Just the other day, I told a friend that I was going to stop referring to R.E.M. as a Georgia band and start claiming the group as California property, since two of its three members (Mike Mills and Peter Buck) actually hail from the Golden State.

Likewise, I’m now calling the Brad Mehldau Trio a Bay Area band, given that bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard are from, respectively, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. So what if the band leader was born in Florida and was raised in Connecticut? Details, details.

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch Mehldau’s Bay Area band at the lovely Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The concert, part of the tail end of yet another successful SFJAZZ spring season session, was quite enjoyable. Still, it left me with the feeling that I haven’t seen a truly great Brad Mehldau Trio performance since drummer Jorge Rossy left the band a few years back _ and, yes, I’ve attended quite a few BMT gigs in recent years.
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Kanye West, June 6.
Having rocked the house back in April, Kanye West finds his way once again to San Jose for a repeat performance. The rapper is promoting his latest Grammy-winning effort, “Graduation,” and he’s touring with a great cast of characters, including Rihanna and Lupe Fiasco. 7 p.m. HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose, $39.50-$75, 510-625-TIXS, 925-685-TIXS or 415-421-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com.

Brad Mehldau, June 6.
Brad Mehldau will make you reconsider what you think you already know about jazz piano. As the leader of the acclaimed Brad Mehldau Trio, this immensely talented pianist moves from exploring jazz standards to reinventing contemporary pop pieces. As far as the latter goes, Mehldau’s version of Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For a Film)” is particularly satisfying. 8 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., $25-$58, 866-920-5299, www.sfjazz.org.
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Believe it or not, jazz music and popular music were once the same thing. That must have been a great time to be alive. Of course, having to deal with all those dinosaurs roaming around the still-flat planet must have been a distinct drawback.

Those days are over, but jazz cats still draw from the pop music world for inspiration and, more specifically, melodies. The most famous example, perhaps, is John Coltrane taking the show tune “My Favorite Things” and turning it into a jazz standard.

These days, first-class jazzers such as Brad Mehldau and Dave Douglas are mining the songbooks of a whole new batch of pop musicians and coming up with gold. They’ve embraced the works of Rufus Wainwright, Radiohead, Roxy Music and, in particular, Bjork.
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It was a monumental year for jazz by the Bay.

Notably, we celebrated milestone anniversaries for both the Monterey (50) and San Francisco (25) jazz festivals. We also marked the opening of the new Yoshi’s in San Francisco, which fills a major gap in that city’s arts scene.

I was fortunate to attend many of this year’s biggest jazz events , as well as some of the smaller, though equally enjoyable, concerts. The following is a look back at the year in live jazz in the Bay Area, courtesy of my own personal Top 10 list.

Top 10 jazz concerts of 2007
1. Ornette Coleman
(Oct. 28, Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco)
The saxophone hero could have begun resting on his laurels about 1959, the year his groundbreaking “The Shape of Jazz to Come’’ was released. Instead, he went the other way and fashioned a lengthy and lasting legacy that is simply beyond compare. This Masonic show _ as exciting a night of jazz as I’ve experienced in years _ showed that Coleman isn’t finished writing his own legend. We’re clearly in the midst of a prime era for this gifted musician, who won both a Lifetime Achievement Grammy and a Pulitizer Prize in 2007.

2. Monterey Jazz Festival
(Sept. 21-23, Monterey County Fairgrounds)
The 50th anniversary of the world’s most prestigious jazz festival proved to be everything a fan could’ve hoped. We saw great sets by the East Bay’s own Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins and _ yes, him again _ Ornette Coleman. With due respect to Oscar Peterson and a handful of others, one could make a very convincing case that Brubeck, Rollins and especially Coleman are the three greatest living jazz artists. Throw in my gal _ Diana Krall _ and you’ve got an anniversary occasion to remember for the next 50 years.

3. The Christian McBride Situation
(July 27, Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, Oakland)
At the start of the show, the bass wizard instructed fans to “strap up _ we will reach our cruising altitude of infinity shortly.’’ The combo _ featuring East Bay saxophonist Dave Ellis, DJ Jahi Sundance and keyboardist Patrice Rushen _ proceeded to perform one of the most impressive evenings of wholly improvised music that I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. That, dear friends, was jazz.

4. Josh Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade
(May 4, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco)
For this SFJAZZ concert, saxophonist Redman, pianist Mehldau, bassist McBride and drummer Blade _ a quartet that worked together for two years in the ‘90s _ reunited to honor the great Thelonious Monk. The band used the opportunity to perform sensational covers/reinterpretations of songs found on the acclaimed “Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall’’ record.

5. E.S.T.
( May 22, Yoshi’s at Jack London Square)
The Esbjorn Svensson Trio (E.S.T.) is a Swedish outfit that plays “America’s music’’ better than just about anyone. That’s the good news. The better news is that the band _ featuring pianist Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Ostrom _ accomplishes that feat in startingly new and refreshing ways. Plus, it’s equally good on record and in concert.

