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 shopping-mall PA systems all over the country. What made him give up on conquering jazz? He heard Roy Hargrove. There's an apocryphal element to that story, but anyone who's heard Hargrove's trumpet has to believe the bulk of it. He has a beautiful tone, blowing pear-shaped notes with a smooth, affecting vibrato, and a fondness for the high register of his instrument. And talk about momentum: At the wildest tempos and most chaotic arrangements, he plays lines that swing so hard they all but get up and dance off the stage. (Indeed, Hargrove himself often can't resist dancing while he plays them.) Find me a trumpter who can hear Roy and not be intimidated into making Muzak—that's a story that would strain credulity. The Roy Hargrove Quintet performs at 8 and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $40.

Saturday, October 8
Edmar Castañeda, a 33-year-old from Bogota, is different. Sure, he plays improvised jazz. It’s just that he plays it on a harp. And he plays jazz that’s rooted deeply in the many folk-musical traditions of his native Colombia. Neither of these is completely new; there have been a few harpists in jazz, Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane being the most prominent, and Charles Mingus experimented with Colombian music. But Castañeda marries these two out-there concepts, presenting them in an unconventional trio featuring soprano saxophonist Shlomi Cohen and percussionist/drummer Dave Sillerman (whose zoo of odd cymbals, chimes, and bells ensure that he’s a percussionist first, drummer second). Castañeda is a serious virtuoso on his instrument, threading remarkable runs of melody and chords with his right hand while his left keeps a thumping foundation that sounds for all the world like an electric bass. It's a bold direction, unique and beautiful, that's got Castañeda on its way to becoming a major figure in world jazz. He performs at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. at Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. $20.

photo: Maciej Jaros.

Sunday, October 9
In a week where national and international acts are dominating D.C.'s jazz locales, CapitalBop has once again managed to pack a tremendous punch of local talent into one night at their monthly series of DC Jazz Lofts. How do these guys keep up the pace of masterly showcases of our small, flourishing scene? Well, for starters, the small scene keeps growing, with new talents emerging and established ones finding new ideas to explore. But more importantly, Giovanni Russonello and Luke Stewart are tirelessly dedicated to bringing about rich dioramas of what D.C. jazz is, what it's capable of, and where it's going. This time around, the talent on display includes modern soul-jazz vocalist Akua Allrich, a favorite on U Street who lives up to the jazz-singer tradition of making one's voice resemble a horn; lyrical bassist Herman Burney, one of the standard-bearers of the D.C. bass tradition whose new album Offering was spotlighted in City Paper a few weeks ago, performing duets with stellar trombonist Reginald Cyntje; Anthony Pirog, a cerebral, idiosyncratic guitarist who raised eyebrows recently with his performance of a Terry Riley work in Silver Spring; and, as always, a freeform jazz jam to cap off the evening. It runs the gamut, in other words, and as such you have no excuse for missing it. The Jazz Loft takes place at 7 p.m. at the Red Door Loft, 443 I St. NW. $10.

Monday, October 10
Eighty-one years old and becoming exceedingly frail, saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins still throws himself into his tenor saxophone onstage. It’s actually a little frightening to see a man of grandfatherly age thrusting head and shoulders down towards his horn with force that would cause back spasms in much younger men. Then again, listen to the sounds he’s making. Rollins’ sax tone is a brazen—at times even vulgar—display of muscle. His rhythms are not just powerful, but unique, and Rollins finds new uses for space and accent in tunes he’s played since adolescence. Spry young accompanists scramble to keep up. The 2011 Kennedy Center honoree chews melodies to bits and reassembles them, Frankenstein-like, before bringing them back home. Rollins’ body may be aging, but it channels his energy just as vitally as his horn. Sonny Rollins returns to Washington for his annual performance at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $35-85.

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 jazz in the shadow of the Washington Monument is tough to beat. Especially when the lineup includes Nigerian world-fusioneers Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa; Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuna and her quartet; trumpet star Roy Hargrove and his hip-hop/jazz project, RH Factor; harmonica virtuoso Frederic Yonnet; and, to end the evening, Latin-jazz pioneer Eddie Palmieri’s All-Star Salsa Orchestra. It’s a powerful cross-section of the current world of straight-ahead jazz—in other words, it really could be a festival all its own.

Jazz at the National Mall takes place from 1:00 to 7:30 PM, Rain or Shine, at the Sylvan Amphitheater, 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free.

