>> This week's first must see takes place tonight at Blues Alley as one of the area's finest drummers, Nasar Abadey, takes the stage with SuperNova (pictured right), a local jazz supergroup. The band features Allyn Johnson on piano, Gary Thomas, Jazz Studies Chair at Peabody, altoist Joe Ford, and bassist James King. Sets are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $18 + $10 food/drink minimum. Tickets available here.

>> Also tonight, Twins Jazz hosts Bay area groovesmiths The Hip Bones for an evening of in-your-face funk. Call (202) 234-0072 for showtime and cover information.

>> The drummers keep marching into town on Thursday for our second must see as skinsman Jeff "Tain" Watts, a long time member of Branford Marsalis' quartet, comes to Blues Alley on Thursday for a four night stand with daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets. His band, The Ebonix, is a group of stellar musicians featuring bassist Christian McBride, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and pianist David Kikoski. Tickets are available here. $24 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> Thursday night's show at Twins Jazz offers a cheaper and equally interesting opportunity as the club hosts Zing!, a Chicago-based musical collective, drawing on the traditions of both acoustic improvised music as well as rock, electronica, and ambient music. Call (202) 234-0072 for showtime and cover information.

>> For jazz lovers on a budget, the Millennium Stage is always a great option. On Thursday, Three Stars alums Jeff Antoniuk and the Jazz Update will be performing. The 6 p.m. show is free and open to the public.

>> Twins Jazz offers up an exciting combination of talent this weekend. Philly based vocalist Joanna Pascale comes to the club for 9 and 11 p.m. sets on Friday and Saturday. As a special treat, powerhouse tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield will join her both nights. Tickets available here. $20.

>> The KC Jazz Club at The Kennedy Center will also feature some great up-and-coming talent this weekend. On Friday, saxophonist Benny Reid brings a group that features the likes of drummer Antonio Sanchez and keyboardist Aaron Goldberg. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. sets are available here for $15. On Saturday, try to catch all-star pianist Jacky Terrasson at the club. Unfortunately, the $25 tickets are sold out for both sets, but it's always worth contacting the box office for last minute cancellations.

>> On Saturday, famed guitar/vocal duo Tuck and Patti come to The Birchmere for a 7:30 p.m. set. Tickets are available here. $29.50 + Ticketmaster fees.

>> World music fans should head to the Millennium Stage on Sunday as South African guitaris Mongezi "Chris" Ntaka joins Nigerian-American guitarist and vocalist KUKU, for an evening of acoustic African soul music. The 6 p.m. show is free and open to the public.

>> Sunday is always a good night to head over to Bossa Bistro & Lounge. This week, up-and-coming local pianist Will Rast (pictured left) brings a group to the club for a 9:30 p.m. set. Call (202) 667-0088 for cover information.

>> On Monday, jazz vibraphonist Lennie Cuje comes to the Millennium Stage with his quintet to perform a selection of standards. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Next Tuesday, Rachelle Farell, one of the few vocalists who successfully straddles the line between jazz, R&B and pop, begins a two night stand at Blues Alley. Sets are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The rather outrageously priced tickets are available here. $60 + $10 food/drink minimum.

Photos courtesy Nasar Abadey and Will Rast