Thursday, February 12
Hey, you. Were you unable to make the DC Jazz Loft at Union Arts last Sunday night? It can be a little bit of a hurdle to do this kind of thing on a school night, admittedly. But while Thursday is still a school night, you have another chance to see the Loft’s headliner, Mark Meadows’ Something Good. D.C.’s jazz artist of the year leads his combo in a pop-up show at a pop-up venue. It’s at a townhouse in Logan Circle that’s being called a “Pop-Up Jazz Lounge.” There will be a selection of artisanal cocktails and Something Good in its quartet form (Meadows on piano, Elijah Balbed on tenor sax, Eliot Seppa on bass, and Ele Rubenstein on drums). The event’s name is For Your Eyes Only, though your ears and tastebuds get in on the action as well. It begins at 8 p.m. at 1402 12th Street NW. $15.
Saturday, February 14
Look, Valentine’s Day is a Saturday this year—-you have no excuse for not going out (unless all of the babysitters in your rotation feel the same way about Valentine’s, but that’s another story). And it’s hard to beat a duo between guitarist John Pizzarelli and singer Jane Monheit—-a combination that can’t help but be intimate even in the fairly cavernous environs of the Music Center at Strathmore. Both are actually big, friendly personalities who can attenuate those personalities into small, conversational moments. I hadn’t thought of seeing them as an onstage pair, but now that they are one it seems a completely natural match of music and personas. (Pizzarelli, by the way, sings as well, in a sort of relaxed croon that will be an interesting contrast to Monheit’s sultry but rather mannered delivery.) They perform at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda. $48-$78.
Wednesday, February 18
BSQ, the Bob Schwartz Quartet, has been holding down a biweekly gig at Twins Jazz for a couple of months now. And why not? The only thing more reliable than his gig is his swing. Tenor saxophonist and flutist Schwartz and his quartet (pianist Rob Orwin, bassist Herb Nachmann, drummer David Martin, and occasional help from vocalist Nina Schwartz) have been working together for six years, two albums, a whole lot of elegant, straight-ahead jazz. Bob Schwartz is an impressive presence on the bandstand; his improvisation has the feeling of a lively raconteur, spinning yarns with witty asides and amusing details. He and the band have a special affection for playing standards that have fallen out of the usual rotation, and you’ll no doubt hear some of those more obscure pieces of the repertoire. BSQ performs at 8 and 10 p.m. at Twins Jazz, 1344 U Street NW. $10.