Latest Jazz from NPR Music

In the '50s, '60s and beyond, they were among the artists who defined hard bop and soul jazz. They revisit the hits in concert, but not without some chortling commentary from Sweet Poppa Lou.

They first recorded together in 1966, around the time both were signed to Blue Note Records. The pianist and vibraphone player have been working together ever since. Watch a duet performance.

The trumpeter demonstrates his love for his mentor, Dizzy Gillespie, in a performance of "Fiesta Mojo." He also joins host Marian McPartland for Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" in a 2004 session.

Around 1945, jazz's traditional funeral rites manifested in a more modern form of tribute. Now, some of the music's most powerful tunes are written in memory of late colleagues. Hear five examples.

Sifting through the overwhelming catalog of the Afro-futurist jazz master is a daunting task. To celebrate Sun Ra's centennial, we picked five essential songs that lay his otherworldly evolution bare.

"In my music I speak of unknown things, impossible things, ancient things, potential things," the influential and eccentric jazz musician once said. "No two songs tell the same story."

Theo Croker is a descendant of old-school New Orleans jazz royalty, but his fusion of different genres is anything but traditional.

Jazz bassist Rufus Reid has played with just about everybody in the mainstream jazz world, but his latest project is a work exploring the intersection of music and the visual arts.

The jazz vocalist swings through a few favorites, including "I Get Along Without You Very Well" and "The Very Thought of You," and joins host Michael Feinstein for "Embraceable You."

Inspired by A.A. Milne's 1924 book of poetry, When We Were Very Young, Cornelius presents a composition commissioned by Chamber Music America.