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Ellington was the most prolific jazz composer of all time, writing and performing tirelessly for more than 50 years. Many of his compositions also bear the name of composer Billy Strayhorn, his longtime collaborator and friend. Ellington's mark can be found everywhere on jazz, both past and present.

Sooner or later, a dinner function might come up out of nowhere and catch you sleeping on the iconic saxophonist's discography. So here's a five-song primer to one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.

The summer sun is frying the concrete kingdom. Sweltering heat is parboiling millions of psyches around you. It's probably time to flee the city, but like many urbanites, you don't own a car. Book a rental and bring these five songs and crank the factory-installed stereo in your getaway car.

For all the jazz albums to be universally hailed as classics, many more deserve to be recognized as such. Here, arranger and Grammy-winning record producer Bob Belden picks five slept-on jazz classics.

It's the end of a summer day, and the heat's been hammering you since you woke up. Now, at last, the sun has gone down, and it's time to seek a little relief. Take a sip of an icy beverage and listen to the sound of five cool songs at the end of the day.

Virtually every band plays a few cover songs. In the jazz world, the term "jazz standard" is code for a classic song that's been covered many times by many artists over the course of many years. Here are five artists that break away with more modern-day fare like Radiohead and Bjork.

In an economy that's tanking, the office has become an increasingly barren wasteland. But you can still make the best of your work environment by turning off the fluorescent overheads, plugging in some headphones and checking out these segues into a world of jazz adventure.

As opposed to the hard-bop sound dominant on the East Coast during the '50s, the West Coast sound was a bit mellower and more lyrical, with blended harmonies and more interest in composition and arrangement than improvisation. In these five songs, you'll hear all the definitive aspects of the West Coast jazz sound.

Jazz is the only genre of music that uses the vibes as a lead or improvisational instrument. It's been a process in helping to save this beautiful-sounding and versatile instrument from extinction. Leading off with Lionel Hampton, here are five examples of that beauty and versatility.

Cross-pollination of excellent musicians made for some amazing jazz in 2008. The year's best CDs feature numerous musicians collaborating with each other on a wide variety of recordings. Hearing the best musicians work with other geniuses is a wonderful thing to witness. Here are 10 of the best jazz CDs of the year.