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Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews It's Time, a new reissue of a classic '60s jazz album from the late alto saxophonist Jackie McLean.

El Perro Del Mar could pass for an alternate-universe Motown sensation. Its minimalist sound incorporates touches of jazz and a heavy blend of orchestral strings in a way that finds room for both darkness and uplift.

In 1960s Communist Romania, violinist Ion Petre Stoican was struggling to establish himself in the Bucharest wedding market. But when he unwittingly helped snare a highly sought-after spy, Stoican asked for one reward: to record an album with the state-operated label, Electrecord.

Better known as the "keys half" of the Benevento/Russo Duo, Marco Benevento developed Invisible Baby from a batch of compositions that didn't fit the duo format. Here, he plays jazz piano backed by spot-on rhythmic textures and powerful crescendos.

Around 1945, jazz's traditional funeral rites manifested in a more modern form of tribute. Now, some of the music's most powerful tunes are written in memory of late colleagues. Hear five examples.

The saxophonist and composer has long been an standard-bearer for boundary-crossing music. From uptown Manhattan, Jason Moran curates a concert retrospective of his wildly creative universe.

The holidays aren't complete around NPR without our annual Jazz Piano Christmas concert. This year's event featured pianists Booker T. Jones, Jason Moran, Dánae Olano and James Francies.

A typical album from the Australian band The Necks may have only one long track — music that stretches out in a jazzy mesmerizing flow. Pianist Chris Abrahams talks about their latest, called Body.

Thom Yorke, lead singer of the band Radiohead, has just released his first solo record, The Eraser. Music critic Will Hermes says while the music may seem depressing, Yorke has actually written a soul-record for the 21st century.

With the upcoming release of the movie Chicken Little, Disney hopes to reclaim its animation credentials. The company's films have been overshadowed in recent years by computer-animated offerings from other studios.