“Checking In is so soulful it practically gets up on its own and does the boogaloo.” - WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

Washington, DC native Elijah Jamal Balbed is an award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator in the Nation's Capitol. He has been performing in the area since 2004 - when he made his debut with the Eric Byrd Trio at the age of 14, subbing for his teacher Paul Carr. Since then, Elijah has become one of the most prominent Jazz Artists in the area, having won the 2020 DC Jazz Prix Competition and the 2019 WAMMIE-Award for Best Go-Go Song along with his band The JoGo Project and vocalist JusPaul. Elijah has also been named Best Tenor Saxophonist (2013) and Best New Jazz Musician (2009) by the Washington City Paper, as well as being featured in various publications such as WBGO, The Washington Post, Capital Bop, and Smithsonian Magazine. Elijah has performed, recorded, and/or toured with Fantasia, The Blackbyrds, Winard Harper & Jeli Posse, Patti Austin, Angelique Kidjo, Dr. John (RIP), Roy Ayers (RIP), George Duke (RIP), and many other artists/bands. Elijah performed with The Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown from 2011 until Mr. Brown’s passing in 2012. During his participation in the Artist-in-Residence program at Strathmore in 2014, Elijah founded The JoGo Project - a Jazz / Go-Go fusion ensemble dedicated to promoting and preserving the legacy of DC’s unique art form and exploring the Jazz side of DC's official music “Go-Go”.

Over the last decade, Elijah has also established himself as an International Artist; having performed in Japan, at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (U.K.), Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha (Qatar), and on the Capital Jazz, Tom Joyner, and Soul Train Cruises which has taken Elijah all around the Caribbean Islands. In 2018 and 2019, Elijah led cultural diplomacy tours in Russia on behalf of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg, sponsored by the Forum for Cultural Exchange (FCE). In 2021, Elijah performed at the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival (#PAPJAZZ) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with Trinidadian Steel Pan player Josanne Francis. Elijah currently performs and tours with Saxophonist Mike Phillips, The Chuck Brown Band, & Doug E Fresh. In 2019 Elijah appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk with The Dream, and in 2023 he performed with Ms. Lauryn Hill at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. In 2025, Elijah performed at The Kennedy Center with Igmar Thomas & The Revive Big Band.

When Elijah is not traveling, he dedicates his time at home to education and passing down the knowledge he's learned to the younger generations who haven't had the chance to connect with the masters of this music the way Elijah has been fortunate to. He is currently the Director of the DC Youth Orchestra's “JazzDC Youth Ensemble”. Elijah is also the Curator of Jazz at The Kreeger Museum in Washington, DC - presenting the vast array of Jazz Artists based in and around the greater Washington area.

The quartet includes Dr. Weldon Hill (piano); Michael Hawkins (bass); and Billy Williams (drums).

With only 107 seats, shows at Révéler are intimate and immersive. A romantic venue with exquisite sound and dreamy vibes, Révéler offers a unique selection of cocktails, wines, beers, bubbles, and non-alcoholic beverages. Our kitchen delivers small plates crafted with care.

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