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Bix Beiderbecke's virtuosity and originality with the cornet won admiration from Louis Armstrong and other jazz greats in the 1920s. He played with Paul Whiteman's orchestra in New York before dying tragically at age 28. This definitive compilation (reissued in 1990) has most of Beiderbecke's best work, including his piano classic "In a Mist."

J.J. Johnson is often termed the greatest jazz trombonist of all time. He introduced staccato phrasing to the difficult instrument and played with unprecedented speed. This two-volume set includes most of Johnson's hits.

Of all of his albums, John Coltrane selected one as his favorite: Blue Train. Released in 1957, the record is frequently cited as one of the most important in the history of jazz. The 1997 reissue has several bonus tracks, as well as video and interview clips.

Saxophonist Ornette Coleman burst on the jazz scene in the 1950s with a new kind of music called "free jazz," which he called "harmodolics." He and his band broke away from traditional melodic conventions, creating controversy and revolutionizing the jazz art form. This album catches him and his group at its peak.

In his dense, provocative and often hilarious ninth book, Rick Moody takes a sly, Swiftian approach to sci-fi, serving up a goofy B-movie-style space opera. Critic Jane Ciabattari says it's satire with a sobering aftertaste.

The second installment of B. Catling's trilogy is full of oddities and quirks and familiar characters.

Ed Gordon talks with singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell, whose music has become a staple in the smooth jazz world. Caldwell recently released a new CD, Perfect Island Nights.

Mtume brought, in Miles Davis' words, "a deep African-American groove" to the trumpet legend's band before later exploring neo-minimalist funk and R&B. And then there was "Juicy."

Usher — the chart-topping singer-songwriter — will be this year's halftime performer. With a catalog full of bangers, how will he squeeze 30 years of music into just 13 minutes?

It's time again for our annual collection, in no particular order, of 50 wonderful pop-culture things from 2016. Read them, watch them, or listen to them; we think something will delight you.