My ideal Saturday night includes bare feet, a chicken roasting in the oven, and jazz on the Pandora–with bonus points for a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, which you can sometimes find for $39 at Trader Joe’s.  But this week, I might get tickets for the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, happening next Friday and Saturday at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater*. Because if there’s anything better than cozy night enjoying jazz at home, it’s putting on a full skirt and heels for jazz overlooking the Potomac. You can get all  the details on the festival and other cultural events in my Washington Times column, available in the print edition, in PDF format, and below.

*The Kennedy Center is currently offering $29 tickets for the Friday performance!

Mary Lou Williams (Credit: Unknown)

Get Out: The Week’s Pocket Picks for May 16, 2014

The Washington Times 

By Samantha Sault

Pick of the Pack: Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival

May marks the anniversaries of the birth and death of Mary Lou Williams, one of the most influential women and composers in American jazz. By age 6, the self-taught pianist was supporting her 10 siblings by playing at parties; by 15, she was performing with Duke Ellington. Williams produced hundreds of compositions and arrangements for jazz greats like Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and performed around the world until her death in 1981. Next weekend, the Kennedy Center will host the sure-to-sell-out 19^th annual jazz festival in her honor. Hosted by Grammy-winning jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, the festival will feature rising jazz artists. On May 23, acclaimed jazz singer Somi will perform her African-inspired music with trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, joined by singer and pianist Patrice Rushen, drummer Allison Miller, and folk and blues musician Toshi Reagon, daughter of the founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock. On May 24, hear some of Williams’ repertoire, along with a tribute to Eartha Kitt by vocalist René Marie. Next Friday and Saturday, May 23 and May 24, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. 800/444-1324. Web: kennedy-center.org. 

Exhibit: One Nation with News for All

Throughout American history, minority-owned and ethnic news publications have played a critical role in driving free speech and equal rights. Today, one in four Americans get their news from such outlets. On Friday, the Newseum will open an interactive exhibit about the history and impact of ethnic media, featuring 60 documents and artifacts. Get an up-close look at some of the first minority-owned publications, including “Freedom’s Journal,” the first black newspaper founded in 1827 to call for an end to slavery, and “The Cherokee Phoenix,” the first Native American newspaper founded a year later that continues to publish monthly print and online editions today. Discover Abraham Lincoln’s German-language newspaper in Springfield, Illinois, which helped him clinch the presidency, as well as the black railroad porters who discreetly distributed the black-owned “Chicago Defender” in the segregated South of the 20^th century. See how ethnic television stations, radio stations, and blogs continue to shape the country today. Through Jan. 4 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 888/NEWSEUM. Web: newseum.org. 

Concert: The Spirit of the District of Columbia

The D.C. Army National Guard has served the country for centuries with its participation in major military campaigns since the American Revolution. Founded in January 1776, the group traces its roots to the Headquarters 25th Battalion, Georgetown, and Headquarters 29th Battalion, Bladensburg, and served in the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World Wars I and II. The group is also known for its band, which inspired John Philip Sousa to compose a march in its honor; under bandleader Meyer Goldman in the 1920s, it grew in size and prominence. Inducted into federal service as the 257^th Army Band following World War II, the band has performed at the funerals of Presidents Harding and Kennedy, the inauguration of President Obama, and events around the world. This weekend, enjoy a patriotic kick off to summer when the “Band of the Nation’s Capital” performs three free concerts at the D.C. Armory. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the DC Armory, 2001 E. Capitol St. SE. Web: facebook.com/257ArmyBand 

Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Riot

Since the late 1960s, Belfast has been plagued by political and sectarian violence between Catholic nationalists, who want Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and form an independent nation with the Republic of Ireland, and the Protestant unionists, who are content with the status quo. On Friday, Dupont Circle’s Keegan Theatre will debut the world premiere of a one-man play about growing up in Northern Ireland’s capital city. “A Midsummer Night’s Riot” tells the story of Ross, who wishes he could trade places with fellow Belfast native and pro golfer Rory McIlroy, the two-time major champion and fiancé of tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. Yet, growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Ross can’t afford golf clubs—let alone find time to practice his swing with the daily violent riots. Written by Belfast-born playwright Rosemary Jenkinson, the play is both a witty and thought provoking look at the impact of “The Troubles” on Belfast youth. Through June 5 at the Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 703/892-0202. Web: keegantheatre.com. 

Variety Show: A Prairie Home Companion

Since 1974, American storyteller and humorist Garrison Keillor has been entertaining loyal fans with his weekly radio variety show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” His audience has grown from a dozen attendees at the first live show in St. Paul, Minnesota, to more than 4 million listeners on 600 public radio stations around the world today. Next weekend, Mr. Keillor takes the show on the road to Wolf Trap for two performances, including a live radio broadcast on Saturday, May 24. Enjoy the usual mix of musical performances, comedy skits, and of course, “News from Lake Wobegon,” the news report from the fictitious “little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve.” Mr. Keillor will be joined by Grammy-winning jazz band Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, as well as folk, jazz and bluegrass musician Heather Masse. Next Friday and Saturday, May 23 and May 24, at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va. 877/WOLFTRAP. Web: wolftrap.org.

© Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault