Tonight's Top Stop: Mina Agossi at Blues Alley

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A MINI FRENCH JAZZ FEST is taking place in D.C. this week. Violinist Didier Lockwood was at La Maison Francaise on Monday as saxophonist Pierrick Pedron kicked things off at Blues Alley. Tonight vocalist Mina Agossi takes the Blues Alley stage and guitarist Sylvain Luc performs there on Wednesday. (On a related Gallic note, pianist Franck Amsallem comes to the Bohemian Caverns on Saturday, Jan. 27.)

But the most alluring artist in this week's "French Quarter" festival is the belle chanteuse Agossi. Not only is her voice a thing of beauty, but her self-described "twisted" takes on standards artistically subvert jazz's tired dependence on songs from long ago.

Accompanied by just a bassist and a drummer, Agossi has the ability to roam wherever her voice takes her, not having to worry that a chordal instrument will push her in a harmonic direction she has no interest in taking. That means set-list oldies such as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Well, You Needn't" sound refreshed thanks to Agossi's stylistic independence and fearless bravado.

» Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 8 & 10 p.m., $20; 202-337-4141.

Photo courtesy Mina Agossi