DeVaughn is also part of the Triple Threat Syndicate, with guitarist K'alyn, who plays with another homegrown star, Meshell Ndegeocello, and W. Ellington Felton. Felton, son of jazz pianist Hilton Felton, is a 24/7-style artist who first gained attention on the poetry circuit associated with the U Street Black Arts movement before teaming with DeVaughn in CrossRhodes, whose "Limited Budget/Unlimited Quality" album is an underground favorite. He freestyles, he sings, he acts, he occasionally fronts his own band, Art!Hurts, and he's well represented on CD, from 1999's "Soul Sonnets" (Felton describes it as "Shakespeare meets ebonics") to his most recent release, "Blutopia." Felton will be doing some shows in May, when he, too, releases a new album.
Looking to create a nurturing environment in the manner of Philadelphia's just-shuttered Black Lily scene, DeVaughn has been hosting, and often participating in, the Chocolate City Cotton Club, a weekly, music-focused event held Sundays at Takoma Station Tavern since November. Among the mostly local and regional artists being showcased in coming weeks: K'alyn on March 20, Wayna on March 27, Soul Therapy on April 3, Deborah Bond on April 10, Fertile Ground on April 17, and on April 24, Jaheti, who is described as a hip-hop/soul version of Bob Marley.
A little dance-music energy plus pumped-up harmonies have lightened Q and Not U's mood these days. The group hits the Black Cat next month.
(Shawn Brackbill)
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Deborah Bond came to Washington a decade ago to attend American University, where she majored in journalism with a minor in music studies. Music became major after Bond met up with the 3rd Logic, a fine trio consisting of bassist Aaron "Funky Chuck" Evans on bass, drummer Kinnard Cherry and keyboard player "Robbie Rob" McDonald. Blessed with a smooth, velvety voice, Bond suggests a mix of Chaka Khan, Patti Austin and Sade, while her writing is an intriguing hybrid of '70s American soul and '90s British soul. Bond is working with 3rd Logic on a follow-up to 2003's "DayAfter" album.
Oktbrwrld (just fill in the mssng vwls as you say it) formed in 1997 with an unusual lineup: two guitarists, Elnathan K. Starnes and Adwoa Spencer, bassist Oumar Diallo and vocalist Nina Lane. Actually everybody sings, and Spencer and Lane also add percussion, as do frequent guest drummers. Starnes and Lane met at Howard University in the early '90s and were part of funk-soul band Koko Boom. Starnes describes Oktbrwrld as "neo-soul with an edge" or "alternative rhythm & blues." MN8's Powers says, "On their next album they'll be in the right place at the right time because the rock 'n' roll edge in black music is becoming more prominent." Having just played the State Theatre, Oktbrwrld is working on a follow-up to 2003's "It's All About the Band," aiming for a July release.
Only guitarist and songwriter Michael Aaron remains from the original Koko Boom lineup of the early '90s, but he's put together a new group featuring fellow guitarist Rich Russman, drummer Kofi Rozzel and keyboard player Hodari Sudan. The band, which recently released "The Whole Lovely . . . Funkglove Concerto Suite No. 1," offers its Sly Stone/Prince-influenced soul-funk Tuesdays at the Meeting Place and will appear at the Staccato Lounge on April 7 and at DC9 on May 21.
After Hours is serving up a bracing mix of neo-soul and go-go, led by go-go-bred singers Kal'el and Nikki and rapper Chi Ali, who had a street hit in 2001 voicing Soulo's "Cha Cha Slide." "It's a sound I call 'grown-up and sexy,' " says Take Me Out to the Go Go webmaster Kevin "Kato" Hammond, calling After Hours a younger version of local ensembles Suttle Thoughts and Lissen. After Hours has two Friday showcases through March for its lighter side, early at the Ascot in Washington, later in the evening at Takoma Station Tavern, and also performs Mondays at the Louisiana Bar & Grill in Laurel.
