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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.

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday when everybody is Irish: wearing at least a splash of green, getting together with friends for a pint or a party, and so on. To celebrate the day, here are some jazz songs that wear the green, at least in their titles, as well as musical tributes to Ireland.

Because March 8 is International Women's Day, this week's Take Five celebrates six important women in jazz. Three exemplify classic artists who paved the way for women's work in a jazz world once dominated by men, while three are modern innovators.

When it comes to odd time signatures, classics like "Take Five" and the theme to Mission Impossible are excellent places to start. But a small bit of digging turns up many other fantastic, and often lesser known works. Here are a five more songs that successfully employ the 5/4 time signature with great diversity and show how playing in 5 can be used in a variety of approaches and styles.

When Coleman's imprint of fire-brazed melodicism strikes you, you may very well have his tunes stuck in your head all night long.

Winter, more than any other season, has its own soundtrack: There's a nonstop loop of holiday tunes in every store you visit, and carolers in the town square. By the time late December rolls around, many people have had it. Author Tom Moon offers an alternative list of winter music.

Here's a chance for all baseball-loving jazz fans to get into the swing of the season with a few jazz songs that take their inspiration from the boys of summer. It's America's greatest art form celebrating the Great American Pastime.

The change of season offers a chance to look ahead to fall and look back at summer simultaneously. For many, it's an especially productive month: In the world of jazz, September sessions have produced some special recordings.