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Summer is a time for family gatherings, and over the years, there have been some very notable families of jazz musicians. Hear five songs by some of those talented families — songs selected to accompany your own family's backyard cookout.

Jazz icon Louis Armstrong didn't just leave behind a treasure trove of musical recordings; he also documented hundreds of his private conversations on tape. Those recordings served as the basis for Terry Teachout's new biography of the legendary musician, Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong.

Food and drinks aren't the only ways to impress your friends at your next holiday party. NPR's Felix Contreras has some suggestions for a new holiday soundtrack. Guest host Jacki Lyden talks to Contreras about how to get your party started and bring it to a smooth, reflective end.

All Songs Considered's list of the 50 most important recordings of the decade continues, from Britney Spears to Amy Winehouse.

It's early November, and for many in America, that means that when we go outside, we're likely to get wet. Whether we're dodging sprinkles, showers or downpours, November is part of a rainy season. Hear five songs from vocalists inspired by rain, including Gene Kelly, Patricia Barber and Mahalia Jackson.

Looking back on the year in jazz, much of the focus naturally falls on young talents such as Vijay Iyer. Still, some of 2009's key records also evoked bygone jazz eras with such creativity that they might signal a new wave of New Orleans and Brazilian jazz.

Hall is in a league of players who've turned the tables for jazz and their respective instruments. As far as modernizing the sound and vocabulary of jazz guitar to the degree he did, longtime admirer and fellow guitarist Rez Abbasi says Hall is unmatched. Abbasi picks five songs, each of which reveals Hall's idiosyncratic technique.

So far, 2009 has been the year of Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. But if you're looking for music gift ideas beyond the blockbusters, Weekend Edition director Ned Wharton picks a few hidden gems.

Many younger artists are making a strong case to be the future of the genre — and the future looks bright. All but three musicians on Shaunna Morrison Machosky's Top 10 list are under the age of 40, and they all brush aside any notion of jazz being in a rut.

Why not listen to some holiday music few have heard in a while? Try an offering from the father of American choral music, or even folk music dating to the Middle Ages.