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The San Francisco Jazz Festival celebrates its 13th annual Spring Series in 2012 with more than 40 concerts, featuring a line-up of international and national jazz masters, along with artists representing the cutting edge in jazz.

The four-month-long concert series begins on February 9, 2012 and will continue through June 17.

Among the artists performing at this year's spring series are Charles Lloyd, Chucho Valdés, Dave Holland, Bill Frisell, John Ambercrombie, Lizz Wright, Michael Camilo, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and the SFJAZZ Collective.

Also on tap for this year's spring series are the Brad Mehldau Trio, a "70th Birthday Bash" with the reunited Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Tin Hat, and jazz vocalists Jane Monheit, Chrisette Michele, Raul Midón, Kate McGarry, Meklit Hadero, and Greek jazz vocalist Maria Fantouri (performing with Charles Lloyd).

The Spring Season concludes with the Christian McBride Big Band on Sunday, June 17.

This year's SFJAZZ "Beacon Award" for lifetime achievement goes to Bay Area Latin jazz legend Benny Velarde.

Thematic highlights of the Spring 2012 concert series include Spectrum Road, an all-star group with Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Jack Bruce and Cindy Blackman celebrating the legacy of drumming great Tony Williams; a 50th anniversary concert featuring The Chieftains; and an evening-long multimedia presentation of "The Great Flood," a film-music collaboration by Bill Morrison and guitarist Bill Frisell, based on and inspired by the catastrophic Mississippi River Flood of 1927 and the ensuing transformation of American society.

Here's the full schedule for the 2012 SFJAZZ Spring series:

February

Friday, February 17 at 8 pm
"An ECM Evening"
Enrico Rava Tribe; John Abercrombie Trio
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Monday, February 20 at 7.30 pm
"Keyboard Colossus"
Chucho Valdés & the Afro-Cuban Messengers
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Tuesday, February 21 at 7.30 pm
"50th Anniversary Tour"
The Chieftains
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Friday, February 24 at 8 pm
"Tones for Dave's Bones"
Dave Holland Overtone Quartet with Chris Potter, Jason Moran & Eric Harland
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco

March

Saturday, March 3 at 8 pm
"Heavenly Harmony"
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Saturday, March 10 at 8 pm
"Chromatic Genius"
Toots Thielemans with Kenny Werner & Oscar Castro-Neves
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Saturday, March 10 at 11 am
"Family Matinee #1: The Trumpet"
Marcus Shelby Trio
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Sunday, March 11 at 8 pm
"Blood & the Blues"
James "Blood" Ulmer (solo)
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Saturday, March 17 at 8 pm
"Ella, Billie & Sarah"
Chrisette Michele
Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland

Sunday, March 18 at 7 pm
"Jazz Modernistas"
Uri Caine with John Hébert & Ben Perowsky
SF Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street, San Francisco

Thursday, March 22 at 7.30 pm
"Many Styles — Many Streams"
SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo
SF Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street, San Francisco

Friday, March 23 at 8 pm
"State of the Art"
Lizz Wright; Meklit Hadero
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Sunday, March 25 at 7 pm
"The Future of Flamenco"
Vicente Amigo
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Friday, March 30 at 8 pm
"Latin Jazz Ambassador"
Benny Velarde with special guests
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco
Note: Mr. Velarde will receive the 2012 SFJAZZ Beacon Award at this performance

Friday, March 30 at 8 and 10 pm
"Absolute Wonder"
SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions
Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland

Saturday, March 31 at 8 pm
"Piano Ibérico"
Chano Domínguez
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Saturday, March 31 at 8 and 10 pm
"Absolute Wonder"
SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions
Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland

April

Sunday, April 1 at 6 and 9 pm
"Absolute Wonder"
SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions
Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland

Sunday, April 1 at 7 pm
"Force of Nature"
Raul Midón
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Wednesday, April 4 at 7.30 pm
"The Soul of Cuba"
Sierra Maestra
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Thursday, April 5 at 7.30 pm
"Cinematic Soundscapes"
Tin Hat with Carla Kihlstedt, Mark Orton, Ben Goldberg & Rob Reich
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Friday, April 6 at 8 pm
"From Jug Band to Big Band"
Dan Hicks 70th Birthday Bash
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Saturday, April 7 at 8 pm
"The Sorcerer"
Hermeto Pascoal
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Saturday, April 14 at 11 am
"Family Matinee #2: The Reeds"
Marcus Shelby Trio
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Saturday, April 14 at 8 pm
"Man on Fire"
Michel Camilo Trio with Charles Flores & Giovanni Hidalgo
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Thursday, April 19 at 7.30 pm
"Gypsy Journey"
Anoushka Shankar
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Friday, April 20 at 8 pm
"Girl Talk"
Kate McGarry with Keith Ganz, Gary Versace & Clarence Penn
Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market Street, San Francisco

Saturday, April 21 at 8 pm
"Music & Film"
Bill Frisell, "The Great Flood"
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Sunday, April 22 at 7 pm
"Dream Weavers"
Charles Lloyd New Quartet featuring Maria Farantouri
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Friday, April 27 at 8 pm
"El Maestro Magnífico"
Paco de Lucía
Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland

Saturday, April 28 at 8 pm
"Extraordinary Imports"
Israeli JazzFest
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San Francisco

Saturday, April 28 at 3 and 7 pm
"Extraordinary Imports"
Israeli JazzFest
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San Francisco

May

Saturday, May 5 at 8 pm
"The Essentials"
Rosanne Cash
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Saturday, May 12 at 11 am
"Family Matinee #3: The Trombone"
Marcus Shelby Trio
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Saturday, May 12 at 8 pm
"Brazilian Beatbox"
Supergenerous featuring Cyro Baptista
Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market Street, San Francisco

Sunday, May 13 at 7 pm
"The Unsung Jazz Composers"
SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Jazz Orchestra
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San Francisco

Wednesday, May 16 at 7.30 pm
"Where the Heart Is"
Jane Monheit (SFJAZZ Members-only performance)
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Thursday, May 17 at 7.30 pm
"New & Noteworthy"
Tia Fuller Quartet
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Friday, May 18 at 8 pm
"The Mehldau Weekend"
The Brad Mehldau Trio with Larry Grenadier & Jeff Ballard
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Saturday, May 19 at 8 pm
"The Mehldau Weekend"
The Brad Mehldau Trio with Larry Grenadier & Jeff Ballard
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Sunday, May 20 at 7 pm
"The Mehldau Weekend"
The Brad Mehldau Trio with Larry Grenadier & Jeff Ballard
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco

Saturday, May 26 at 8 am
"Solos & Duos"
Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

June

Saturday, June 9 at 11 am
"Family Matinee #4: The Voice"
Marcus Shelby Trio
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Saturday, June 9 at 8 pm
"Solitary Savant"
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, solo
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Friday, June 15 at 8 pm
"Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler"
Another Night in Treme
Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland

Friday, June 15 at 8 pm
"Sangria for Four"
Spectrum Road with Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Jack Bruce & Cindy Blackman
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Sunday, June 17 at 7 pm
"The Good Feeling"
Christian McBride Big Band
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 12 for all SFJAZZ members; general audience tickets go on sale Sunday, December 4. For more information, call 866.920.JAZZ (5299) or visit www.sfjazz.org.