Best Jazz

A high-intensity drama about a young jazz drummer and his abusive instructor. The film captures the grueling nature of artistic perfectionism with visceral intensity. It functions almost like a psychological thriller, using rapid editing and an incredible soundscape to mirror the internal struggle o...

George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess remains a pivotal work in American musical history. This 1935 opera blends elements of classical composition with prominent jazz music and features an entirely African American ensemble. The score explores themes of love, poverty, and community within a rural Souther...

Kendrick Lamar's *To Pimp a Butterfly* is a powerful and politically charged album that blends jazz, funk, and hip-hop to create a uniquely soulful sound. Lamar's lyrical dexterity and storytelling ability are on full display as he tackles themes of systemic racism, police brutality, and self-love....

Kendrick Lamar’s *To Pimp a Butterfly* is a critically acclaimed 2015 album exploring themes of racial injustice, identity, and self-destruction through a complex blend of hip-hop, jazz, and funk. The project's innovative arrangements and introspective lyrics have cemented its place as a significant...

American jazz pianist Brad Mehldau formed his trio in the mid-1990s, known for reimagining rock and pop songs within a jazz framework through his Art of the Trio recording series.

Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio, formed in 1983 with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, is considered one of the most important jazz piano trios of the modern era.

Art Tatum, widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists, recorded trio sessions in the late 1940s and 1950s with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart.

Thelonious Monk's trio recordings, made for Blue Note and Prestige in the late 1940s and 1950s, showcase his angular, idiosyncratic bebop harmonies and dissonant melodic style.

Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's trio, frequently featuring bassist Ray Brown, was celebrated for its technical brilliance and swinging intensity from the 1950s onward.

American jazz pianist Bill Evans led a trio renowned for its conversational interplay, best documented on the 1961 live recording Sunday at the Village Vanguard.

Frank Sinatra was an American singer and actor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century. Rising to prominence in the swing era as a vocalist with bandleaders like Tommy Dorsey, he later achieved massive solo success with albums such as 'In the Wee Sma...

Harry Carney was an American jazz musician best known for playing the baritone saxophone in the Duke Ellington orchestra. He joined Ellington in 1927 and remained with the ensemble for nearly 50 years until Ellington's death in 1974. Carney's robust and lyrical playing heavily influenced the use of...

"Promises" is a 2021 collaborative studio album bringing together British electronic musician Floating Points, American jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and the London Symphony Orchestra. The recording consists of nine musical movements composed by Floating Points, which are anchored by Sanders's i...

American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal led a trio whose innovative use of space, silence, and dynamics influenced Miles Davis, documented on the 1958 album At the Pershing.

Nat King Cole (1919–1965) led a landmark piano trio from the late 1930s that proved widely influential in jazz before he became a celebrated popular vocalist.

Bebop pianist Bud Powell's trio recordings, primarily made for Blue Note and Verve in the late 1940s and 1950s, helped define the modern jazz piano trio idiom.

Pixar’s *Soul* investigates the nature of existence through the story of Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who unexpectedly enters the “Great Beyond.” The film uses jazz and animation to explore themes of purpose, passion, and appreciating life's simple joys. It is for anyone interested in...

Lee Konitz was an American alto saxophonist and a prominent figure in the cool jazz movement of the 1940s and 1950s. He studied and collaborated with pianist Lennie Tristano, developing an improvisational style characterized by a light tone and complex melodic lines. Konitz is recognized for his per...

Founded in 1987, the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition is organized by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute. It is held in Washington, D.C. and rotates focus among different instruments and vocals. The competition has awarded prizes to performers...

“Defiant Jazz” is a pivotal episode within *Severance*’s main series. The innies stage an unauthorized jazz performance, defying protocol and revealing unsettling details about the Overtime Contingency. This sequence highlights the characters' suppressed desires and psychological struggles within th...

Swing Time is a 1936 musical comedy film directed by George Stevens for RKO starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The story centers on a gambler attempting to finance his marriage through dance, leading him to a romance with a dance instructor in New York City. Jerome Kern’s music accompanies the...

The Swedish jazz trio led by pianist Esbjörn Svensson, known as e.s.t., blended acoustic jazz with electronic textures and rock dynamics until Svensson's death in 2008.

Cosmogramma is the third studio album by American electronic music producer Flying Lotus, released on Warp Records in 2010. The album integrates electronic beat music with elements of jazz, classical, and synth-pop, utilizing extensive live instrumentation alongside digital production. It includes c...

Ever since a fateful encounter with jazz music, Dai Miyamoto has dreamed of becoming the world's best jazz saxophonist. After only three years of playing the instrument, he makes the bold decision to move to Tokyo in order to break into the music scene. When he meets pianist Yukinori Sawabe at a sma...

Kendrick Lamar’s *To Pimp a Butterfly* (2015) is a complex album exploring Black identity, systemic racism, and personal struggle through innovative musical arrangements. The work fuses hip-hop with jazz, funk, and spoken word, creating a powerful lyrical experience. It's notable for its sophisticat...

Roy DeCarava (1919-2007) was an American photographer renowned for his intimate portrayals of Harlem life and jazz musicians. His evocative black-and-white street photography captured a specific cultural moment in mid-20th century New York City. He gained significant recognition through the 1952 Gug...

Brad Mehldau is a leading figure in modern jazz piano, known for his sophisticated harmonic language, lyrical improvisations, and insightful interpretations of both jazz standards and classical works. His solo albums and trio recordings demonstrate a remarkable depth of musicality and a profound und...

Quincy Jones (born 1933) is a legendary record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. His career spans decades, shaping the sound of countless iconic artists including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. Joness meticulous attention to detail, innovative arrangements, and abili...

Nina Simone was a highly influential American musician known for her distinctive piano playing and powerful vocals. She blended jazz traditions with soul, classical influences, and deeply personal expression. Her work often addressed themes of racial injustice and social commentary, making her a sig...