Cesar López Quartet - Cuban Jazz Series

César López, the Cuban saxophonist and bandleader, brings his quartet to Blues Alley for the Cuban Jazz Series. López’s career spans Cuban jazz, Latin jazz, mambo, and chamber-oriented projects, with major work alongside IRAKERE, Habana Ensemble, Orquesta Akokán, and the Cuban Sax Quintet.

López began studying music at age 10 and won Cuba’s national saxophone competition three years later. After receiving a scholarship to the National School of Arts in 1985, he entered the professional scene with Bobby Carcassés, who introduced him to Latin jazz. In 1988, at age 19, he was selected by Chucho Valdés to join IRAKERE, performing internationally and sharing stages with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Michel Camilo, and Paquito D’Rivera. López later founded Habana Ensemble and received multiple Cubadisco awards for recordings including *Andante*, *Clásicos de Cuba*, *Entre Cuerdas*, *Sonajero*, and live projects with chamber orchestras. He also contributed to Orquesta Akokán’s Grammy-nominated debut and to the Cuban Sax Quintet’s award-winning recordings.

When: October 17–18, 2026

Showtimes: October 17 at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM; October 18 at 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM. The page listing specifically displays the October 17 performance at 7:00 PM.

Tickets: $50, plus a $7 fee

Lineup: César López with his quartet

Venue: Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007

Doors: For the Saturday performances, doors open at 6:00 PM for the 7:00 PM show and at 8:45 PM for the 9:30 PM show.

Food and beverage minimum: Each guest must purchase at least $15 in food or beverages; this minimum is not included in the ticket price.

Seating: Seating is first come, first served at the door.

Policies: Tickets are final sale, nonrefundable, and nontransferable. Photography and recording are prohibited during the performance, and guests are asked to keep conversation to a minimum.

Run time: Not specified.

Age restriction: Not specified.

Accessibility: Accessibility information is not specified.