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The best albums from the first half of the year include sprawling offerings from Big Thief and Bad Bunny, works of fiery introspection from Kendrick Lamar and S.G. Goodman and an abundance in between.

With only her voice as an instrument, the Japanese singer conjures a world of sound and color, with operatic élan.

As the beloved jazz host partially retires from broadcasting on WRTI—his last weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th—musicians and listeners celebrate his career and contributions to jazz.

Join us to celebrate Pride Month on Saturday, June 25th from 8 AM to 1 PM on WRTI 90.1, on the WRTI mobile app, and on your favorite smart speaker.

Gary Bartz shares stories from his sixty-plus-year career, covering everything from bebop to hip-hop. Hear a heartfelt conversation between the legendary saxophonist and host Christian McBride.

In the 1940s and 1950s, some of the greatest jazz and Latin musicians performed together in New York and Havana. This festive album, The Original Mambo Kings: An Introduction to Afro-Cubop 1948-1954, features Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bebo Valdes and many others who capture the spirit of the era.

With her diverse singing style, Dinah Washington had an influence on many R&B and jazz singers, particularly Nancy Wilson and Esther Phillips. In 1954, she recorded perhaps her most memorable live jam session, with Clifford Brown. The result was Dinah Jams, which also includes solos by flügelhornist Clark Terry.

Boogie woogie has its origins in music played in honky tonks in the American South. The album, Boogie Woogie Anthology, celebrates the genre, and includes Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

A jazz prodigy before he turned 20, Sonny Rollins ranks with John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins as one of the great tenor saxophonists. In what is often termed his breakthrough album, 1956's Saxophone Colossus contains diverse musical elements, including a calypso, ballad, and Kurt Weill classic.

Born in 1909, Ben Webster is considered one of the most important swing tenors in jazz. He also was a master of ballads, as exemplified on 1959's Ben Webster & Associates. The album features trumpeter Roy Eldridge and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.