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It's been a remarkable year for jazz, and narrowing down a Top 10 list for 2008 takes a bit of work. Once again, there's room for enthusiasm and optimism about the state of jazz and its ability to inspire musicians and listeners alike. Here's a look (and a listen) back at some of the year's highlights.

The Chicago rapper's new album, 808s and Heartbreak features him singing instead of rapping, but he's filtered his vocals through the voice processing system known as Auto-Tune, an increasingly popular trend among pop artists. The result is a melancholy, intimate and decidedly quirky effort.

The city of Chicago has one more thing to boast about: Its hometown orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, has been named America's top orchestra in a new critics' poll published in the venerable British magazine Gramophone.

The Latin percussionist's classic 1972 album captures one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century at his peak. Bobby Sanabria, himself an award-winning bandleader, discusses the music and career of "El Rey del Timbal," Tito Puente.

Mates of State's music has only gotten richer and more rewarding since its members started a family: Their superb new album, Re-Arrange Us, finds it celebrating the tricky balancing act of marriage, parenthood and rock 'n' roll in a way that's undeniably uplifting and cheerful. Hear songs from that album in a session with World Cafe host David Dye.

The remarkable young soul singer grew up in a strict Pentecostal family before discovering a fondness for the classic records of the '60s and '70s. He brings his timeless delivery to a live performance on Mountain Stage.

Often compared to the likes of Ben Folds, or even a muted incarnation of Queen, Jukebox the Ghost makes music that's buoyant without leaving a saccharine aftertaste. Exhibit A: the flamboyantly orchestrated "Good Day."

Horace Silver is a piano-playing, pencil-packing papa whose songs showcase a family of jazz characters such as "Sister Sadie" and "Senor Blues." His music filled Dee Dee Bridgewater's album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver. This concert in his honor comes from the Discoveries at Walt Disney Concert Hall series in Los Angeles.

In the constant race to find the next cure for jazz (hint: it ain't broken), Aaron Parks seems perfectly content to set his own pace. The 24 year-old pianist discovered music intuitively. In a session from WBGO, Parks plays a mix of jazz and rock that's ultimately neither of those things.

In the late 1990s, JazzSet made two visits to the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival in Gresham, Ore. Music started before noon, and as the sun burned the haze away, the snow-capped peak shimmered on the skyline, helping to inspire memorable performances by the Billy Childs Trio and the John Blake Quintet.