Jan
27
One of the great things about Blues Alley is the fact that you can catch artists for multiple nights over the course of a weekend. This weekend Roy Ayers is performing at Blues Alley Thursday, January 28th – Sunday, January 31st at 8pm and 10pm each night. That means that have you have 8 total chances to catch Ayers and his vibraphone, so if you are busy all weekend, you may be able to catch him Sunday night. It also means that you could catch more than one show. Most acts play different shows each night with different set-lists (and of course improvisation). So go to Blues Alley this weekend and watch anywhere from 1 – 8 shows.
May
27
The great thing about small jazz clubs is that it’s hard to miss a big jazz act on the weekend. This weekend one of the hottest B-3 Organists, Joey DeFrancesco, will be playing at Blues Alley from Thursday May 28th through Sunday May 31st. Each night he’ll be performing twice at 8pm and 10pm for a grand total of 8 performances. It’s a great opportunity to make a night out of some great music in Georgetown.
Jan
16
All week Blues Alley, the hottest jazz club in DC, has been holding its “Latin jazz Series.” We’ve been busy getting the site ready for the Inauguration and did not mean to neglect this great week of music there. However, some of Blues Alley’s best Latin Jazz is going on this weekend to coincide with the Inauguration. Friday Night through Sunday Night Percussionist/Vocalist Airto Moreira will be performing with Diane Moreira. Closing out the Latin jazz Series will be trumpeter Gabriel Alegria on Monday, January 19th. (more…)
Dec
30
Two things are inevitable on Wednesday night. First, the year will end a new one will begin. Second, most people will go out to a bar somewhere and pay a huge cover to get in. If you are going to pay a lot of money to party, you might as well get some live music with it. Below are some of the more exciting shows to ring in 2009. For more shows check-out the Calendar.
Jul
29
Blues Alley has a great small scale feel to it and there are few bad seats in the house (a big change up for those of you used to going to shows at the amphitheatres). When I went there to see Arturo Sandoval, I ended up sitting about two feet away from Arturo in the front row. I could practically feel the spit flying out of his trumpet while he played.
This show was a lot different than the first time I saw Arturo perform. M parents had taken me to see him at Town Point Park in Norfolk, VA when I was a kid. His performance was a part of the summertime music series in the park in front of thousands of fans (quite different from Blues Alley). The entire show was balls to the wall Latin Jazz/Funk that had the crowd dancing.
I expected Arturo to play some hot Afro-Cuban jazz, but at this show he blew me away by covering all of the bases of jazz. He began the show with a jazz standard and followed it with some crazy 80s-synthesizer-jazz piece. (more…)
Jul
17
In jazz, the biggest/best names aren’t known as superstars (partly because most people don’t know who they are), we call them “monsters.” There are very few musicians who live up to this name and tonight through Sunday, July 20th, one of them, Arturo Sandoval, will be performing live at Blues Alley at 8:00pm and 10:00pm. While he is commonly known for his political exile from Cuba, no one can compete with Sandoval’s chops on the trumpet. Don’t miss your chance to see his shows this weekend.
Jun
06
While the Merriweather Post Pavillion is having their “jazz” fest, Blues Alley in Georgetown will be serving about shows by one of today’s most talented jazz trumpeters: Terrance Blanchard. After winning a Grammy this past year, Blanchard has proven his worthiness of jazz greatness. He will be performing at Blues Alley Thursday, June 5th – Sunday, June 8th with two shows at 8:00pm and 10:00pm each night. Be sure to check him and his band out.
One of the great things about Blues Alley is the fact that you can catch artists for multiple nights over the course of a weekend. This weekend Roy Ayers is performing at Blues Alley Thursday, January 28th – Sunday, January 31st at 8pm and 10pm each night. That means that have you have 8 total chances to catch Ayers and his vibraphone, so if you are busy all weekend, you may be able to catch him Sunday night. It also means that you could catch more than one show. Most acts play different shows each night with different set-lists (and of course improvisation). So go to Blues Alley this weekend and watch anywhere from 1 – 8 shows.