In April, the Arts Council's popular Listening Room jazz concert series welcomes bassist and pianist Ben Williams and his quintet. A native of Washington D.C., Williams' influences include jazz, hip-hop, R&B, gospel and classical. In 2005, he won first place in the jazz category at the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Competition, and he's performed around the globe with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Ron Blake, and Me'Shelle N'degeocello. 7:30 pm in Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, inside the Shaw Center. 100 Lafayette Street. $10. Reservations recommended. (225) 344-8558 or artsbr.org.