All that Jazz, Georgetown, January 2025
By • December 19, 2024 0 6
By Mark Edelman
It’s a brand new year and clubs and concerts are keeping the lights on and seats warm for the best music the DMV has to offer. Check out these night spots as we swing our way into the new year:
Freda Payne
January 25-26
If you’re a pop music fan of a certain age, you haven’t forgotten the early 70s hit Band of Gold, a top ten tune out of the Holland-Dozier-Holland hit factory that featured a young Detroit jazz singer. Freda Payne grew up listening to Ella, Billie and the great jazz and blues singers. She moved to NYC, where she worked with Quincy Jones and Pearl Bailey. TV, Broadway, the cover of Jet and more pop records followed, earning her a place in the music firmament. But she never left her jazz roots; and DC club goers will enjoy Ms Payne’s forays into her deep catalogue and the American songbook with four perfs at Blues Alley Jan 25 and 26. Tickets at www.bluesalley.com.
January at the Clubs:
The metro area’s premiere jazz club Blues Alley in Georgetown kicks off the new year—its 60th presenting jazz in the DMV—with reed man Skip Pruitt’ Birthday Blow Out Show on January 5. Jazz piano trios rule the roost Tuesday nights at the Alley with Kevin Hayes leading a combo on the 7th, followed by Sullivan Fortner on Jan 14, Adam Birnbaum on 21 and Jihee Heo closing the month out on Jan 28. Smooth jazz luminaries Brian Simpson and Jackiem Joyner are on the bandstand for four show Jan 18-19. Vocalist Robert E Person offers a heartfelt celebration of the life of Dr King on his official birthday, Jan 20. Art Sherrod JR brings his gospel-inflected saxophone sounds to the club for four shows on Jan 23 and 24, followed by the aforementioned Ms. Payne. And Jean Carne closes out the month with her remarkable five-octave vocal rang Jan 30 and 31. These and more great shows can be had at www.bluesalley.com.
Mr Henry’s welcomes back Herb Scott, who hosts the Capitol Hill club’s popular Wednesday night jam sessions from 8-11pm. When he’s not playing jazz emissary to audiences as far flung as Russia and Haiti, tenor master Elija Jamal Balbed calls DC home. Balbed will be fronting a combo at Mr. H on Saturday, Jan 25. Alexandria boasts two music rooms: the Loft at Lena’s hosts jazz duets Tuesday and Thursday nights and Laporta offers up nightly jazz plus brunch on Sundays. Back in the District, JOJO’s remains home to keyboardist Colin Chambers fronting a combo on Friday nights and guitarist Sol Roots taking the stage on Sundays. DuPont-accessible hotel and bistro the Tabard Inn welcomes a revolving roster of DC jazz talents every Sunday and Monday from 6 to 8:30. Guitarist Steve Heberman, bassist Victor Dvoskin and keyboard artist Fred Hughes are among the players you’ll find on their schedule at www.tabardinn.com. And while it’s a schlep over to the B in BWI, the Keystone Korner gets kudos for welcoming Baltimore native and piano legend Cyrus Chestnut home for the holidays Jan 2-5 with Tim Green on sax, Obasi Akoto on bass and Eric Kennedy on drums. You can stream it if you’d rather not make the trip: www.keystonekornerbaltimore.com
JANUARY IN CONCERT:
Big band fans will want to journey to the Center for the Arts on the George Mason campus in Fairfax on Saturday, Jan 11 for the U.S. Navy Band Commodores—your tax dollars never swung so hard. On January 30, the Strathmore hosts Brazilian pianist Helosia Fernandes and her quartet at the Mansion at Strathmore. And the Birchmere welcomes R&B and jazz vocalist Will Downing for two shows Jan 31 and Feb 1.
The Kennedy Center’s intimate lobby venue Millenium Stage plays host to vocalist and sax player Stephanie Chou, celebrating the Lunar New Year with her ensemble on Jan 25. The impressive Anderson brothers—twin Julliard-educated saxophonists—front a quintet celebrating the Duke’s 125th birthday on the 29th .On the big stage, keyboard genius Kenny Barron leads his trio—Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Savannah Harris on drums—Jan 31, the same night post-op trumpet player Jeremy Pelt fronts his combo at the Ken Cen’s Studio K Club for two performances. More info at www.kennedy-center.org.
The writer has been a member of the Jazz Journalists Assn since 2010. Prior to moving to the DC area, he was publisher of JAM Magazine and executive produced 12th Street Jump, public radio’s weekly jazz, blues and comedy jam.
