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Nefertiti captures one of Miles Davis' last great bands at its height. Along with Miles on trumpet, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams are heard on this album.

Music critic Michelle Mercer spent nearly three years working on a biography of jazz legend Wayne Shorter. In the process, she learned a lot about Shorter, his music — and the importance of the silence between sounds.

One year before her death, Billie Holiday recorded her last studio album, Lady in Satin. The album includes classic songs such as "You've Changed," "End of a Love Affair," and "Glad to be Unhappy."

James P. Johnson was sometimes called the "perfecter" of stride piano, the difficult piano form where the left hand "strides" up and down between bass notes and chords, while the right hand plays the melody. This album captures his agility with the technique.

Earl "Fatha" Hines, often credited with establishing the piano as a solo instrument, revolutionized the 1920s "stride" piano style by playing unusual accents with his left hand. By the time Hines recorded '65 Piano Solo , he had perfected his piano technique into a mellow and modern sound.

Woody Herman is best known as the leader of several big bands, three of which were called "The Herds." This box set, The Thundering Herds 1945-1947, contains almost fifty of Herman's popular tunes, including his first hit, "Woodchopper's Ball."

In 1965, Herbie Hancock recorded an album intended to capture the spirit and mood of the ocean — Maiden Voyage. Two of the album's tracks —"Dolphin Dance" and the title song — became jazz standards.

Avant-garde and sometimes controversial, Eric Dolphy was a master of several instruments. He was one of the first musicians to record unaccompanied horn solos, and largely introduced the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. On this 1964 album, Dolphy displays his talents on flute, alto saxophone, and bass clarinet.

Dexter Gordon, considered by some to be the first great bebop stylist on tenor saxophone, recorded most of the songs on Settin' the Pace when he was in his mid-twenties. Gordon was already a pro by this time, having played with Lionel Hampton's band and Nat "King" Cole while still a teenager.

Billy Joe Shaver became famous in the 1970s as the songwriter for country music "outlaws" like Waylon Jennings. Many of his recent songs are heartbreaking, reflecting the loss of his mother, wife and son within a year.