If you’re looking for a crash course on some of the best jazz musicians in the region, the D.C. Jazz Festival is the place to be.
The festival, now in its 22nd year, is the city’s biggest celebration of jazz, bringing a kaleidoscopic range of local, national and international acts to the Wharf and other venues around town over five days. This year’s headliners include Grammy-winning musician Dee Dee Bridgewater, singer Kurt Elling and acclaimed saxophonist Joshua Redman.
If you’re a jazz-head, you’re probably familiar with some, if not all, of those names. That said, there are plenty of local acts performing who might not be on your radar — but absolutely should be.
“We want festivalgoers of all ages and backgrounds to experience the incredible diversity of jazz today, where the music is going next, and the shared experience at the heart of this music,” says Sunny Sumter, the festival’s president and CEO.
Here are seven performers you’ll probably be bragging about seeing — if you heed our recommendations and catch them this weekend:
Corcoran Holt
D.C. native and bassist Corcoran Holt released his sophomore album, “Freedom of Art,” in February, exploring the joy and grief of becoming a father while losing his own. The tension and exhilaration in each note is palpable, as if you’re hearing Holt work through those complex emotions in real time.
“Freedom of Art” also features the voice of his mother on the track “Theme for Ma” and his children on the interlude “Rae Ray.” The result feels like a sonic diary, deeply intimate in a way that’s rare to see in other artists. 5:15 p.m. Thursday at Anthem Row, 800 K St. NW.
Heidi Martin
Heidi Martin’s socially conscious approach to jazz has been featured in films such as the documentary “Revolution ’67” and at festivals throughout the D.C. area. She has a gift for texturing folk and soul with jazz instrumentals, and delivering melodic calls for activism and civil rights.
Martin also is fairly involved in the local jazz community, serving as the festival’s manager of education and outreach programs. 8 p.m. Friday at Mr. Henry’s, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
Fran Vielma
Venezuelan-born musician Fran Vielma has lived and traveled around the world as a decorated percussionist, which explains his eclectic sonic palette: the vibrant sounds of his home country layered with Afro-Caribbean influences. He’s shared the stage with notable musicians including trumpeters Sean Jones and Randy Brecker and saxophonists Paul Winter and Gary Thomas.
Vielma, who is also a jazz studies lecturer at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, will perform with his band, the Venezuelan Jazz Collective. 5:45 p.m. Saturday at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW.
Kenny Rittenhouse
A masterful trumpeter who has spent three decades in the D.C. jazz scene, Kenny Rittenhouse has an impressive résumé that includes stints with the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, the U.S. Army Blues jazz ensemble and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.
Now an educator at George Mason University and Morgan State University, as well as a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Rittenhouse brings an eclectic mix of classic swing, bop and post-bop to his high-energy shows. He’s one of those talents who can master the classics while making room for something distinctly modern. 9:15 p.m. Saturday at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW.
Janelle Gill
Janelle Gill has been a force in the D.C. jazz scene for more than three decades as one of the area’s standout pianists. She can play incredibly complex, textured music in a way that looks almost effortless. Even with a massive ensemble backing her, Gill remains the centerpiece of every performance; her fingers seem to float above the keys when she’s onstage.
Earlier this year, Gill was named one of the festival’s artists in residence, serving as an ambassador and guest curator for the festival. 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW.
Chuck Brown Band
The Chuck Brown Band is about as authentically D.C. as it gets. The band that once toured with the late Godfather of Go-Go himself has made a name in its own right, combining smooth jazz with the funky vibrations of go-go.
Don’t expect to passively watch the action onstage: The magic of D.C.’s official sound is that the audience is just as much a part of the show as the musicians, with frequent call-and-response and dancing for most — if not all — of the set. 9 p.m. Sunday at District Pier at the Wharf, 101 District Square SW.
Luke Stewart
Luke Stewart is not only an accomplished musician in his own right but a longtime champion of D.C.’s local music community. He is the co-founder of jazz nonprofit CapitalBop and has hosted countless shows around the city, propping up local artists while championing them on CapitalBop’s website (one of the few remaining sites dedicated to chronicling the local jazz scene).
He has also pushed the boundaries of improvisational jazz with his avant-garde approach to composing and live performance. Each set is full of twists and surprises — you never quite know where Stewart will go, which makes watching him work onstage all the more thrilling. 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW.
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