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Among music composers, there's always been a desire to hear their works performed exactly as conceived. One distinguished jazz guitarist acted on that impulse: He built his own collection of computer-controlled acoustic instruments.

Yes, even within the hallowed halls of classical music, one can find all manner of hoodwinking, horseplay and even a raunchy song or two. Hear Renee Montagne and Miles Hoffman spin some of the more lewd and laughable musical jokes.

Jazz singer Catherine Russell spent years singing backup for performers like Paul Simon and David Bowie before starting a solo career. She's just released her third album, Inside This Heart of Mine.

The overall aesthetic of "Floored," and especially the taut unison lines that seem to crop up out of nowhere, evokes the early years of jazz-rock fusion, when the music was truly an audacious, psychedelic experiment and hadn't yet been commoditized.

Best known for his lively work with pianist Vijay Iyer, Crump leads his drummer-less trio through a set of poignant originals on WBGO's The Checkout with Josh Jackson.

Eschenbach, 70, has been called brilliant and erratic, but never bland. As the new conductor of Washington D.C.'s National Symphony Orchestra, he brings with him an eye for talent and a storied past.

The vocalist got her start singing with Earl Hines and recorded with Clifford Brown. On this 1995 session, Merrill is joined by Marian McPartland for duets on "Home on the Range" and "Don't Explain."

"Spirit Jazz" finds Lloyd Miller and an inventive group of U.K. musicians teeming with calming confidence. Along the way, listeners are graced with a soundtrack for discovery, suitable for escapism, reflection or something else entirely.

We asked great jazz musicians what's been catching their ears lately. The soprano saxophonist and newly-named NEA Jazz Master says he reliably returns to John Coltrane's "Crescent," which he calls "pure poetry."

A choral group known for its early-music repertoire and a saxophonist steeped in the art of improvisation may not be the most likely musical partners. But the Hilliard Ensemble and Jan Garbarek have worked together since 1993. Officium Novum is their latest collaboration.