Just over three years ago, I had a terrible realization. By choosing to go to live in D.C. for the next four years, I had effectively signed away my future prospects of ever seeing good live jazz.
Oh, what a naïf I was.
Fortunately for me, D.C. has plenty of stellar jazz, blues, funk, and R&B shows, and the next six weeks are the best time of the year to be a jazz aficionado in the District. Here are three events that you absolutely won’t want to miss.
The Planet Arlington World Music Festival—Sunday, September 1, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Apart from the fact that jazz is lumped together with the amorphous genre of “world music,” this event’s lineup will satisfy any jazz fan. Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista will be there, as will the South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela (of “Grazin’ in the Grass” and Paul Simon’s Graceland fame). Putomayo, the world music recording giant, is sponsoring.
www.planetarlington.com
The Rosslyn Jazz Festival—Saturday, September 6, 12:30 p.m. -7 p.m.
Although it’s held in the tiny Gateway Park just across the Key Bridge, the lineup, crowds, and music make the Rosslyn Jazzfest as good as the massive festivals in Newport or Monterrey and a favorite D.C. tradition. While the event organizers are good at bringing in big names, they’re equally skilled at finding fresh new talent. This year, pay special attention to Lafayette Gilchrist, a D.C. native whose piano compositions blend hip-hop, go-go, and funk with the more perverse styles of bop greats like Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk.
www.arlingtonarts.org
The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival – October 1-7 at locations all over D.C.
Partially sponsored by the city of D.C. , the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is the main event for jazz fans in D.C. Only in its fourth year, it’s already spurred a healthy following, drawing crowds from all over the country for a week of performances big and small. Can’t spare a whole week? Then make sure you at least leave Sunday, October 5, open for a trip down to the Mall, where you can see McCoy Tyner (erstwhile pianist for John Coltrane and a pioneer in the modal jazz movement), Taj Mahal (whose characteristic blues-and-reggae fusion will put you in a pleasantly altered state) and Christian McBride (one of the most talented and innovative bassists of our generation), among others, performing completely free of charge at the Sylvan Amphitheater.
www.dejazzfest.com
