Each generation, it seems, discovers Mary Stallings anew. A supremely soulful jazz singer, the San Francisco native has appeared alongside jazz greats including Cal Tjader, Dizzy Gillespie and the Count Basie Orchestra. With her supple sense of swing, blues-inflected phrasing, and gift for empathic interpretation, the 2011 SFJAZZ Gala honoree often invokes superlatives. Case in point, The New York Times has declared that “Perhaps the best jazz singer alive today is a woman almost everybody seems to have missed.” Her 2012 High Note release, Don’t Look Back, is a gorgeous collaboration with the Eric Reed trio.

For this SFJAZZ date she’s paired with another world-class pianist, Bill Charlap, in a project that both have eagerly anticipated. Over the years, Charlap has established himself as one of the most respected keyboardists in jazz and leader of a truly telepathic trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Charlap’s latest project is Double Portrait, a duet session for Blue Note with wife and fellow pianist, Renee Rosnes. This promises to be an evening of rare beauty.