NPR Music - JAZZ

Sax Great Jimmy Heath 'Walked With Giants,' And He's Still Here The composer and bandleader made his first recordings in the late 1940s. In the decades since, Heath has played with and written for everyone from Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to Miles Davis and Milt Jackson. Read this story

A BLOG SUPREME The Drummer Who Invented Jazz's Basic Beat Faced with a rapid tempo one night, Kenny Clarke devised a new way to play the beat on the ride cymbal. His "spang-a-lang," and the rhythmic ideas it generated, wound up transforming the way we feel swing ever after. Read this story

REMEMBRANCES Amiri Baraka's Legacy Both Controversial And Achingly Beautiful The former New Jersey poet laureate, born LeRoi Jones, died Thursday at age 79. Much of his work — including well-regarded poetry and plays — reflected his commitment to Black Nationalist ideals. He co-founded the Black Arts movement, and wrote poems that were as controversial as they were influential. Read this story

A BLOG SUPREME 5 Must-See Projects At Winter Jazzfest The New York music marathon turns 10 this year and expands far beyond its modest origins, but it remains a place to discover new views of improvisation. Hear tunes from groups like the Jeff Ballard Trio, Tillery and Aruán Ortiz's Orbiting Quartet. Read this story

TOAST OF THE NATION Paquito D'Rivera: Live In Chicago The Cuban-born reedman has made a career out of crossing genres. So Chicago's Latino Music Festival invited him to perform with a jazz rhythm section and a string quartet — and the Festival's own director gets into the act. Read this story