One of the best shows I went to last year was a night with The Soul Serenaders, featuring great Pittsburgh blue-eyed soul singer Billy Price along with B-3 keyboard player and singer Tommy Lepson.
In this band, Billy and Tommy split the lead vocal assignments on a slew of timeless soul and R&B classics. These wily veterans do it with style, power and a deep reverence and respect for the original artists.
The special guest lead guitarist for this show at 8 Friday night at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis is Price’s recording mate Fred Chapellier, an accomplished and equally brilliant French blues guitarist. One of Fred’s recent albums pays tribute to the music of the late Roy Buchanan, an indication that he’s cut from the same quality DC blues cloth.
Also in this band look for Root Boy Slim guitarist Dan Hovey (guitar), and original Nighthawks rhythm section featuring Pete Ragusa (drums), and Jan Zukowski (bass), plus Danny Gatton horn player Bruce Swaim (tenor sax). as well as Lepson on Hammond B-3 organ.
If you’re in the mood for some 30s hot jazz, gypsy swing guitar music, stop by the Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Theatre in Easton Friday night for an intimate evening with Stephane Wrembel (8 p.m.).
Wremble is beginning a tour with his full band to celebrate their seventh studio album titled, “Dreamer of Dreams.” Wremble, a formidable practitioner on guitar, is referred to in his biographical materials as “the second coming of Django Reinhardt.” Wremble wrote the theme song for “Midnight in Paris,” the Woody Allen film, and performed the piece at the Academy Awards.
Also this Friday you can take in a regional rock show headlined by Southern Maryland act Any Given Sin plus two other bands as they electrify the crowd at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore (7:30 p.m.).
And the 9:30 Club in D.C. presents a fun double bill featuring New Orleans rockers Cowboy Mouth plus the funky soul of All Mighty Senators (6:30 p.m. doors), while The Roots hip-hop MC DJ ?uestlove and the Fort Knox Five play a late show of DJ sets at The Howard Theatre, also in DC (11 p.m.).
Top- notch violinist Gil Shaham performs Bach’s sonatas and partitas, considered a “Mount Everest” of the violin repertoire, at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda on Friday (8 p.m.).
The National Symphony Orchestra performs an evening of crowd-pleasing pieces, including Dvorak’s “Carinival Overture” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” on Friday night in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (8 p.m.). The concert features actors, projected visuals and narration to illuminate the stories behind Berlioz’s work.
Saturday
You’ll find Familiar Faces (the band, that is) at Rams Head On Stage on Saturday led by Go-Go master Donnell Floyd (8:30 p.m.). In addition to Floyd (vocals, sax), the band of Go-Go greats includes: Frank “Scooby” Marshall (vocals, guitar); Jeffery “Jammin Jeff” Warren (drums); Marquis “Quisy” Melvin (vocals); Kimberly “Kim Michelle” Graham (vocals); Derek “DP” Paige Sr. (trumpet, vocals); Jasen “O” Holland (trumpet, vocals); Byron “BJ” Jackson (keyboards); Mike Arnold (keyboards); Sean Geason (bass); Eric “Bojack” Butler (percussion); and Milton “Go-Go Mickey” Freeman (congas).
Hope they’ve got the dance floor in place for this powerful night of dance music!
Also on Saturday, Rams Head Live! has a Ten (tribute to Pearl Jam) (8 p.m.), at the 9:30 Club it’s Super Diamond (tribute to Neil Diamond) (8 p.m.), and The Hamilton in D.C. welcomes country singer-songwriter Corey Smith for a dance floor fueled set, plus Austin duo The Wind & The Wave (8:30 p.m.).
Sunday
Rams Head On Stage on Sunday will present guitar-maker Paul Reed Smith and his wonderful band, which includes the Grainger brothers (7 p.m.). Smith and band refer to their music as a “Chesapeake Gumbo” — an Annapolis-Baltimore music style that is a combination of funk, rock, R&B, jazz, fusion, gospel, New Orleans Meters, hip-hop and melodic instrumental music.
Also in his band are lovely vocalist Mia Samona Davis, Mike Ault on guitar (Deanna Bogart Band) and exceptionally talented Benjie Porecki on keyboards.
Other Sunday shows include Funk 4 celebrating The Dream and Martin Luther King Day led by noted musician Afrika Bambaataa at the U Street Music Hall in Washington (9 p.m.). Also on this sumptuous MLK Day bill are NY hip-hop, funk, disco DJ Cosmo Baker, electronic breakbeats from Fort Knox Five and All Soul Funk Alliance.
The Fillmore in Silver Spring gets on the good foot on Sunday with a hip-hop show featuring A$AP Ferg with Mob, YG and Mathias (8 p.m.).
Or, you can head on up to the Washington National Cathedral on Sunday to join the Cathedral Choral Society and organist Todd Fickley in a sing-along of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” (7:30 p.m., tickets just $10).
Monday-Tuesday
Continue to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Kennedy Center on Monday with pop star Natalie Cole and the Let Freedom Ring Choir in the Concert Hall (5 p.m. free ticket distribution with a limit of two per person).
Then on Tuesday look for alternative indie-rock trio The Dawn Drapes (think Fleetwood Mac meets Nirvana) at Gypsy Sally’s in Washington (8:30 p.m.). Also on the bill are progressive folk band The Genuine, and singer-songwriter Stranger in the Alps.
Wednesday-Thursday
You’ll find Traffic founding member Dave Mason lighting up the crowd at The Barns of Wolf Trap next Wednesday and Thursday (8 p.m. each night).
Also Wednesday don’t miss the Spirit Family Reunion at The Hamilton with openers the 19th Street Band and Joshua Johnston of Norman Rockwell (11:30 p.m.). All proceeds from this show support the Potomac and Shenandoah Riverkeeper program. VIP seating is available. Look for a special menu created by the venue chef for this benefit concert.
Then next Thursday night, acoustic roots women Red Molly will present their engaging songs and pristine harmonies for the crowd at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis (8 p.m.). Laurie MacAllister (bass), Abbie Gardner (dobro) and Molly Venter (guitar) play an expansive and heartfelt set of music with styles ranging from folk roots to bluegrass and honky tonk barn-burners.
Also next Thursday, Rams Head Live! and the U Street Music Hall present Goldfish with SOOHAN and Mr. Bonkers (8 p.m. show at Rams Head Live!).
