2007's Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (now the D.C. Jazz Festival). Sunday night, however, he took a surprise detour from his four-night stand at Blues Alley to hit the clubs of U Street.
Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal [...]
