Patrick Jarenwattananon

Few pianists have been as influential to modern jazz practice as McCoy Tyner. And at age 74, his driving left hand and dense chords are still in fine form. He performs at the SFJAZZ Center opening.

Joshua Redman co-founded the SFJAZZ Collective. With his successor in the tenor sax chair, Joe Lovano, the band runs through "Blackwell's Message," a jaunty, open swinger.

Following in a long line of Cuban-born pianists, Virelles has quickly become an elite New York jazz player. But his vision is mysterious — a back-to-the-future refraction of Afro-Cuban ritual.

Thirty years after its first concerts in San Francisco, the organization SFJAZZ has built a permanent home and performance venue. For its opening, WWOZ, WBGO and NPR Music presented a live concert.

Percussionist John Santos and pianist Rebeca Mauleón played the very first SFJAZZ festival in 1983. Today, they're employed by the organization, which has just built a new $64 million permanent home. On the eve of its grand opening, they reflect on what the new building means to the community.

The singer's new album isn't quite a jazz record, but it comes from someone who has obviously studied a lot of jazz, on and off the bandstand. James, a "huge John Coltrane freak," reflects on the time he got to tour with Coltrane's pianist.

It's a festival with everything between international headliners and relative unknowns, intricately-plotted compositions and completely free improvisation, high-concept one-offs and bands shaped over decades. See photos from the nine-year-old marathon of new bands and repertoires in New York.

The highest federally supported awards for jazz artistry are presented to singer-songwriter Mose Allison, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, club owner Lorraine Gordon and pianist Eddie Palmieri. On Monday, Jan. 14, watch a webcast of the ceremony live from Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

The new year's major releases so far feature a few living legends and a lot of drummers in charge. Here's a preview of some records which will be talked about by jazz aficionados, including new efforts from Chris Potter, Darcy James Argue and Wayne Shorter.

Jazz24 is making a list of 50 quintessential vocal recordings since the dawn of jazz, and will create an online listening stream from the results. To help choose the songs, vote for up to three of your top picks via a simple online survey.