SFJAZZ, the largest non-profit jazz presenter on the West Coast, brings another expansive line-up of artists to the Bay Area for the 27th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. An eclectic string of shows now stretching from early October through the third week of November, the concerts spotlighting a wide range of jazz legends, groundbreaking young groups and intriguing world-music acts. This year, the Festival once again shows why it is hailed as one of the greatest celebrations of jazz in the world with a stellar line-up of first-time participants and returning favorites.

The first full weekend of the festival puts a spotlight on a diverse range of artist. On Friday night, celebrated Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba brings his fiery young quintet to Herbst Theatre. A child prodigy, Rubalcaba was a serious student of classical music for over a decade before switching gears to jazz at the age of 21. Discovered by Dizzy Gillespie in 1986, it wasn't long before the pianist was making waves.

Equally adept at interpreting delicate ballads and dismantling high-speed bop standards, Rubalcaba is the latest in a long line of Cuban-born players (including Chucho Valdes and the late Buena Vista Social Club member Ruben Gonzalez) to change how the jazz piano is approached. Hear kinetic, Afro-Cuban tunes from his 2008 effort 'Avatar' when Rubalcaba is joined by bassist Yunior Terry, drummer Ernesto Simpson along with remarkable alto player Yosvany Terry and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin (Herbst Theatre, Fri/23, 8 p.m. $30-$70). Also on Friday, rising vocal talent Melody Gardot shows off her supple and subtle delivery when she performs songs from her latest Verve Records release My One and Only Thrill that was produced by frequent Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock studio maven Larry Klein (Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Fri/23, 8 p.m. $35-$80).

On Saturday, music lovers can choose from two different artists who never fail to deliver a danceable good time onstage. A powerful conga master continuing the Latin-jazz tradition of such legendary percussionists as Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto, Poncho Sanchez has always stayed in touch his roots in danceable '60s soul and boogaloo. Long established as one of the great modern Latin bandleaders, Sanchez brings elements of salsa, funk, jazz and R&B together into one infectious party sound (Herbst Theatre, Sat/24, 8 p.m. $22-$70). New Orleans piano phenom Henry Butler first appeared at an SFJAZZ event a few years ago when he opened for Big Easy R&B legend Allen Toussaint with a rousing solo set. Though his muscular playing is steeped in swing, the blind pianist mixes in elements of iconic forefathers Jelly Roll Morton and Professor Longhair with gospel and blues-tinged vocal numbers (San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sat/24, 8 p.m. $30-$50).

Sunday also offers a wealth of options. Though renowned vocalist Mark Murphy is sure to dazzle in a duo setting with guitarist Vinny Valentino (Florence Gould Theatre, Sun/25, 2 p.m.) and young Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez is already being hailed as the heir apparent to the aforementioned Rubalcaba (San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sun/24, 7 p.m. $25), arguably the weekend's most anticipated performance will be a rare Bay Area set by Brazilian vocalist Gal Costa.

Rising to fame alongside Tropicalia movement contemporaries Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes during the turbulent '60s, Costa produced some of the sweetest acoustic balladry alongside the most wildly inventive global psychedelia with her early efforts 'Domingo' (her collaborative debut with Veloso), 'Gal Costa' and 'Legal.' As the '70s progressed, Costa's recordings became less adventurous as she pursued a glossier pop style, but she has maintained her status as one of Brazil's iconic singers thanks to her always nuanced and sensual live performances. This intimate duo appearance with equally acclaimed Brazilian guitar great (and frequent SF Jazz Fest performer) Oscar Castro-Neves is sure to be transcendent (Herbst Theatre, Sun/25, 7 p.m. $30-$70). For more information on this year's San Francisco Jazz Festival, please visit the official SFJAZZ Web site.