Laila Biali leads her group on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz with special guest Tim Green.

>> Now in its 16th year, the Kennedy Center‘s Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program invites highly skilled and competitively selected young artists to the institution for a week-long intensive training workshop mentored by world-class artists. The Millennium Stage features program participants tonight, tomorrow and Friday. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Area vocalist Emy Tseng brings her Brazilian sounds to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club tonight. She will team up with guitarist Alex Martin for the show. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $20 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Trumpeter Mary Lawrence leads her band, M-Law & the Prophets of Jazz tonight at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Soul-jazz trumpeter Lin Rountree performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Geoff Reecer (guitar), Cameron Kayne (acoustic bass), and Andy Axelrad (clarinet and saxophones) from the Airmen of Note will perform a trio concert celebrating the music of Jimmy Giuffre and Jim Hall. The free concert takes place on Thursday at The Lyceum in Alexandria. 8 p.m.

>> Vocalist Kristin Callahan is beginning to carver a niche for herself in the local scene since graduating from Berklee. She’ll lead a group on Thursday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Guitarist Lee Ritenour started his career in the jazz-funk days of the ’70s and has since appeared on thousands of albums as a sideman while also becoming a top selling smooth jazz artist. He will be at Blues Alley for a four night stand that begins on Thursday. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $48 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> The INTERSECTIONS festival at the Atlas concludes this weekend. Visit the web site for full schedule and ticket information.

>> First-call bassist Kris Funn leads his trio, Corner Store, on Thursday at Dukem Jazz. The group features ace guitarist John Lee. 9 and 10:30 p.m. sets. No cover.

>> Kenny Rittenhouse plays in the U.S. Army Blues and is one of the area’s best trumpeters. He will lead a group of the DMV’s finest on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets $5.

>> Lewis Nash is a drummer’s drummer and one of the most in-demand players on the scene today. He makes his Kennedy Center debut as a bandleader on Friday with Renee Rosnes on piano, Terell Stafford on trumpet, Jimmy Greene on saxophone, and Peter Washington on bass. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $26 to $30.

>> Laila Biali was an award winning pianist in her native Canada when she decided to make the big move to New York. She has established herself as a bandleader and is now expanding her reputation with performances at festivals around the world. Biali will bring a band to Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday with special guest saxophonist, Tim Green. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $16 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Guitarist Matthew Stevens, who plays regularly with Christian Scott, will lead his own band on Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns. Stay tuned for a full preview. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 online/$25 at the door.

>> HR-57 hosts regulars Antonio Parker (Friday) and Alfredo Mojica (Saturday). 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets $15.

>> The Washington Women in Jazz Festival, under the direction of pianist Amy K. Bormet, begins in earnest on March 15. However, on Sunday some of the festival’s key performers will host the DC Jazz Jam at Dahlak from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The house band will include Bormet, saxophonist Leigh Pilzer, bassist Karine Chapdelaine and drummer Lydia Lewis. Free.

>> Shannon Gunn & The Bullettes, D.C.’s only all-female big band, pay tribute to the great Count Basie on Sunday with a special brunch time performance at Bohemian Caverns. The show will also be recorded for future release. 12 p.m. Tickets just $5 online/$10 at the door.

>> Lisa Sokolov is a pioneer among vocalists and has been an influential artist since arriving in New York in the mid-’70s. In addition to being a respected performer, she is a pioneer in the field of music therapy. She will be at Bohemian Caverns for the club’s Sundays @ 7 series. 7 and 8:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 online/$20 at the door.

>> CapitalBop’s Jazz Loft returns to Union Arts on Sunday with performances from Amy Bormet, Tim Whalen and Elijah Balbed. 7 p.m. $15 suggested donation.

>> Saxophonist Suzie Fisher will be the featured artist on Sunday at Twins Jazz, which is featuring up-and-coming female artists all month. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Blue Monday Blues hosts singer Little Royal.

>> Trumpeter Thad Wilson continues his run of Tuesdays as this month’s Artist-in-Residence at Bohemian Caverns. 7 and 8:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $10.