Dr. Lonnie Smith, performing at this weekend’s Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

>> Electric cellist, Wytold, is this month’s Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore. He will be giving a 7:30 p.m. performance tonight in the mansion, where he will play selections from his new album, My Regards. $15.

>> Jazz trumpeter and composer Carol Morgan leads a few of her own groups and is a member of New York’s groundbreaking all-female big band, DIVA. Tonight, she will lead a fantastic quartet a Atlas, featuring drummer Matt Wilson, saxophonist Joel Frahm and bassist Martin Wind. 8 p.m. $15-$25.

>> Blues guitarist Tab Benoit performs a 7:30 p.m. show tonight at The Birchmere. $27.50 + fees.

>> With roots in Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau (though born in France and raised in California), area vocalist Loide serves up a mix of contemporary jazz and warm afro-lusophone rhythms. She will be giving a Valentine’s Day performance at Bohemian Caverns. The $60 price tag includes the show and dinner options.

>> Twins Jazz hosts a special Valentine’s Day program featuring vocalist Abby Nightingale. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $25.

>> If it’s President’s Day weekend, then it’s time for the always excellent Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, under the direction of saxophonist Paul Carr. This year’s lineup features performances by Dr. Lonnie Smith, a number of the region’s finest acts and numerous student ensembles. In addition to all the great music, the festival includes lectures, workshops and masterclasses. The full schedule and ticket information is available here.

>> Local saxophonist Antonio Parker leads a group on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> Saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master, Branford Marsalis, brings his road-tested quartet to the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on Friday for an 8 p.m. show. The group is touring in support of its latest album, Four MFs Playin’ Tunes. $10-$35.

>> Local free jazz group OOO (pronounced ”tree-oh trio”) performs an 8 p.m. show at Mt. Ranier’s Urban Eats on Friday. $5.

>> One of last year’s most exciting developments in the local scene was the formation of Siné Qua Non, an ensemble under the direction of bassist Michael Bowie that also features saxophonist Lyle Link and pannist Victor Provost. The band is getting ready to release a new album, and will be previewing material on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $20 + $10 food/drink minimum.

>> Dionne Farris got her big break as a vocalist with hip-hop group, Arrested Development. In 1995, she had a major hit with “I Know”. This weekend, she will team up with Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter Russell Gunn at Bohemian Caverns. They are touring in support of Dionne Get Your Gunn, a live album Farris recorded with Gunn’s quartet. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. $25 in advance/$30 at the door.

>> Talented young saxophonist Elijah Balbed is only in his early 20s, but is already considered a veteran of the local scene. An alum of Chuck Brown’s band, Balbed will be celebrating the release of his debut album, Checking In, on Saturday at HR-57. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $15.

>> Bill Cole specializes in non-Western wind instruments, especially double reed horns – including Chinese sonas, Korean hojok and piri, Indian nagaswarm and shenai and Tibetan trumpet. On Sunday, he teams up with experimental guitarist Anthony Pirog for an 8 p.m. set at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. $10.

>> Christylez, Nistha Raj, and Wytold have formed trio who fuse hip-hop style human beat-box, rhyming, and storytelling with Indian classical and contemporary string music. They will be on the Millennium Stage on Monday. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Blue Monday Blues hosts blues singer L’il Royal. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> The Birchmere assembles a stellar cast of blues musicians on Monday for a tribute to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. 7:30 p.m. $49.50 + fees.

>> Designed to combine the interaction of small group jazz with the dynamics of a big band, trumpeter Mike Kamuf‘s Little Big Band is an 8-piece ensemble that plays a mix of original and standard material. The group will perform 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Blues Alley on Monday. $20 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.

>> Mary Alouette was a Strathmore Artist-in-Residence for the center’s ’11-’12 season, and now the Maryland native is living in New York. She brings her take on the gypsy jazz that was popular in Parisian clubs back in the ’30s to Blues Alley on Tuesday. $18 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge.