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Willis is a swinging pianist, an artful composer and arranger, and the music director and producer for the boutique label Mapleshade Records. He's a master of a wide range of styles, and has played or recorded with almost every great jazz musician of the modern era.

Jazz vocalist Roberta Gambarini sails like an angel on top of a song, while Freddy Cole's baritone voice rides low, full of experience but still sentimental. Hear them both in a concert recorded live for JazzSet.

WDUQ's Shaunna Morrison Machosky picks her Top 10 jazz CDs of 2007. All meet these criteria: The albums feature solid, engaging and interesting compositions, they're not simply collections of same-old jazz standards, and they're worth repeated listens.

Trumpeter Christian Scott adds jazz improvisation to a decidedly rock-oriented palette. His sextet joined WBGO's Josh Jackson in a New York studio to play four selections from Anthem, his musical response to Hurricane Katrina, as well as to introduce an exclusive new ballad: "M.I.A."

Nick Morrison, a DJ at Seattle's KPLU, selects 10 of the year's best jazz CDs from instrumental legends and up-and-coming vocalists.

Nils Lofgren, best known as guitarist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, also played for Neil Young and Crazy Horse early in that band's career. He's also had a notable solo career — and he founded the mid-1970s band Grin. Critic Milo Miles surveys his work.

Bey sings some of the slowest tempos today: Listening to him is like looking over a master artist's shoulder as he applies paint to a canvas. Calling him simply a jazz singer misses the point. There's the passion of gospel in his baritone, plus an operatic sense of drama.

Former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno discusses her latest project, a 50-song compilation of American folk music. The 3-CD collection features songs from 1492 to the present day, and was inspired in part by Reno's desire to share music with her great- nieces and nephews.

Latifah has always followed her mother's advice: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Her success in music and film has allowed her to do things she loves, like singing old jazz and R&B tunes.

Rock historian Ed Ward reviews the new classic rock box set Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly. Hits from Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee light up this 101-track, four-disc collection produced by Rhino Records.