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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.

After you slap some barbecue sauce on your menu items of choice — be they meat-based or sculpted out of tofu — it's time to toss everything on the grill, let the fire do its work, and get down with these grill-friendly jazz tunes.

In 1982, the UN began observing "Peace Day" every September at the opening of its General Assembly. In 2002, it officially declared Sept. 21 as a permanent date for the International Day of Peace. In preparation, here are five beautiful jazz performances that celebrate the spirit of the occasion.

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.

Does music you hear in the morning set the tone for your day? Would you rather have music create a mood for you, or just match the mood you're already in? Hear five jazz songs to get you into a morning groove, even if that groove reflects a relationship hangover.

Attempting to make your way into jazz is never easy, but the jazz writer and cultural critic Gary Giddins has rendered it a bit more approachable. His new book, Jazz, is a new guide for novice listeners and longtime fans alike. Giddins picks five songs from his list of 101 entry-way jazz recordings.

All Songs Considered's list of the 50 most important recordings of the decade continues with Kelly Clarkson to Jay-Z.

All Songs Considered's list of the 50 most important recordings of the decade continues, from OutKast to Sigur Ros.

We spin some of the year's best new jazz recordings on this week's show. Bob talks with Josh Jackson, host of Live At the Village Vanguard, and the two play cuts from some of 2009's standout albums.

Ninety years ago, one of the greatest bandleaders and drummers in jazz was born in Pittsburgh, Penn. That man was Art Blakey. For more than 30 years, he led The Jazz Messengers, a band which became a sort of graduate school and springboard for some of the greatest jazz players of all time.