D.C. native and award-winning saxophonist Elijah Balbed celebrates the release of his new album on Thursday at Bohemian Caverns. Photo by Jonathan Timmes.

>> Maris Briežkalns leads a quintet of Latvian jazz musicians through a program inspired by Mark Rothko, the great American abstract expressionist painter, tonight on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Irfan & Bilal are a singing sensation in Kashmir, where they have brought modern musical rhythms to traditional Kashmiri folk music. Mahmeet Syed is an acclaimed singer, hailing from a musical dynasty. The trio have been touring the U.S. all spring and will bring the music of Kashmir to Bossa this evening. 7:30 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

>> Six-time Grammy nominee composer and pianist Omar Sosa, a native of Cuba, will bring a quartet to Blues Alley tonight for an evening of Afro-Cuban jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $25 plus minimum/surcharge.

>> Nicole Saphos, a talented young area bassist, concludes her run of Wednesday nights this evening with 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Elijah Balbed is only in his mid-20s, but is already a veteran of the D.C. jazz scene. The busy saxophonist played with Chuck Brown in the years before the go-go pioneer’s death. He is an in-demand sideman and also leads his own group. The Washington City Paper named him Best Tenor Saxophonist (2013) and Best New Jazz Musician (2010). A group of the area’s finest young players will join Balbed on Thursday at Bohemian Caverns to celebrate the release of his new recording, Lessons From The Streets. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 in advance/$20 at the door.

>> Dave Damiani and The No Vacancy Orchestra are celebrating the release of their second album, Midlife Crisis. The band will be headlining a celebration of International Jazz Day at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Thursday. The lineup will also include the 2011 winner of America’s Got Talent, Landau Murphy, as well as vocalists Maiya Sykes and Spencer Day. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $30-$35 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Sheila E. broke all sorts of ground in the ’80s. A female drummer, even more of a rarity then than now, she rose to prominence with Prince’s band before having her own chart-topping success, all without stifling any of her femininity. She will lead her own band through its blend of Latin jazz, funk, and pop on Thursday at The Howard Theatre. 8 p.m. Tickets $37.50-$75.

>> Musician, writer, and activist Greg Tate will lead Burnt Sugar through an experience that has been described as a mashup of electric Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and King Crimson, all with the overarching influence of the iconoclast, Sun Ra. The band will perform at Liv Nightclub on Thursday. 9 p.m. Tickets $12. Burnt Sugar will also give a free performance earlier at 6 p.m. at the Millennium Stage.

>> Beginning Thursday, veteran saxophonist Kenny Garrett will lead a group through a four night stand of 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Blues Alley. Garrett’s latest recording, Pushing the World Away, earned stellar reviews and received a well-deserved Grammy nod. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $30 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk was one of the first jazz artists we featured on DCist. He has assembled a group of top notch local talent to re-visit Miles Davis’s landmark recording, A Kind of Blue, on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets $5.

>> Three inductees of the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame come together on Friday at the Kennedy Center to perform with a full backup band. Charlie Musselwhite (harmonica), James Cotton (harmonica), and John Hammond (guitar) deliver individual and collaborative performances through 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $45-$55.

>> Lila Downs’ multi-cultural upbringing has led to a sound that doesn’t recognize borders. Her concerts offer an aesthetic that draws from traditional and contemporary influences that lie throughout North and South America. The gifted vocalist will perform an 8 p.m. set on Friday at Lisner Auditorium. Tickets $40-$60.

>> Dunya on U Street has recently started hosting Friday night jam sessions from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Pianist Mark Meadows and his trio will serve as the house band for this Friday’s gathering. No cover.

>> Anyone claiming to be a fan of the local jazz scene can’t do so without having seen Sine Qua Non, a group of local all-stars under the direction of bassist Michael Bowie. The band will perform on Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns with special guest trombonist Fred Wesley, the funk pioneer whose credits include James Brown, P-Funk, Ray Charles, and Maceo Parker. Local vocalist Christie Dashiell will also perform with the group. People, this show is an absolute must-see. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $30 in advance/$35 at the door.

>> Benito Gonzalez took the D.C. jazz scene by storm in the early 2000s when he moved to this area from his native Venezuela. He moved to New York several years ago, leading his own bands and playing with a number of jazz greats, but he still pays regular visits to our fair city. Gonzalez will play Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> The long-awaited U Street Funk Parade returns on Saturday for its second iteration. Stay tuned for a full preview from DCist.

>> Nootana is a collective of South Asian artists from a variety of classical disciplines. The ensemble’s annual showcase takes place on Saturday at Joy of Motion‘s Jack Guidone Theater. 8 p.m. Tickets $20.

>> A former member of the Grammy-nominated jazz vocal group, Rare Silk, vocalist Jamie Broumas has been a familiar face on the local scene since the ’80s. She also curates the Fortas Chamber Music Series at the Kennedy Center. Broumas will lead an ensemble of the city’s best on Sunday at Bohemian Caverns. 7 and 9 p.m. sets. Tickets $23 in advance/$28 at the door.

>> Veteran area saxophonist Marty Nau returns to Twins Jazz on Sunday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> The Kennedy Center’s annual Spring Gala is one of Washington’s premiere benefit events, raising money for the venue’s rich programming. This year’s gala takes place on Sunday and is titled, It Don’t Mean a Thing… A Celebration of Swing. A host of jazz luminaries will be on stage to pay tribute to the great American art form. 8 p.m. Tickets $45-$160.

>> Student ensembles from D.C.’s famed Ellington School for the Arts will perform at the Millennium Stage on Monday. Reignite: Fanning the Flames is a program that features works by Ellington, Strayhorn, Holiday, and Gaye. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Vocalist Paulette McWilliams performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Monday at Blues Alley. Tickets $25 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> The Rumba Club, a celebrated Latin jazz outfit comprised of musicians from the DMV, will perform at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Tuesday to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> West coast saxophonist/composer Anton Schwartz makes a rare D.C. appearance on Tuesday at Blues Alley, leading an outstanding quintet featuring the award-winning Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott and the powerhouse rhythm section of Orrin Evans (piano), Madison Rast (bass) and Anwar Marshall (drums). 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.