6. Medeski Scofield Martin and Wood
(Sept. 20, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga)
MMW _ keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood _ is already so great in concert that the thought of adding champion guitarist John Scofield to the mix seems totally unfair to all the other working jazz combos. Thankfully, life isn’t always fair _ and the fans at Montalvo received a gluton’s share of jazz riches on this evening.

7. Ravi Coltrane
( July 25, Yoshi’s at Jack London Square)
I’ve been lucky to catch John C’s son on numerous occasions _ including in performance with his mother, Alice Coltrane, at the Masonic in 2006 and as part of an all-star band at the grand opening of Yoshi’s San Francisco last month. That Masonic gig was a magical evening, one that ranked as my pick for best jazz concert of 2006, but the finest saxophone work that I’ve heard Ravi deliver came at this Yoshi’s show.

8. Chick Corea, Gary Burton
(Feb. 17, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley)
Pianist Corea and vibraphonist Burton share a undeniable musical bond, one that manifested to the greatest extent on 1972’s masterful “Crystal Silence.’’ On this evening, the pair celebrated the 35th anniversary that landmark album with an evening of duets that made one wonder why on earth do these two players ever perform separately?

9. Branford Marsalis
(Feb. 12, Yoshi’s at Jack London Square)
Wynton’s sax-blowing brother was in exceptionally fine form on this night, which featured a mix of original tunes composed by Branford and his band mates (drummer Jeff “Tain’’ Watts, bassist Eric Revis and pianist Joey Calderazzo). The best of the lot was Marsalis’ own “Sir Roderick, the Aloof,’’ which included a spiraling soprano sax solo that sent shivers down fans’ spines.

10. Chris Botti
(Feb. 16, Paramount Theatre, Oakland)
I won’t make the Jazz Police happy by including Botti on this list. The self-appointed guardians of “real jazz’’ don’t like this trumpeter because he has the nerve to sell large numbers of records. Their reasoning goes something like this: If the general public likes it then it can’t be worthwhile jazz. If, however, you’d rather enjoy an evening of beautifully performed instrumental ballads than stay at home and worry about your “cool’’ credentials, I highly recommend catching Botti in concert.

Saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade spent two years working together in the early ’90s. That ensemble, which clearly ranks as one of the most impressive bands in modern jazz history, was documented on two of Redman’s albums _ “MoodSwing” and “Captured Live.”

On Friday night (May 4), the four contemporary jazz giants reassembled to pay tribute to two jazz legends _ pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist John Coltrane _ at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The event, part of SFJAZZ’s season-long exploration of Monk’s music, marked the first time the four players had performed full-length concerts together since 1994.

Let’s just hope they don’t wait another 13 years to do it again. Based on what I heard during the 7 p.m. concert, which was followed by another set at 9:30 p.m., it’s pretty easy to get excited about what these guys would sound like if they gigged together more often.

Besides the long-awaited reunion, another factor that made this show special was the material. The songs all hailed from “Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall.”

There’s a story behind that album, which many jazz fans already know, so I’ll keep the recap brief. Coltrane played in Monk’s band for a little over a year in the late ’50s (April 1957-Sept. 1958). Unfortunately, there wasn’t much recorded output from that period.

Or, at least, so we thought.

A few years back, a live recording from 1957 was unearthed at the Library of Congress. It was then released to the public and the result, “Carnegie Hall,” became the most widely acclaimed jazz disc of 2005.

Wisely, the band didn’t try to re-create, note for note, Monk and Trane’s concert on Friday. Instead, the group used the recording, which also featured the fine work of bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Shadow Wilson, as a roadmap for its own performance. The end product was closer to a re-imagination than a re-creation.

The quartet kicked off the show with a solid run through Monk’s own “Crepuscule with Nellie,” which is actually the third track on the “Carnegie Hall” disc, as Mehldau took the first of many impressive solos.

Although the pianist lists Thelonious as a major influence, Mehldau rarely comes across particularly Monk-like in concert. He’s got his own thing going on _ and what a wonderful thing it is _ and his playing is as singular as that of any pianist in the game.

On this night, however, Mehldau clearly had Monk in his head and seemed to alter his style accordingly. It was far from being a copycat performance, but the young pianist was definitely exuding a Monk vibe as he jumped and jived his way through “Nutty.”

Conversely, Redman didn’t seem to ride the Trane anymore than usual. Sure, you could find bits and pieces that reminded you of Coltrane _ but, then again, when is that ever not the case when it comes to saxophone-led jazz music? Coltrane’s music has so greatly shaped modern jazz that it barely registers when a saxophonist directly quotes him.

Redman, a Berkeley native and the artistic director for SFJAZZ’s spring season, used the “Carnegie Hall” framework to turn in some deliriously good, and smartly diverse, leads. Notably, he swung like mad during “Nutty” and erupted like a volcano on “Evidence.”

Nobody was more impressive than McBride. Be honest here _ how many times do you walk away from a show wishing that you heard more bass solos? It’s rare. But not when McBride is on the stage.

