We continue our ‘Best Of’ series with “The Best of D.C. Live Jazz edition.” If you’ve lived in the District for awhile, then you’re probably aware of the vital role jazz plays in enriching D.C.’s already unique culture. In fact, you can find live jazz in just about every neighborhood at least one night a week. So how do you sort through the all the options and make sure to hit the best spots? Luckily, that’s what New To...D.C. is here for.
We’ll start our tour of jazz clubs up in Adams Morgan where you can find Tryst, which hosts a jazz quartet Monday – Wednesday at 8pm for free. Tryst successfully marries together the cliché funky coffee shop with a full bar, creating a unique, fun venue where there is truly something for everyone. This place is always packed with groups of friends as well as loners who show up with only a book or laptop as their companion.
If you happen to be in the H St. Corridor, you won’t want to miss HR-57 which recently moved to this location from its old home on U St. HR-57 has weekly jazz sessions at 8:00pm on Wednesday and Thursday, which you’re welcome to join in if you are a musician. Otherwise, for $8 you can listen in on the jam session which is well worth the cover charge. Keep in mind they always start late, and if you show up right at 8:00pm, the place will likely be vacant (8:30 – 8:45pm is your best bet). On the weekends, HR-57 hosts local jazz bands at 9:00pm for $15 cover. You can buy your tickets at the door or online beforehand. The club is pretty cozy so if you know you’ll be attending a weekend show, it’s a good idea to purchase tickets online ahead of time. Also, for a $3 corking fee, you can bring your own bottle of wine but if you forget to stop by the liquor store, be prepared to pay $8/glass for cheap wine or beer.
Over in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, Bayou brings New Orleans right to your backyard. On Friday and Saturday nights at 10:00pm, you can catch some jazz, blues, or Dixieland, depending on who they have scheduled to play that night. Make sure you come hungry because you won’t want to miss out on their traditional Creole cooking.
A staple of the D.C. jazz scene is Bohemian Caverns on U St., which hosts everything from jazz vocalists, to harpists, to traditional quartets. Bohemian Caverns has live shows Thursday – Monday and tickets run a little more expensive here, around $20, though it depends on who is being featured. Let me just say that it’s worth the price. Bohemian Caverns lives up to its name, creating a dark cavernous atmosphere where musicians charm the audience with their dissonant, enchanting melodies.
Even if you’re not a die-hard jazz fan, I recommend checking out at least one of these scenes so you can get the full, quintessential D.C. experience. There is a huge jazz sub-culture in the District and it’s fun to experience it regardless of what your taste in music is. If you would like to learn more about jazz in the D.C. area, you can check out D.C. Jazz which has a full listing of jazz venues in the area along with a schedule of performances each week.
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