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Jazz In DC: Week of November 11, 2019

by Michael J. West

Monday, November 11

DC’s own Michael Bowie is probably the living guardian of the DC bass tradition…but that doesn’t mean he’s only done time in the nation’s capital. Bowie is a Washington native, but he has also put in apprenticeships with the greats—among them, the great singers Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter. Both singers have passed on, but their lessons in music and life remain alive in former protégés like Bowie. He is ready to put them on display for those of us out here who are hoping to pick up some contact with their wisdom. Along for the ride are two of the District’s finest vocalists (to play the Lincoln and Carter roles): Shacara Rogers and Akua Allrich. Which singer will play which? Will there even be that much organization to the set? How will Bowie relate and respond to each of them, and vice versa? These are the questions that should be chasing you all the way to the box office. Michael Bowie presents “My Time with Abbey and Betty” at 8 and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW. $22

Wednesday, November 13

It’s hard to know what to highlight about pianist Helen Sung first. Her erudition? Her architectural approach to soloing? Her solid touch? Her remarkable reserves of swing and blues? All of these are integral parts of the Helen Sung sound, and they help to make her one of the (underappreciated) greats in jazz. However, in this case there is as much to say about the musicians accompanying Sung as about the leader herself. Her latest project is called Sung with Words, which means that she has for the first time become a full-scale lyricist along with her self-penned musical compositions. And who should she bring in to interpret those lyrics on this date? Why…another of our very best DC vocalists, the wonderful Christie Dashiell. Actually, Dashiell forms one corner of a local triangle. Sung’s other accompanists at this performance will include the majestic DC bassist Ben Williams and the Baltimore saxophonist (and Sung’s fellow underappreciated jazz great) Gary Thomas, along with drummer Darrell Green and of course the illustrious leader herself. It all goes down at 8 and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley. $25

Thursday, November 14

It’s now been two decades and some change that trumpeter Thad Wilson has led a big band of some form or other in DC. The current incarnation of his orchestra shares the name of its home base on U Street: the Twins Jazz Orchestra features on the second Thursday of each month. And in fact, “some form or other” still applies, because I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the same configuration twice. And I can state with certainty that I’ve never seen the same set twice: they may not even repeat a single song each week. That’s because Wilson likes his bands to be experimental. They’ll hit outer space if you let them, or go into some ragged free jazz, or just play a mellow accompaniment while the leader takes a vocal hit. But then they’ll completely surprise you with a tearjerking, surpassingly beautiful arrangement that you didn’t see coming. It’s always worth your while to check them out. The Twins Jazz Orchestra performs at 8 and 10 p.m. at Twins, 1344 U Street NW. $10

Saturday, November 16

Call it local flavor, once removed. Kojo Odu Roney didn’t grow up in D.C., but his father (saxophonist Antoine Roney) and uncle (trumpeter Wallace Roney) did. This gives him a hell of a musical legacy to learn from and build on. Both of the elder Roneys are men of the world as well as Washingtonians; how rich a feast is that? Young Kojo is now, in fact, 14 years old… and an absolute monster on the kit. Indeed, he was already a monster on the kit when he was eleven, making mincemeat of the groove without a bat of an eyelash. He’s still in his (very) formative years, of course, but he can only have gotten better. In the meantime, his esteemed and aforementioned father Antoine will also be on the gig. That’s two solid Roneys, one of them a veteran and the other on his meteoric rise: a dynasty in the making. The Kojo Odu Roney Experience begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s River Pavilion, 2700 F Street NW. $26

Michael J. West

Michael J. West is a freelance writer, editor, and jazz journalist who has been covering the Washington, D.C. jazz scene since 2009. He spends most days either hunkered down in the clubs or in his very big headphones. He lives in Washington with his wife and two children.

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