The tenor saxophonist plays “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “All the Things You Are” with host Jon Weber.

The quartet specializes in a distinct strain of deconstructionist improvised music: jazz that aims at fun by bouncing off the walls. Led by slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein, the band parties to the themes of spaghetti western film composer Nino Rota.

Palmieri plays the whole piano, and he’s not shy about throwing an elbow or forearm to get the effect he needs. As a 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the piano original plays The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

At the 2013 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, every sort of performer was welcome. But the festival grounds were at the center of a much wider celebration of Louisiana music that continued during, around and after the last two weekends.

Saxophonist Phil Woods is a true master of all things bop. He’s been one of the top alto players since his debut in the mid-1950s, and he’s been called the musical heir to Charlie Parker. In this session from 2003, Woods joins host Marian McPartland, bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin in “How About You” and “Fine and Dandy.”

On opening night at San Francisco’s newly constructed, free-standing building designed for and dedicated to jazz, fans filled the stunning Robert N. Miner Auditorium at the SFJAZZ Center for a maiden voyage and festive concert.

The trumpeter Steven Bernstein picks up the slide trumpet with the quartet Sexmob and conjures a repertoire that ranges from James Bond themes to the Macarena. They’re preceded by drummer Allison Miller, whose jaunty tunes set the stage. Watch a live concert from New York.

Ever since he started becoming one of the best alto saxophone players in the world, Zenón has drawn influence from his upbringing in Puerto Rico. But, like many Puerto Ricans, Zenón lives in New York — and his stunning quartet has finally been invited to play a home date at the Vanguard.

Pianist and composer John Beasley isn’t exactly a household name. But he’s now been tapped twice to direct many of them during the star-studded International Jazz Day concert. So is it difficult to play “jazz police” in an ancient church in Istanbul?

Brash, zany, brainy, scary and danceable, the New York quintet’s music mixes rock and jazz like King Crimson at its fiercest. From the moment the band squeaks its first squawk at the NPR Music offices, it’s clear that it’s about to conjure up an adventure.

The vocalist performs a set of standards, including a few tunes from her tribute to Peggy Lee.

The ever-evolving Pat Metheny constantly experiments with new technology, honing his improvisational skills and refining his unique style. On this episode of Piano Jazz, Pat Metheny performs with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanche.

Bremen may be best known for its love of soccer and Beck’s beer. But in April, more than 20,000 jazz fans and industry professionals descend upon the German port city for a festival designed specifically to showcase new acts from across Europe.

In 1982, Jaki Byard and Tommy Flanagan played a duet date in San Francisco. Both pianists were of equal stature, among the best-respected in jazz history. But a newly released recording of that event illustrates why their differences are plenty interesting, too.

Velvet-voiced singer, guitarist and composer Allan Harris joins host Jon Weber for a set of standards and a few tunes from the Harris-penned musical, Cross That River.

Fresu’s work on trumpet and flugelhorn provides a perfect foil for Sosa’s introspective intersection of jazz, Afro-Cuban sounds and a chamber-music mentality. In this concert at NPR Music’s offices, the duo’s quietly energetic performance hangs over the crowd like a soft mist.

The saxophonist infuses his solo records with an unsettling rumble, while still making room for alternately grandiose and guttural moments that awe and unnerve. His new album features vocal contributions from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.

The composer’s second album accompanies an animated work: the tale of a future metropolis where professional aims and neighborhood loyalty square off. It looks like both early-20th-century New York and a bordering-on-dystopian future. Perfect for a ultramodern big band like this one.

From 1948 until 1966, the Palladium Ballroom, at the corner of 53rd and Broadway, was the city’s Mecca for Afro-Caribbean dance music. And for a lot of that time, Puente was one of the main attractions. A new box set compiles the Latin music legend’s RCA recordings of this crucial period.

Bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding has taken the jazz world by storm with her grooving bass lines and her neo-soul vocals. Here, she shows off her talent on Lionel Hampton’s “Midnight Sun” and sings a song that seems to sum up her approach: “Jazz Ain’t Nothing but Soul.”