The beauty of the SFJAZZ Festival lies in how broadly its organizers define it. October’s schedule opens and closes with veteran masters who are forward-thinking creators. Visionary saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter (Oct. 2), now 78, and 80-year-old guitarist extraordinaire Jim Hall (Oct. 23) lead finely tuned all-star bands of much younger colleagues.

Brazilian-born vocalist Luciana Souza coolly slips contemporary tunes through her samba roots (Oct. 15). Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau—who move fluidly from Ellington to Nirvana—represent the current vanguard in their West Coast debut (Oct. 22). And Pomplamoose (pictured above), a sweetly unassuming duo from Sonoma, delight with eccentric art pop (Oct. 29).