Jazz in the Garden kicks off on Friday, photo by philliefan99.

>> Vocalist Delores King Williams is at home on either the jazz or theatrical stage. She will team up with her husband, seasoned trumpeter Tom Williams, to perform 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and fees.

>> Thursday marks the centennial of the late, great pioneer, Sun Ra. Liv Nightclub will host an event to mark the occasion featuring MOM² and Trio OOO. 6 p.m. Free. The organizers are also using the event to announce Along Came Ra, a fall 2014 festival celebrating Sun Ra and featuring the Sun Ra Centennial Arkestra, directed by Marshall Allen.

>> Area trombonist Reginald Cyntje has released a new album, Elements of Life, and he will be hosting a listening party/performance on Thursday at Sankofa. Joining Cyntje will be singer Christie Dashiell, bassist Herman Burney, Jr. and drummer Quincy Phillips. 8 p.m. No cover.

>> Chris Botti has a career that spans a wide array of music, from straight-ahead jazz, to the electronic avant-garde with Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, to top 40 pop with Sting. He has settled into a smoother sound now, and a couple well-received PBS specials have crossed over to widespread popularity. Botti will perform on Thursday at the Kennedy Center in a performance presented by the Washington Performing Arts Society. 8 p.m. Tickets $25 to $85.

>> Paul Wingo has been one of Baltimore’s most respected jazz guitarists for decades. He will make the drive down I-95 on Thursday to lead his trio at Blues Alley, and to celebrate the release of his most recent album. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 plus minimum and fees.

>> Vocalist Jessica Boykin-Settles will perform at Dukem Jazz on Thursday, backed by bassist Zack Pride, keyboardist Sam Prather and drummer Dante Pope. 9 p.m. No cover.

>> It’s Memorial Day weekend, so that means it’s time for Jazz in the Garden to fire up again. Break out your blankets and get some sangria at one of the District’s most well-attended summer music events. This summer’s series starts with the Afro-funk group, Elikeh. 5 to 8:30 p.m. Free.

>> Saxophonist Whit Williams is a bit of an area legend, in no small part because he spent 50 years as a music educator in the Anne Arundel County Public School system. Jazz Night in Southwest will host him on Friday as part of its series celebrating our local greats. 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets $5.

>> Karla Chisholm‘s vocal style draws heavily from jazz but adds sprinkles of R&B and folk. She also writes much of her own material so she also has the DIY ethos that is prevalent in the indie scene. Chisholm comes to Blues Alley on Friday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $22 plus minimum and fees.

>> The 19th Annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Kennedy Center. Formerly dedicated to women in jazz, the festival is now open to all genders, but this year’s lineup is still mainly comprised of world class female artists. Artists include pianist Patrice Rushen, drummer Allison Miller, woodwind artist Anat Cohen and vocalist Rene Marie. A highlight takes place on Saturday, where Trio 3, with Andrew Cyrille (drums), Oliver Lake (saxophone) and Reggie Workman (bass), performs a special program of Mary Lou Williams repertoire. 7 p.m. Tickets $38.

>> Tim Whalen has emerged as one of the D.C. area’s most distinctive pianists. Equally respected for his composing and arranging as he is for his improvising, Whalen’s septet is sure to be creating some intriguing sounds on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $16 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Ron Carter is nothing short of a jazz legend, having spent nearly 50 years as a groundbreaking bassist. Fortunately for local jazz fans, he has made Bohemian Caverns a regular stop on his busy touring schedule, and will return to the club for a three-night stand with his group, beginning on Friday. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. $40 in advance, $45 at the door.

>> Lena Seikaly is among the area’s top vocalists and is very much a singer’s singer. She’ll pay tribute to Duke Ellington during her 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Saturday at Blues Alley. Tickets $22 plus minimum and fees.

>> Big Bad Voodoo Daddy‘s appearance in the 1996 film, Swingers — along with Heather Graham’s dance moves — led to a brief jump-swing revival that lasted through the late ’90s. The band is still touring furiously and putting out new music, and will be at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Saturday. 8:30 p.m. Tickets $30 plus minimum and fees.

>> Richmond-based pianist William “Chan” Hall leads his group on Sunday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and fees.

>> Sharon Clark performs regularly in and around D.C., and has lately taken to rearranging classic pop songs from the ’70s and ’80s and putting them into a jazz context. Clark will lead a group on Sunday at Blues Alley. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25 plus minimum/surcharge.

>> Trumpeter Donvonte McCoy concludes his run as the May Artist-in-Residence at Bohemian Caverns on Tuesday. 7 and 9 p.m. sets. Tickets $10.

>> Nicole Henry won Best Traditional Jazz Performance at the 2013 Soul Train Music Awards. The singer will bring her playful yet elegant style to Blues Alley on Tuesday. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25 plus minimum/surcharge.