Amy Shook and Felicia Carter.

>> Celebrated vocal jazz quartet, The Manhattan Transfer, continues its week-long run of 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Blues Alley tonight through Sunday. $65 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

>> Zeebop, a local trio with Mark Caruso on guitar, Justin Parrott on acoustic and electric bass and Gregg Ivers on drums, plays tonight at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> Tarea Anderson‘s smooth jazz sound won her 105.9 FM’s Sexiest Jazz Vocalist Competition in 2004. She’ll be leading her group through 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Thursday at Twins Jazz. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> Jazz Night in Southwest presents local vocalist Sandra Johnson, who will be leading a band and celebrating the release of her new album, The Rest of Your Life. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> Poetry Out Loud will present state champions from high schools across the country as they compete for the national title in its year-long recitation contest. The event, which takes place on Friday at the Lincoln Theatre will feature the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, which will premiere a piece by pianist Amy K. Bormet with Grammy nominated MC Christylez. 7 to 9 p.m. Free.

>> After collaborating on the music for a PBS documentary, two of the area’s most gifted musicians, vocalist Felicia Carter and bassist Amy Shook, decided that their partnership should continue. The result is their new album, Nothing to Do. They will celebrate its release on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz, leading an excellent band comprised of guitarist Donato Soviero, pianist Bob Butta and drummer Frank Russo. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> HR-57 hosts Latin jazz piano sensation Chuchito Valdes, son of the great Chucho Valdes, on Friday and Saturday. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $20.

>> Moroccan singer Malika Zarra embraces a truly international sound and sings Berber, Moroccan Arabic, French and English. She has been collaborating with an impressive list of musicians of late, and is definitely an artist to keep an eye on. She’ll be at Bohemian Caverns this Friday and Saturday for 8 and 10:30 p.m. sets. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Come back tomorrow for our full preview.

>> Vijay Iyer is one of the most vital pianists on the scene today, constantly stretching boundaries. His 2010 release, Historicity, topped many a critics’ end-of-the-year polls and was nominated for a Grammy. The Washington Performing Arts Society presents Iyer leading his cerebral trio on Saturday at the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue. 8 p.m. $30.

>> Viva El Tango! features the Pan-American Symphony Orchestra‘s arrangements of traditional and contemporary tangos along with bandoneón players, soloists from Argentina, vocalists and 3 pairs of professional tango dancers. The show takes place on Saturday at the Lisner Auditorium. 8 p.m. $15-$45 + fees.

>> Bad.Loud.Trio. features young musicians who are cutting their teeth in the University of Maryland’s jazz program. They’ll be at Twins Jazz on Sunday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> Blue Monday Blues hosts local blues/rock act, The Crawstickers. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> At just 23-years old, guitarist Julian Lage has already been nominated for a Grammy and is considered a star-on-the-rise. He’ll be in town on Monday at Blues Alley, performing in support of his most recent release, Gladwell. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge. Stay tuned for a full preview.

>> Combining classical training with a love for jazz and a light pop sensibility, French native Violette has an intriguing sound that has the potential for broad appeal. She will appear on Tuesday at Twins Jazz in support of her latest album, Joie de Vivre. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.