LOVE SONGS a JAZZ SERIES
A Fall Jazz Series Inspired by Ron Arad’s LOVE SONG
Love takes many forms. Sometimes, a song says what words cannot.
This October, music and art come together at CityCenterDC with LOVE SONGS, a Friday evening jazz series inspired by Ron Arad’s monumental LOVE SONG. Set against the artwork in the Plaza, the performances feature jazz standards, soul, and contemporary songs about love and connection. The love song has always been more than romance. It can hold a place, a person, a moment in time. A melody heard decades later can return us instantly to where we were and how we felt. In that way, music shares something with Arad’s work: both invite us to look, listen, and discover something familiar from another perspective.
Throughout October, three distinctive musical voices bring their own interpretations to The Plaza, creating a soundtrack for LOVE SONG and a different way to experience CityCenterDC after dark.
SWEET SOMETHING JAZZ
Washington, D.C.-based Sweet Something Jazz brings an elegant, intimate sound rooted in the great traditions of jazz. Drawing inspiration from artists including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole, the ensemble pairs expressive vocals with polished arrangements that give familiar melodies a fresh sense of romance.
For LOVE SONGS, those timeless standards become a reminder of the way certain songs follow us through life, gathering new meaning with every memory attached to them.
Meet Ari, lead vocalist of Sweet Something Jazz, as she shares her favorite love songs, the memories behind them, and what it means to perform in the Plaza against the backdrop of Ron Arad’s LOVE SONG.
Q: The Love Song That Stays With You
A: One of my favorite love songs of all time is ‘You Go to My Head.” I first heard it during my delve into Billie Holiday’s discography at a time when I was rediscovering my love for music, around age 19/20. I find the melody to be haunting and the lyrics mesmerizing, and I plan to walk down the aisle to this song if I ever get married.
“You go to my head, With a smile that makes my temperature rise, Like a summer with a thousand Julys, You intoxicate my soul with your eyes.”
Q: Music as a Memory
A: Love songs transport me back to fond memories all the time. A few that come to mind are La Javanaise by Serge Gainsbourg, Early Autumn by Johnny Mercer, and Can I Call You Rose by Thee Sacred Souls.
Q: A Love Song in the Plaza
A: Our ensemble has chosen a selection of classic jazz love songs from our extensive repertoire, including the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, and Julie London. I think these songs reflect a sentimental, whimsical, and timeless feeling of love – that deep, sweet, head-over-heels love that I can personally identify with. Performing in the Plaza surrounded by Ron Arad’s Love Song amongst lingering spectators who have stopped for a moment to take in the music is a splendid feeling.
TAISHA ESTRADA
Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Taisha Estrada, recognized by NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk Top Shelf, moves fluidly between jazz, folk, and contemporary influences. Her emotionally resonant bilingual songwriting draws from her Puerto Rican roots while reflecting the musical landscape of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.
Her performances bring a more personal lens to the series, exploring how love can be expressed through connection, distance, longing, and memory. The result is less about defining the love song than discovering how differently it can be felt.
Q: The Love Song That Stays With You
A: xxxxx
Q: Music as a Memory
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Q: A Love Song in the Plaza
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KEMI ADEGOROYE
Award-winning soul and jazz vocalist Kemi Adegoroye is known for her expansive range, rich tone, and ability to tell a story through song. Drawing inspiration from artists including Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, and Stevie Wonder, her work moves naturally between jazz and soul. Her latest EP, BLOOM, explores love, time, and the beauty of giving people their flowers while they are here.
Against the sweeping forms of Ron Arad’s LOVE SONG, Adegoroye brings another dimension to the theme: love not simply as romance, but as recognition, generosity, and appreciation.
Q: The Love Song That Stays With You
A: xxxxx
Q: Music as a Memory
A: xxxxx
Q: A Love Song in the Plaza
A: xxxxx
FIVE FRIDAYS.
ONE TIMELESS THEME.
Join us in The Plaza every Friday in October from 5–8 PM for LOVE SONGS: A Fall Jazz Series, with live music set against Ron Arad’s monumental LOVE SONG.
Seven Reasons also brings a pop-up bar to the Plaza, offering cocktails throughout the evening.
October 2 — Sweet Something Jazz
October 9 — Sweet Something Jazz
October 16 — Taisha Estrada
October 23 — Kemi Adegoroye
October 30 — Taisha Estrada
