Patrick Jarenwattananon

In New York's SoHo lies a small merchant which peddles preserved insects, skulls, bones and more. Unnerved — well, mostly — the improvising harpist generates a Caribbean bounce amid the glass cases.

Self-taught and enterprising, Tucker contributed to plenty of great jazz recordings as a sideman in New York and Los Angeles. But the log of his discography barely begins to describe the legacy he left behind in his adopted hometown of Savannah, Ga.

For jazz musicians, Barron is considered an institution. So it's fitting that the pianist gets to celebrate his 70th birthday at another jazz institution. Here, he demonstrates his ebullient clarity.

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.