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 year includes harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet; Chilean singer Claudia Acuña; star trumpeter (and festival favorite) Roy Hargrove and his hip-hop-leaning ensemble The RH Factor; and the Puerto Rican pianist Eddie Palmieri, leading his All-Star Salsa Orchestra. (June 12)

There's also a new venue on the festival calendar, The Warner Theatre, where vocal polymath Bobby McFerrin performs with the Howard University Afro-Blue Reunion Choir. (June 13)

Bohemian Caverns also kicks its relationship with the festival up a notch, with three major-artist performances. The great pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his quartet perform on June 3 and 4; eclectic alto saxophonist Antonio Hart and his quintet on June 8 and 9; and the quintet led by the Legendary Heath Brothers, saxophonist Jimmy and drummer Tootie.

And, as has become traditional, the festival closes things out at the Kennedy Center on June 13, with a showcase called "A Night in Tremé: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans." On the bill are saxophonist Donald Harrison, the Rebirth Brass Band, clarinetist Dr. Michael White, trombonist Big Sam Williams, and trumpeter James Andrews, along with emcee Wendell Pierce, star of HBO's Treme.

As usual, the festival divides these shows with a lineup of local talents. Not all of this side of the lineup is solidified yet, but those who are can be found on the festival's website.

Saturday, Jan. 8
There are two Roy Hargroves, and they often command the same bandstand together. One of them is the aloof, distant trumpet master who plays the finest bebop horn of his generation, then stalks around the stage moodily while the next solo gets going. The other is the one who basks in his rapport with the crowd, does a little step when his solo hits its rhythmic peak, and pulls the mouthpiece away to spontaneously throw in a funny dash of scat. But which side will take the stage, and when will the other take over? Does it matter? Hargrove is a master of his craft, and one to throw in the fervor of gospel and the grooves of funk and hip-hop just to throw off your expectations...and then surpass them. He's also got a fabulous working quintet that currently includes Washingtonian native Ameen Saleem (another in the seemingly endless line of great D.C. bass players). The Roy Hargrove Quintet performs at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35.

Photo: Bob Travis.

Sunday, Jan. 9
There's no shortage of piano players in this town—though even in that crop Will Rast stands out as something special with his taste for lyrical beauty and freakishly in-the-pocket rhythms. He's also an organ player, and in that regard he is surely the king in this town. He cover the gamut from soul to funk to fusion jazz on that device, and lays down thick textures that can't be imitated by anyone else. He's also got a jones for electronic music that he does extremely unusual and interesting things with. Why mention all of this? Well, Rast performs Sunday night at Bossa in Adams Morgan...and the website lists him as simply "Will Rast." No mention of his trio, quartet, or his Funk Ark project; even the space on their schedule that lists the genre of the musicians is mysteriously blank. Rast does tend to fall back on a jazzy framework, though, even in his external exercises, so go see him. The gig happens at 9 p.m. at Bossa, 2463 18th St.t NW. Free.

Monday, Jan. 11
These days, John Kocur’s steadiest gig is not in the clubs but in the classroom, teaching music at Northern Virginia Community College and directing the school’s repertory jazz ensemble. But when he does find time to pick up his alto saxophone and hit the bandstand, Kocur remains one of the D.C. scene’s best musicians. He’s got a big, slippery sound and a love of melody that makes his solos joyous and his compositions smart and exciting. Though Kocur’s educational endeavors occupy most of his time these days, he hasn’t abandoned his writing: He’s got a brand new crop of compositions, and he’s been woodshedding them with his quartet to prep them for performance in the new year. Who says teaching is for those who can’t do? The John Kocur Quartet performs at 8 and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $20.

Photo: Darrell Jennings.

Lisner Auditorium, on the GW campus, plays host this year. The afternoon concert, at 3:30 PM, is the free event. It’s another chapter of the festival’s Latin jazz showcase, this time featuring two additional flavors: Puerto Rican pianist Eddie Palmieri, who plays a hard-edged dance form that’s brash, dense, exhilarating and exhausting; and Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi, who at his best can blow paint off your walls and make them weep at the same time. This is not a performance to be missed.

Still, the big guns come out for the ticketed event at 8:00. Roy Hargrove, already heavy on the festival’s schedule, takes a new approach by bringing his big band, which is itself new, but its 2009 recording Emergence was one of the most interesting straightahead albums of the year. Joining Hargrove is sultry vocalist Roberta Gambarini, another favorite of this year and years past, though she earns her keep with her flawless delivery and rhythmic invention. Then, of course, comes the headliner: Roberta Flack, the ‘70s breakout star who was discovered in a DC nightclub and recorded two of the biggest hits of the decade, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly.” By all accounts she is as gifted at singing jazz as at the folk-tinged soul that made her a household name; even on the off-chance that that’s not true, however, do you really want to miss her?

