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Over the course of his life, Nat King Cole became a jazz innovator and an icon of American popular music. Take Five celebrates Cole's birthday — he was born on March 17, 1919 — with a "five-tool" (that's baseball lingo, we'll explain) approach, highlighting the breadth of his work.

The country singer brought unparalleled candor about the domestic realities of working-class women to country songwriting over the course of her 60-year career.

The tribute, which strives to update Simone's ability to capture the hope and rage of the '60s for a contemporary audience, features six songs performed by Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Hear the acclaimed pianist discuss and spin his favorite Liszt recordings.

Want a great conversation-starter with a fan of Latin jazz? Ask, "What's your favorite pairing of conga and timbales?" Many long-standing percussion duos display seemingly telepathic interplay — the intensity of a runaway train mixed with the kind of swing that makes hips move by themselves. Picking five was a chore, but here they are.

New music from Joy Orbison, one of the leading lights of the U.K. garage and house revivals, plus more dance tracks for the waning days of summer in our monthly mix.

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.

It's been more than 10 years since the death of John Fahey, the mythical artist who helped invent the "American primitive" school of solo acoustic guitar. That tradition is alive and well thanks to a host of younger guitarists, a group that includes one of Fahey's close friends: Glenn Jones.

Hear the gorgeous voice of a young opera singer with his ears tuned to the great tenors of the past.

Born 100 years ago Saturday, clarinetist Benny Goodman made jazz a listening concern for folks who thought it was only for the clubs. He was not only an innovative musician, but a forward-thinking bandleader, the first to integrate black musicians on stage with a white band.