May 17, 2012 | NPR · Steve Lehman's new album Dialect Fluorescent ends with a song called "Mr. E," a composition written by jazz legend Jackie McLean. But the connections run deep between Lehman and the alto saxophonist he considers a personal hero.
May 17, 2012 | NPR · He broke all the rules of jazz and improvised music — and that was in the 1950s. Now 83 and idolized by musicians, the great improviser is celebrated for developing a unique language at the keyboard.
May 17, 2012 | WBGO · At the 52nd Monterey Jazz Festival, three-quarters of the stellar fusion band Return to Forever reunited. Hear Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White — on piano, bass and drums, respectively — perform a highly charged acoustic set.
May 16, 2012 | NPR · The Vortex in London is a 100-person venue which recently hosted the Vijay Iyer Trio and the BBC. It's been an engine of economic growth for its community and is embraced by musicians. It's all the more remarkable considering no staff are paid.
May 15, 2012 | NPR · In one of his final performances, Armstrong used "Hello Dolly" to convey the joy of being alive.
