Saxophonist Branford Marsalis headlines the Silver Spring Jazz Festival on Saturday.

>> The Navy’s premiere big band, the U.S. Navy Commodores, performs tonight on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Guitarist Sanjay Mishra brings his blend of jazz, classical and ethnic influence to Blues Alley tonight for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Vocalist Sharon Rae North plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets tonight at Twins Jazz. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> D.C.’s own all-female big band, The Bullettes, was a welcome addition to the local music scene when trombonist Shannon Gunn formed the ensemble a couple years ago. Gunn has also formed a sextet with members of that band, who will play at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Thursday. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Drummer Vinson Valega is from this area and is now getting steady work in New York while occasionally touring with a number of jazz notables. He’s in town on Thursday to lead his own band at Bohemian Caverns. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 online/$20 at the door.

>> Bobby Muncy is an in-demand saxophonist with numerous collaborators around the area. One of his most interesting groups is the Radiohead Jazz Project, which takes music by the alt-rock icon and puts it in a jazz context. The group will be at Twins Jazz on Thursday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Drummer Ernest “EC3” Coleman brings his group to Blues Alley on Thursday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. He has assembled a band comprised of first-class local talent, including vocalists Emy Tseng and Laura Sosa, bassist Michael Bowie, pianist Janelle Gill and saxophonist Tedd Baker. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Drummer and local mainstay Nasar Abadey leads a group on Friday at Jazz Night in Southwest. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> Bassist Christian McBride‘s composition, The Movement Revisited, is a four-part suite dedicated to four key figures of the Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. McBride and his big band will be performing an updated version of the piece at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on Friday. The program features spoken word interludes and a featured guest will be legendary performer and outspoken civil rights activist Harry Belafonte. 8 p.m. Tickets $10 to $40.

>> Elijah Balbed is a talented young saxophonist and area native who now splits his time between D.C. and New York. He has assembled a group of musicians dubbed the East Coast Collective for a performance at Bohemian Caverns on Friday. The ensemble is culled from many of the different scenes in which Balbed is involved. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 online/$20 at the door.

>> For many years, pianist Chris Grasso ran a weekend series at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel that featured the region’s best vocalists accompanied by Grasso’s trio. Unfortunately, that came to an end this summer, and now Grasso is attempting to re-start the series at Chez Billy in Petworth. The showcase will start on Friday with chanteuse par exellence Lena Seikaly and will continue the next two weeks with Sharon Clark and Elin. These initial shows will feature just vocals, bass and piano, but if turnout is good, other musicians may be added. 9 p.m. to midnight. Call 202-506-2080 for cover information.

>> Baltimore’s Todd Marcus has a unique sound not only because of his choice of instrument, the bass clarinet, but also in the ways he blends music from his Egyptian heritage into a modern jazz setting. He will be leading his quartet on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Patricia Barber is one of the more mercurial figures in jazz. A world class pianist, vocalist and composer, she could spend much of the year on the road, playing the world’s most prestigious venues. That isn’t what she does though, instead preferring to spend much of her time tending to her home and family in her native Chicago. So it’s worth your while to catch her when she does hit the road, as she is doing now. Barber will bring her quartet to Blues Alley from Friday through Sunday for 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets are $27.50 plus minimum and surcharge.

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

>> D.C.’s own Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band is celebrating its 10th anniversary and will be headlining at the Black Cat on Friday. Doors at 9 p.m. Tickets $15.

>> This is the Saturday after Labor Day, which means that Silver Spring and Rosslyn offer their dueling festivals for folks on either side of the Potomac. Rosslyn’s event runs from 1 to 7 p.m. in Gateway Park and features local trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse, headliner Poncho Sanchez and other acts. The Maryland show features headliner Branford Marsalis, runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m and takes place on Veterans Plaza at Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring. Free.

>> Lyle Link has been among the top and most sought-after area saxophonists in the area for nearly 20 years. He will lead a band on Saturday at Bohemian Caverns. 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $15 online/$20 at the door.

>> CapitalBop returns to Chez Billy on Sunday for its monthly jazz loft. This month’s iteration features groups led by trumpeter Joe Herrera, vocalist Kiyem Ade and pianist Michael Price. 7:30 p.m. $15 suggested donation.

>> Pianist Alon Nechushtan has gotten positive notices from critics around the world and has performed in ensembles at renowned venues and festivals. He will be in town on Sunday to lead his own trio at Twins Jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 plus food and drink minimum.

>> Isabelle De Leon is a wonderfully talented young drummer and this has been a big year for her. The area native recently graduated from the University of Maryland, was an Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore and she also won this years Young Artist contest at the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. De Leon will showcase her own group on Monday at the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free.

>> Blue Monday Blues hosts the Mary Shaver Band. 6 to 9 p.m. $5.

>> Vocalist and D.C. native Pam Parker leads her group through 8 and 10 p.m. sets on Monday at Blues Alley. Tickets $20 plus minimum and surcharge.

>> Saxophonist Brad Linde continues his run as September’s Artist-in-Residence at Bohemian Caverns. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets. Tickets $10 online/$15 at the door.