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The South African trumpeter is one of the giants of African music. Over his long career, he pioneered jazz fusion and even managed to bump the Rolling Stones from the U.S. charts. Still, at age 74, he says, "I feel like I'm just beginning."

Saxophonist Gabe Baltazar is one of the last living links to an era when Asian-Americans began to make a name for themselves in jazz. Now, at the age of 83, he's sharing his story in an autobiography.

Rock historian Ed Ward reviews a new history of gospel music, People Get Ready! by Robert Darden.

Music critic Michelle Mercer spent nearly three years working on a biography of jazz legend Wayne Shorter. In the process, she learned a lot about Shorter, his music — and the importance of the silence between sounds.

Impulse Records was launched during a golden age of jazz and it featured a variety of legendary artists — from John Coltrane to Ray Charles. Its edgy sound reflected the turbulent politics of the 1960s, the author of a new book about the label says.

The roots of gospel music are not well-documented. Early recordings were lost. Stories behind the songs weren't written down. A new book recounts the history of the beloved American art form. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Robert Darden, author of People Get Ready!.

Peggy Lee's most memorable tune was "Fever." A biography borrows the title of the 1958 hit, which encapsulated what many remember about the singer: her playful delivery, charisma and sexuality.

Not one note of recorded sound exists to document Buddy Bolden's genre-defining music. Still, rock musician Dan Pritzker is making not one, but two movies about him. The nearly mythic "King of Jazz" influenced Louis Armstrong, a key character in both films.

Robert Darden, former gospel music editor for Billboard magazine — and now an assistant professor of English at Baylor University — chronicles the genre in his book People Get Ready! A New History of Black Gospel Music.

B.B. King's loved ones gathered at a Southern California home recently to celebrate his 80th birthday with a backyard concert featuring performances from some of his closest friends.