From the NPR Music website:

I recently spoke with Gary Giddins about Jazz. At the end of our interview, I asked him to select five songs from the book’s 101 selected jazz recordings. These collected works were never meant to be a “Best Of” list, only an alphabetized guide to some jazz records that warrant your listening with an empathetic ear. As Giddins acknowledges, hardly anyone likes every style of jazz; tastes change and hopefully expand over time. But as the book’s sole epigram, from Sidney Bechet, states: “You got to be in the sun to feel the sun. It’s that way with music, too.”

So enjoy a little sunshine. Here are Giddins’ selections and responses to each. [Read More]

NPR