Update 1:14 PM:
Rodney Richardson clarifies the schedule a bit: “The Sunday Jazz Lounge will start in March. We will play every Sunday in March and hopefully continue from there.” He and Herrera are still finalizing the soloist acts for those opening four weeks, and expect to have it completed by the end of the week.

Original Post:
Trumpeter Joe Herrera and guitarist Rodney Richardson are two of DC’s most ridiculously busy jazz musicians, each playing more gigs in more bands than can be reasonably listed here. (Among the many, they’re both members of Funk Ark, and form two-thirds of the Kevin Pace Trio.) Not for them, though, Sunday’s “day of rest” tradition. Instead, Herrera and Richardson have established a unusual new weekly event at U Street’s Twins Jazz that they are calling the Sunday Jazz Lounge.

Sunday nights, for two sets at 8 and 10 PM, Herrera and Richarson will lead a quartet at Twins featuring bassist Eric Harper and drummer Dave McDonald, performing an evening Herrera and Richardson’s own compositions as well as, in their words, “not-too-often-played selections from the jazz songbook.” This much is a fairly conventional evening at the jazz club. They supplement it, however, with something rarely seen at the clubs, or even in larger jazz venues: an opening act.

And a solo one, at that. “Special guest soloists are featured at the beginning of each Sunday evening performance,” says Herrera. “One of a rotating cast of talented local musicians will be invited each week to share their music through their instrument with no backing ensemble. This type of intimate presentation allows the listener to engage the musicians on a more personal level.” An interesting proposition, indeed —- even in the small world and small venues of the DC jazz scene, true solo performances are hard to come by.

The best part? All of this comes with a price tag of $5. Cheap!

Check back here for updated information on the details and forthcoming schedule for the Sunday Jazz Lounge.