Zwei -- the German word for "two" -- is built around singer-songwriters Reg Jones and Kuti Mack, who grew up next to each other in suburban Maryland and share a passion for classy soul, regardless of whether it's old-school, neo-soul or blue-eyed soul (they were big Hall & Oates fans). They recently released "2'sday Night," revising and rerecording some of the best songs from their previous CDs, "The 2" and "2'sday." Credit fans who went to Zwei shows and told the band those early CDs "were not a good representation of what we were like on stage," Jones says. So Zwei went back into the studio and recorded a set live with their band, adding a few vocal and instrumental overdubs but otherwise trying to capture the feel of a live show, serving up what Zwei calls "rock chocolate," "a bridge between rock and neo-soul." Zwei performs April 8 at Pearl downtown and will share an April 28 bill at the Lincoln Theatre with pals Mint Condition. That concert will also showcase Zwei backing vocalist SolEdler, who has just released his own solo album, "Song of Solomon," and who will perform March 25 at Pearl and April 7 at Fur Nightclub, opening for Faith Evans and Lyfe Jennings.
SINGER-SONGWRITERS
Mary Sue Twohy's airy soprano is well suited to material that straddles the fine line between traditional and contemporary folk; on the latter front, she's like a graceful, guitar-strumming Sarah McLachlan. Twohy's albums, "Training Butterflies" and "The Risk Involved," were produced by Pete Kennedy (the latter with Maura Kennedy as well) and she always shows exquisite taste in covers, as well as a compassionate eye as a writer of original songs. Winner of a 1999 Wammie for best new artist, Twohy is also a music community pillar through her BTM Communications, a publicity company serving local and national folk-oriented artists. Now working on her next album, Twohy will be part of an Azalea City Records showcase May 2 at St. Stephens Presbyterian Church in Rockville.
In the early '90s, Patty Reese helped found the all-girl country band Plum Crazy, but since mid-decade she has pursued a more expansive agenda, mixing heartland rock and country with a bit of blues and folk. Last summer, Reese rocked the Washington Area Music Timeline series at Strathmore with a tribute to the music of Rockville native Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. There's a good amount of Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge in Reese's passionate singing and a soulful edge that confirms classic soul diva influences as well. Like many local musicians, Reese performs in multiple guises: She'll go the solo route Tuesday at Spanky's in Leesburg, Wednesday at Fat Tuesday's in Fairfax and March 25 at Duke's in Alexandria; work in a duo format Saturday at Mango's in North Beach, Md.; Monday at JV's Restaurant in Falls Church; and March 29 at O'Brien's in Annapolis; and with a full band March 26 at Bentz Street Sports Bar in Frederick, which may be the best place to witness what washingtonpost.com describes as "Patsy Cline meets Bruce Springsteen."
Andy Zipf has been touring recently under the auspices of the Andy Zipf $2 Tour Fund: Supporters sent in $2 checks or money orders to offset expenses, and Zipf corralled close to $1,000 (some kind folks gave more than $2). Still, the music business being what it is these days, Zipf probably won't be giving up his part-time job as a Washington Post copy aide anytime soon. The Arlington-based singer-songwriter favors smartly written, gauzy mid-tempo tunes that meld acoustic rock and light touches of electronica via loops and guitar effects; sometimes he incorporates an iPod with drum loops played through an old radio and mikes it to cool effect. Zipf is also determined to have his music heard: You may have inadvertently tuned in while driving past him standing at local street corners, thanks to an admittedly hit-or-miss mix of podcasting and podjacking in which Zipf's iPod and small transmitter briefly overwhelm a local radio signal in your car. Zipf will be playing live March 26 at Galaxy Hut in Arlington.
Jon Kaplan and the Bicycle Thieves landed on MTV, but they're not the next Good Charlotte. That's because it's not the band or a music video but one of their songs, "All That's Missing," that was featured on "The Real World 9: New Orleans." Still, the band's not just TV-friendly; it boasts an infectious pop-rock sound that's decidedly radio-friendly. Its 2003 indie album, "The Second Place Confession," was produced by the same team that worked on Jason Mraz's major-label breakthrough, and it's as good as much of what comes from the majors. Kaplan, who displays a knack for catchy hooks and provocative lyrics, is also blessed with a virile vocal style reminiscent of Train's Pat Monahan and Guster's Ryan Miller. The Bicycle Thieves don't play again until May, but Kaplan has some solo dates coming up: Thursday at the Austin Grill Silver Spring and March 31 at the Evening Star Cafe.
