Being as I have loved jazz since I was little I have seen a lot of live performances by people/bands on this thread.
One that needs mentioned is Little feat and Tower of Power that turned into Waiting for Columbus. Spanish Moon is right there for what jazz is all about.
I watched Bob James and Keiko Matsui at the Dakota from the balcony right above them and seeing them work out how to handle a piece was incredible. It was the first stop on their Four Hands tour and they were still playing off the sheet music. Watching them flip back and forth through the score and them one would lead the other through a whole 'nother interpretation was about as much fun as I have had at any concert.
I took a girl to see Miles open for some rock band at the Fillmore back in the 60s. When he was done, I was done and wouldn't stay for the rock group which pissed her off enough that I didn't get laid that night which was hard to accomplish in San Francisco then.
Some of the best takes of songs have been in live performances that never got recorded. I was in Blues Alley in DC for a Bob James concert with Kirk Whalum, Gary King and I forget who o guitar. They laid out a 20 minute version of Westchester Lady that just blew the audience away. The audience need a break after that as much as the band did
