Bebop, Explained
How a handful of players turned dance music into something you had to sit down and listen to.
What Cool Jazz Cooled Down
The West Coast reply to bebop — quieter, roomier, and quietly radical.
Hard Bop and the Return of the Groove
When jazz reached back to the blues and the church, and got its swing back.
The Trouble (and Point) of Free Jazz
The most argued-about music in the tradition — and how to give it a fair listen.