Plunky and Oneness: Uniting past and present
In July, musical pioneer James "Plunky" Branch released an innovative record, cementing his deeply creative musical legacy.| CapitalBop
Editor’s note: On October 5, Lizz Wright appears at Strathmore’s Music Center, where she will plumb the depths of her 20-year career and continue celebrating music from her most recent release, 2024’s Shadow. Ahead of that performance, CB’s Contributing Editor Joshua Myers explores the history and meaning behind Wright’s music. In a place like Hahira,… The post The roots of Lizz Wright’s mercy appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
Some good and bad news for the scene as we head into the final three months of the year. Bad news first: As many of you doubtless know, Kevin Struthers was fired from the Kennedy Center last month after serving the jazz community for 30 years at the nation’s performing arts center. His time spanned… The post 5 D.C. jazz picks for October 2025 appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
In July, musical pioneer James "Plunky" Branch released an innovative record, cementing his deeply creative musical legacy.| CapitalBop
Lalah HathawayThe AnthemFriday, August 29, 2025 Lalah Hathaway wants everything vantablack — blacker than black, the blackest black, a black that reveals Hathaway’s genealogical relationship to sound, traceable to her father Donny Hathaway’s performance of “Be Real Black For Me.” Yet, being really Black is not the narrowness of negation, it is also a recognition… The post Yours Sincerely, Lalah Hathaway appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
“A lot of our oral history has been lost, because our educational system has failed us.” Saxophonist and sagacious jazz educator Archie Shepp made this observation on the jazz-rap odyssey Ocean Bridges, released in collaboration with Virginia-based emcee Raw Poetic (his nephew) and D.C.-based producer Damu the Fudgemunk. Shepp’s remarks, recorded in winter 2019 and… The post Deep Groove: ‘Andrew Nathaniel White III’ appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
Something I’m sure most D.C. jazz musicians struggle with when DC Jazz Fest rolls around is finding the time to actually make it out to listen to the music. Some musicians work, or play the festival, others work gigs that are not associated with the festival, and some musicians work other not-music jobs while the… The post Photos: Finding the ‘DC’ in the DC Jazz Festival appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Rene Marie, Dante' Pope and more headline this month's picks for live jazz in D.C.| CapitalBop
In 2002, journalist Natalie Hopkinson ventured into a nondescript rowhouse in Northwest D.C., home of legendary underground club The House of Secrets. It was Howard University’s homecoming. Upstairs, a duo brought the sounds of U Street to the club’s cramped attic, filling the space to the brim. The group was the CrossRhodes, featuring W. Ellington… The post Wes Felton and Raheem DeVaughn tell ‘the story of us’ appeared first on CapitalBop.| CapitalBop
Picked by five of D.C.'s leading jazz voices, the festival's must-see shows include Ron Carter, Lalah Hathaway and Charles Covington.| CapitalBop
Features| CapitalBop
Live reviews| CapitalBop
The Month in Shows| CapitalBop
Live reviews| CapitalBop
Features| CapitalBop
Features| CapitalBop
Features| CapitalBop
CapitalBop is dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving jazz (aka Black American Music or creative music) in Washington, D.C.| CapitalBop
Ahead of the D.C. Jazz Festival later this month, August features performances from Kokoroko, T.K. Blue, Warren Wolf and more.| CapitalBop
To feel love is to be vulnerable and not have it held against you. This is one way that Brandon Woody’s philosophy of sound comes across. From the first note, you are not only touched, you are held. The music becomes a way to release the thing holding you back, in order to be bound…| CapitalBop
CapitalBop spoke with veteran saxophonist, educator and presenter Paul Carr about his new series at Takoma Station| CapitalBop
Cyrus Chestnut, Adi Meyerson, Heidi Martin and more visit D.C. this month, bringing welcome relief from the summer heat.| CapitalBop
With his fiery debut album, the trumpeter takes listeners on a narrative journey of love, resilience and community.| CapitalBop
The D.C.-raised bass phenom will return to D.C. Friday to premiere his newest album, 'Between Church & State.'| CapitalBop
Earlier this month, Bill Warrell — an institution on D.C.’s music and arts scene since the 1980s — hosted what he called a “firehouse sale” at Outer Space, his decommissioned firehouse-turned-studio in Brentwood, Md., as he prepared the building to be sold. Warrell was a founder of the legendary experimental-music venue d.c. space and of…| CapitalBop
A seven-person panel of D.C. jazz experts voted on their top albums of the year. Winning LPs came from ¡Fiasco!, Brad Linde and Luke Stewart.| CapitalBop
On an early Wednesday evening this summer, drummer Lenny Robinson was deftly steering a remarkable trio, consisting of vibraphonist Chris Barrick and keyboardist Federico González Peña. During their first set at JoJo Restaurant & Bar, they delighted a sparse yet attentive crowd with sparkling renditions of Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” and “Tell Me A Bedtime…| CapitalBop