Jazz at the Lisner takes place at the Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st Street NW. Free (3:30 show) – $30 (8:00 show).

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 with us tonight, but thanks to the efforts of WWOZ in New Orleans, who are broadcasting this concert, he is listening on the Internet." But what was really missing, despite the excellence of what transpired instead, was all but the faintest signs of Moody's musical legacy.

The lineup for the concert included two musicians who are unquestionably longtime friends and collaborators of Moody: piano great Kenny Barron, a cohort for 50 years, and clarinetist-saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, who's worked with him for more than 20. Most of the others—pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Yotam Silberstein, bassist John Lee, drummer Willie Jones III, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and vocalist Roberta Gambarini—are far more recent and infrequent collaborators, primarily working with Moody in the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Another, violinist Regina Carter, has never recorded with Moody; her association is with Barron, whom she joined onstage for two duets.

The repertoire wasn't much more relevant to Moody, either. No doubt he knows the bebop ("'Round Midnight," "Blue 'N Boogie") and Tin Pan Alley standards ("You Don't Know What Love Is," "Georgia On My Mind") that made up most of the set last night, particularly since another frequent collaborator, Dizzy Gillespie, was very well-represented with three tunes. (Charlie Fishman first made his name in jazz as Gillespie's last manager.) Surely, however, there are other standards that are more associated with Moody, who has done multiple versions of "Con Alma" and "Body and Soul," among others. But Moody has also written his share of originals; many were developed improvisationally but became showpieces in their own right. Still, it wasn't until the close of the show that the musicians performed a Moody tune—his most famous, "Moody's Mood for Love."

The performances themselves are much harder to fault. Chestnut, in particular, played with a unique sparkle that informed the gospel and blues influences he brought to the fore in tunes like "Groovin' High" and "Bebop." Silberstein also deserves praise, with quicksilver slide work on "'Round Midnight," and Barron with his balance of light melody and percussive rhythm on "Georgia on My Mind." There were also a couple of neat surprises, with the tapdancing Manzari Brothers joining the band for Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" and a lithe trio of D'Rivera, Siberstein, and Brazilian tambourine player Pernell Saturnino performing the bossa nova standard "Um A Zero." (They decided to do the song during intermission, Fishman explained, requiring Silberstein to quickly learn it and Saturnino to be fetched on a whim from his hotel room.) Nobody who came to the concert with the simple desire for great jazz left disappointed.

Those who bought tickets hoping for a tribute to James Moody, however, may have been more befuddled. Perhaps if Moody had made the gig according to plan, there would have been some context for the roster and setlist. As it was, though, we were treated to a very good performance with confusing billing.

Their chemistry onstage was electric. On the opening number, "Bebop," Chestnut's playing reclaimed the phrase "greased lightning" from the wretches who created Grease, while Hargrove demonstrated once again that bebop is a language he knows as well as any trumpeter alive. Gambarini joined them on "If You Could See Me Now"; her flawless and emotionally loaded articulation was a stunning complement to Lee's virtuosic work on fretless electric bass, and equally effective as a counterpoint to Hargrove's dry-champagne solo.

The highlight of the performance, however, was the ensemble workout on Johnny Griffin's blues "The Jamfs Are Coming"—Gambarini delightedly sang the fed-up irony of the lyrics ("I changed the locks and set you free"), then launched into a freewheeling scat solo followed by a sumptuous, melodic flugelhorn solo from Hargrove. Better still were the back-to-back choruses by Silberstein (whose low-grade blues sounded surprisingly like Ellington's "Things Aint What They Used To Be," which opened the show), and Chestnut (whose gospel-blues was so potent that the audience erupted into spontaneous clapping on the backbeat).

If you hadn't caught on, the reason for recapping the excellence of last night's invite-only performance is to whet your appetite for this evening's public showcase...which will be even better. The NEA Jazz Masters Concert this year honors saxophonist James Moody (pictured above) and will feature his music as well as his favorite standards and collaborators. In addition to the sextet from last night, tonight's concert features the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band (of which Chestnut, Silberstein, Lee, and Jones are members), violinist Regina Carter, and Moody's fellow NEA Jazz Masters pianist Kenny Barron and clarinetist (and DCJF artistic director) Paquito D'Rivera. It can't help but bring the house down.

The NEA Jazz Masters Concert begins at 7:30 pm at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. $25-$35.

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.)