Patrick Jarenwattananon

Corea's "Spain" has an epic quality to it. At the opening night of the SFJAZZ Center, he guest solos in a new arrangement of the piece with a house band made up of all-stars.

At 66, the jazz trumpeter is as busy as ever: His current band has released five excellent albums since 2007 alone. His new, project provides further testament to his prolific composing.

When he gets to lead the band, the bicoastal bassist Todd Sickafoose writes lushly textured, slowly developing music for a unique instrumental ensemble. Hear them lift the lid on unreleased tunes.

Bassist Stephan Crump wears many musical hats. His Rosetta Trio, with two guitars, strives for quiet sophistication. Here, he presents his late-afternoon back-porch ditties for interlocking strings.

Hear five tunes spanning the saxophonist's career, from '60s mysticism to modern spirituals.

The tenor saxophonist plays in some of the most talked-about jazz groups of today. Freshly signed to a new record deal, Smith draws the leadership role in presenting his own quintet at his alma mater.

Veteran jazz masters "Killer" Ray Appleton and Barry Altschul have issued fine new albums this year. Both in their early 70s, it's clear they draw from extensive experience. So how might that translate to making music that's fun to listen to?

A strong and harmonically provocative pianist, Evans often makes the commute between Philadelphia and New York City. He brings a trio to downtown Manhattan for this live performance.

The alto saxophonist keeps good company: He's a member of legendary drummer Roy Haynes' band, for one. Shaw returns to his alma mater to lead his own band in a live concert webcast.

The history of jazz is often told as a sequence of epic heroes. Coincidentally, an admired saxophonist has been reading Homer lately. Potter presents his new Odyssey-inspired suite The Sirens.