Patrick Jarenwattananon

Musically speaking, it's hard to discern much of a connection to The Rite Of Spring in saxophonist Phil Woods' Rights Of Swing suite. But in the final "Presto" section, he and his French horn player leave a little Easter egg for us — like many jazz recordings before and after it.

A 100-year-old ballet, composed by a Russian for a French audience, has become something of a standard in an idiom which didn't exist when it premiered. Whether covered, quoted or praised, Stravinsky's masterwork has inspired multiple generations of improvisers.

As one of the best alto saxophone players in the world, Zenón has drawn from his upbringing in Puerto Rico. But he lives in New York — where his quartet has finally been invited to play the Vanguard.

In the arts mecca of New York City, subway buskers are often overqualified. But they're not usually world-class jazz singers with the lungs and charisma of old-school soul stars.

The quartet specializes in a distinct strain of improvised music: jazz that aims at fun by bouncing off the walls. Led by slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein, the band parties to the themes of Nino Rota.

A go-to choice for jazz heavies and arena-level singer-songwriters alike, drummer Allison Miller made time to cultivate her own working band in the past few years. Hear her quartet perform live.

In 1982, Jaki Byard and Tommy Flanagan played a duet date in San Francisco. Both pianists were of equal stature, among the best-respected in jazz history. But a newly released recording of that event illustrates why their differences are plenty interesting, too.

As NPR's employees file their federal returns and take up shop in a new building, we look back at an interesting historical moment in the 1940s. A cabaret tax led to more jazz being performed in smaller venues that couldn't accommodate dancing. Of course, that's not the only reason why bebop sounds the way it does.

With his ever-changing Fairgrounds band, the drummer gets to mix and match his favorite musicians. Ballard and a multi-generational band play live in New York.

The Smithsonian Museum of American History kickstarted its annual campaign with a day of performances and discussions. In a morning ceremony, drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and pianist Randy Weston officially donated artifacts from their personal collections.