The heavily in-demand bassist _ who showed exactly why _ stole the spotlight on several occasions as he plucked out mesmerizing passages on “Monk’s Mood” and “Epistrophy.” He also brought the funk to the table convincingly. (If you want to hear McBride at his funkiest, I highly recommend 2006’s “Live at Tonic.”)

The ever-stylish Blade, as per usual, delivered exactly the right beats at all the right times. He makes everything look so effortless, even as he twists and turns out rhythms that other drummers can only dream about.

In all, the foursome turned in a performance that both served as a tribute to the original “Carnegie Hall” masterpiece and worked as a standalone piece of art. Bravo.

Guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Brad Mehldau’s first full-length collaborative effort was hailed by some as the jazz event of last year.

I was one of the critics leading the charge and placed “Metheny-Mehldau” at top of my list of best jazz CDs of 2006.

That’s one of the reasons why I had no problem making the long drive up to _ and the even longer drive back from _ the duo’s show at the beautiful Napa Valley Opera House on Tuesday night.

I wasn’t the only one who traveled a sizable distance to see the two jazz stars. There were folks in the house from Hawaii, Colorado, Washington, Michigan, Florida and even Sweden and Argentina. That says volumes about the significance of this tour, which also stopped at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley on Wednesday and the Mondavi Center in Davis on Thursday.

Metheny is one of the most popular artists in jazz history and Mehldau, many believe, is on his way to becoming one of the genre’s all-time greats. The chance to see the two perform together was a jazz fan’s dream come true.

The legendary guitarist and the acclaimed pianist quickly lived up to the lofty expectations as the kicked off their nearly 2 1/2 hour set with a lovely, fluid version of Mehldau’s original “Unrequited,” which is also the lead track on last year’s duets album.

Combining guitar and piano, especially when there are only two people onstage, can be quite tricky. Try it with two guys who are used to leading their own bands and the result might be a tug of war that isn’t much fun for listeners.

For these two masters, however, the instruments went together as naturally as bass and drums. During “Unrequited” _ as well as the Mehldau piece that followed, “Annie’s Bittersweet Cake” _ the musical exchanges transpired seemingly without effort or thought. The musicians traded leads in a highly conversational manner and exhibited a sense of intuitiveness that seemed to contradict their relatively short history together.

Stylistically, the guitarist and pianist differ greatly, yet they complement each other wondrously in concert. Metheny would repeatedly use his blistering hand speed to produce muscular runs that were rooted in fusion as Mehldau delivered brainy, articulate passages built from classic piano jazz. Trading places, Mehldau would take the spotlight and cut fragile, intimate leads while Metheny revved up the rhythm work.

After three tunes, and nearly 45 minutes of music, the duo was joined onstage by bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, both of whom hail from the Bay Area. The foursome then clicked into action with the Metheny-Mehldau tune “A Night Away,” the first track from the pair’s newly released second album, “Quartet.”

That disc, which also features Burlingame’s Grenadier and Santa Cruz’s Ballard, isn’t quite as marvelous as the duets record. Likewise, this quartet portion of the show wasn’t quite as enjoyable as when it was just Metheny and Mehldau on the stage.

That’s not meant to be too harsh of a criticism. Let’s just say that the show slipped from being a “10” to a “9” once Grenadier and Ballard came aboard. And there’s an easy-to-understand reason for that _ more musicians meant less time in the direct spotlight for Metheny and Mehldau. The pianist, who boasts a rather subtle and cerebral style, suffered more in this setting than the guitarist.

I believe I would have had the same reaction to the presence of any drummer and bassist _ not strictly to Ballard and Grenadier, who also happen to be members of Mehldau’s regular trio. I just didn’t want anything (or anybody) getting in the way of hearing M&M.

That said, I feel compelled to add that I am a big fan of Grenadier’s work. If I was to start a band, I’d want this Stanford grad to be my bassist. He just always plays the right things at the right times, while never seeming to worry about his press clippings or his share of the spotlight. In that sense, he’s jazz music’s equivalent to baseball’s Marco Scutaro. Those who know me know that’s my highest compliment.

Ballard is also a great player. I just don’t believe he’s the right drummer to back Mehldau. He hasn’t convinced me otherwise during the trio’s regular gigs and he didn’t produce a very good argument working in this quartet setting.

Jorge Rossi, Mehldau’s previous drummer, was vastly more restrained and had a knack for knowing when to give the pianist space. In contrast, Ballard is a very powerful, dynamic rhythm man, one who delivers 10 beats when probably three or four might do, and he often overwhelms his employer.

Ballard, however, worked marvelously with Metheny. The two obviously enjoyed playing together and fed of each other’s boundless energy on tunes such as Mehldau’s “Santa Cruz Slacker.”

The highlight of the show came with the eighth selection, “The Sound of Water,” which was performed as a duet between the two stars. For this number, Metheny used his custom-built Pikasso _ an amazing 42-string guitar-harp thingy that must be seen and heard to be believed.

Someday, jazz historians might be saying the same thing about the collaboration between Mehldau and Metheny _ it had to be seen and heard to be believed. I feel fortunate that I was able to do just that. Believe it.