Time sometimes stands still for the Blue Moon Cowgirls, but mostly it swings. The group, featuring singers Karen Collins, Ann Porcella and Dana Ward and multi-instrumentalist Ira Gitlin, serves up harmony-rich country that embraces contemporary standards, classic bluegrass and old-timey songs from the 1920s: Think the Ronstadt-Harris-Parton Trio with a deeper, richer repertoire. Collins, who's a real-life coal miner's daughter, also fiddles and sings with the Cajun group and fronts the honky-tonk-leaning group Backroads. The Cowgirls are doing house concerts now, but Backroads appears April 30 at Half Moon BBQ in Silver Spring. Gitlin, a one-time National Bluegrass Banjo Competition champ, also holds central roles in Western swing specialists the Oklahoma Twisters and with folkie Mack Bailey's Hard Travelers.
LadyRhythm is an all-woman ensemble that serves up R&B, rock, pop and soul with occasional go-go flavor. That last touch is not surprising: Lead guitarist Genny Jam used to be in Pleasure, the first-ever all-woman go-go band in the late '80s, while keyboard player "Sweet Cherie" Mitchell, who plays with Chic, has also played with EU and Chuck Brown. According to Soldierette, co-host and associate producer of local cable television music show "It's About Time": "That they're all women is a selling point, but they're all excellent. And the musicianship is the attraction, not that they are all pretty. And they have a very strong vocalist in Miriamm." Miriamm Wright, who also doubles as the latest Peaches to the eternal Herb fame, recently recorded a live album at Blues Alley, a tribute to the great Minnie Riperton. LadyRhythm performs Wednesdays at Club Elite in Temple Hills, Thursdays at Martini's Restaurant and Lounge in Fort Washington and Friday at Charles Town Races and Slots in Charles Town, W.Va.
Niki Barr's going far -- it's just a matter of how soon and how far. A petite power-pop favoring powerhouse, Barr writes great hook-laden songs (she's also been doing some co-writing with the likes of the Matrix and Butch Walker), and sings them with charming abandon and exhilarating energy, her own strong guitar playing supported by a tight band featuring former Fighting Gravity guitarist Michael Sauri and former Everything drummer Nate Brown. Avril Lavigne could learn a thing or two from Barr, including how to actually play an instrument and rock the house. Barr appears March 31 and April 28 at Andy's in Chestertown, Md.; April 15 at the Harbor Sounds Festival on Solomons Island; April 22 at Ri Ra in Bethesda; and April 30 at Rock Bottom Brewery in Bethesda. The Harbor Sounds Festival and Rock Bottom dates are with Barr's full band, the optimum way to experience her, while the others are duo dates with Sauri.
What's better than a good singer-songwriter? Two singer-songwriters whose meshed voices seem built for close harmony. That's the case for Lori Kelley and Cletus Kennelly, two independent artists who began collaborating five years ago after meeting at a Mid-Atlantic Song Contest awards ceremony and exchanging CDs. Kelley showed up at Kennelly's next gig having learned all the songs on his debut album, "Thread," and they immediately started weaving a new vocal tapestry. Kelley, blessed with a four-octave range, leans toward pop country, while Kennelly is a 12-string guitarist in a more traditional folk mode, but they fit well together and obviously savor harmony singing. Kelly and Kennelly have each won multiple Wammies, including this year as best contemporary folk duo/group, and they'll soon make their longtime partnership official with their first recording as a duet, which is pretty much all they play as these days. Kelley and Kennelly perform Saturday at the Music Junction at the Riverdale Bookshop & Cafe in Riverdale Park and April 11 at Murky Cafe as part of Arlington's 6 Points Festival.
Lisa Moscatiello's lustrous alto has been impressing locals since the early '80s, when she was the 16-year-old lead singer for traditional Irish trio Ceoltoiri, and a decade later with avant/traditional folk rockers the New St. George. Moscatiello still pursues her Celtic muse in the forward-looking Whirligig but also sings for local techno project Arthur Loves Plastic, occasionally does musical theater (she was classically trained at Yale) and somehow still finds time for a solo career. One of Washington's most gifted interpreters of an impressively wide range of songs in an equally impressive range of genres, Moscatiello warrants the frequent comparisons to k.d. lang and Sandy Denny. Moscatiello will appear Thursday at Silver Spring's Half Moon BBQ with guitarist Dave Chappell, March 26 with the Space Dots at the Fireside Room of River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda, April 1 with cellist Fred Lieder at the Shenandoah Arts Council Gallery in Winchester, Va., and April 2 at 49 West in Annapolis.
Richard Harrington is a staff writer specializing in music for Weekend.•
