SFJazz will honor the singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell with a lifetime achievement award for her artistic vision and contributions to modern music at its annual gala, to be held May 8, 2015, organizers announced on Wednesday.

Mitchell, 71, the Canadian native who came up busking on the sidewalks of Toronto before moving to Southern California to find mainstream success with songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "River," will make a rare live appearance at the black-tie event, which will also feature musical tributes by Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band and the award-winning SFJazz Collective.

While best known as a leading light of the '70s West Coast folk-pop scene, Mitchell frequently dabbled in jazz, recording with musicians such as Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and Michael Brecker.

She recently released the box set "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, a Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced," a four-disc collection of songs tracing her career back to the '60s. In the liner notes, Mitchell, who is also an artist, describes herself as "a painter who writes songs."

The gala, to be co-chaired by Chronicle Books Publisher and SFJazz Trustee Nion McEvoy and longtime foundation supporter Penny Coulter, raises funds for the organization's youth education programs.

Previous SFJazz honorees include Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder.

Aidin Vaziri is the San Francisco Chronicle's pop music critic. E-mail: avaziri@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MusicSF