Thad Wilson QuintetTakoma StationSaturday, March 1, 2025 Thad Wilson has been a mainstay of the D.C. jazz scene since the 1990s. A leader of several ensembles, and one of the most consistent presences on jazz club stages across the city for the past 30 years, the trumpeter recently pulled together a new quintet to play […] The post Thad Wilson brings all-star vibes to Takoma Station appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Life is an experience, a human experience, that can, as it mounts over time, bewilder even the “friendly experiencer.” Twenty-seven years ago, I met Anthony Braxton during an elevator ride at the Library of Congress. I had waited too long to secure a ticket through normal channels, so my friend, the late Larry Appelbaum, had […] The post Anthony Braxton on his six decades in music: ‘It’s about the hope of the future’ appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Women’s History Month has begun on a somber note in Washington, as we continue to mourn one of the first ladies of D.C. music, Ms. Roberta Flack. Tributes have already been held, and will continue to, for this singular weaver of story, melody and song, who famously performed nightly for years at Mr. Henry’s before […] The post 5 D.C. jazz picks for March 2025 appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Pedal steel guitarist, composer and improviser Susan Alcorn exhibited artistic mastery in the truest sense. Alcorn, who died last month at the age of 71, demonstrated not only an outrageous amount of musical skill and knowledge of craft, but also a constant restlessness, an acknowledgment that while mastery of an instrument may be possible, it […] The post ‘Every time I play, I hear Susan’s voice:’ Musicians remember the understated impact of Susan Alcorn appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Corcoran Holt’s D.C. Collective: ‘From Wose to Farafina Kan’Arena Stage Kogod CradleThursday, Feb. 13, 2025 What can a reviewer say about Corcoran Holt and his D.C. Collective that isn’t better reflected by the intangibles in his midst? It is not sufficient to recount that Holt, one of the District’s most esteemed bassists, had assembled a […] The post Amid a bleak midwinter in Washington, Corcoran Holt rekindles D.C. pride appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

To riff on Fred Moten, the history of Blackness in D.C. is testament to the fact that a sound can and did resist. Historian Maurice Jackson’s Rhythms of Resistance and Resilience: How Black Washingtonians Used Music and Sports in the Fight For Equality is a trove of stories that situate what he calls “Great Black […] The post How music defines D.C.’s history of ‘resistance and resilience,’ according to historian Maurice Jackson appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

When CDepot first opened its doors in College Park, in the early 1990s, it was easy to miss among the Route 1 environs of auto dealerships and strip malls. But over the years, the store expanded into its current location and became a venerated destination for crate-digging aficionados, University of Maryland students and passersby just […] The post CDepot, longtime haven for crate diggers in College Park, to close by March 1 appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival returns for its 16th year this coming President’s Day weekend, continuing its annual tradition of showcasing exceptional jazz performances, masterclasses, live artist interviews and jam sessions. And this year marks a step up, as well as a step forward: After many years at the Rockville Hilton, the festival this year will […] The post Your guide to the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder has long been regarded as a rising star on the local scene; now, she is settling into life as a full-time artist. Her most recent single — a cover of DMX’s “Who We Be,” fusing a hip-hop classic with lush jazz arrangements and bold improvisation – showcases her increasing comfort with a […] The post Meet Sequoia ‘REDWOOD’ Snyder, the DMX-covering rising pianist from D.C. appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more

Donvonte McCoy TrioJoJo Restaurant & BarThursday, Jan. 23, 2025 In the middle of a spate of icy January weather, I found my way out of the cold on a recent Thursday and into a packed JoJo Restaurant & Bar, to check out the Donvonte McCoy Trio. I arrived during the first set to discover that […] The post ‘Mercy’! Donvonte McCoy Trio burns the chill off U Street appeared first on CapitalBop ..read more