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Some critics claim that Lester Young never sounded the same after his stint in the military in the '40s, but The Complete Aladdin Recordings proves otherwise. This classic two-album set showcases Young's unique ability to float over bar lines with a light tone, rather than the forceful approach that was dominant during his time.

Alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, nicknamed "the New Bird" for his ability to play fast leads a la Charlie "Bird" Parker, swept on the jazz scene in the mid-1950s. On Somethin' Else, Adderley teamed with Miles Davis to create an album that jazz commentator Murray Horwitz calls "near perfect."

Ella Fitzgerald began her career by winning a talent contest as a teenager at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Possessing one of the most distinctive voices in music, she successfully sang ballads and swinging solos. This album has one of her best pieces in the scat-singing style, "Jersey Bounce."

Jazz music icons Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis share a hometown of New Orleans, an enduring friendship — and now, a new album of musical collaborations. Payal Kumar of member station KKJZ in Long Beach, Calif., reviews their new CD Occasion.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new collection, Nat King Cole: The Classic Singles

For vocalist/writer/producer Ayanna Gregory, evoking emotions and raising the consciousness of her audiences comes naturally. She's the daughter of Dick Gregory, the famed comedian, activist and trailblazing nutritionist. Her evocative debut CD, Beautiful Flower, is a musical journey from slavery to liberation — hear samples from the CD.

In 1957, one of the all-time great jam sessions was televised on a CBS series called The Seven Lively Arts, then made into a record called The Sound of Jazz. Jazz greats Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Lester Young perform on this classic compilation. According to Murray Horwitz, "It's like having an outfield with Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays."

Mary Lou Williams taught herself how to play the piano and performed in public by the time she was six. She composed for the New York Philharmonic, arranged for Duke Ellington, and modernized her style as one of the few "stride" pianists. 1927-1940 tracks this boogie woogie master's musical development as a young woman.

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymom, Nina Simone adopted her stage name while playing in bars in Atlantic City. Often called the "high priestess of soul," Simone recorded soul, jazz, pop, blues and gospel music. This album covers her career from 1967-1972, just before she moved to France to protest American racism.

Recorded in 1977, Weather Report's Heavy Weather successfully integrates several genres of music. The track "Palladium," for example, combines acoustic and electronic jazz with Afro-Cuban Santeria rhythm. Don't miss the jazz standard, "Birdland."