This year, we bade farewell to avant-garde pioneer Muhal Richard Abrams. Michael Hoefner/Wikipedia hide caption

The premiere of "Folk Songs of Naboréa," a song cycle for seven voices and kora by Kavita Shah, presented at the Park Avenue Armory in New York in November, was one of Nate Chinen's gigs of the year. Da Ping Luo/Courtesy of the Park Avenue Armory hide caption

Kirk Knuffke's Cherryco was Francis Davis' top jazz album of the year. Ken Weiss/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Jeff Coffin, Matt Wigton and Jordan Perlson made Sleigh What?! in just a few days, just a week and change before Christmas. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Trumpeter and former New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) artistic director Irvin Mayfield, who was indicted over alleged money laundering from the city's Library Foundation along with Ronald Markham, the former president and CEO of the NOJO. Skip Bolen/Getty Images hide caption

Abelita Mateus, Marcia Ball, Helen Sung and Joanne Brackeen were this year's A Jazz Piano Christmas guests. Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of the Kennedy Center hide caption

The Jazz at Lincoln Center's annual Big Band Holiday concert, performed on December 13th, 2017. Lawrence Sumlong/Jazz at Lincoln Center hide caption

Bootsy Collins Michael Weintrob/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Claudio Roditi, photographed in 1990. David Redfern/Getty Images hide caption

Ellyn Rucker at Ivory's Piano Bar in Denver on Apr. 22, 1984. Duane Howell/Denver Post via Getty Images hide caption

Jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant digs into a lyric like an actress, bringing a modern perspective to old songs. Her latest record, Dreams and Daggers, is out now. Mark Fitton/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Grover Washington Jr. performs on stage during the "One Night With Blue Note" concert in New York on Feb. 22, 1985. Anthony Barboza/Getty Images hide caption

José James will tour a program of his favorite Bill Withers tunes, culminating in a covers record in 2018. Janette Beckman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Jimmy Greene. Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Teri Thornton, photographed on Jan. 1, 1990. Andrew Lepley/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

Sonny Rollins during the recording of A Night at the Village Vanguard. Francis Wolff/Blue Note Records hide caption

The Nate Smith Band performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Sept. 14, 2017. (Christina Ascani/NPR) Christina Ascani/NPR hide caption