Jazz

Jazz has been called America's classical music": almost a century of exploration, innovation, and improvisation that has grown from a dance craze into a global art form. Here are the super-Essentials that don't require a shovel for you to dig them, from Billie Holiday's haunting "Strange Fruit" to the cool bossa nova of Sergio Mendes.

From the Dixieland combos of the 1920s through the big bands and bebop, and the classic era of the 1950s, to the fusion, jazz-funk, and revivalist traditions of more recent decades, jazz has maintained its grip over the head and heart. Take the journey from Jelly Roll Morton (the "Originator of Jazz") to piano maestro Chick Corea.

No music screams "freedom" more passionately than jazz, and that sense of liberation has been carried around the world by superb cuts like these. Here, the genre shows the full extent of its variety: we've included the versatile and soulful Kate Ceberano, New Orleans sax legend Sidney Bechet, and bebop pioneer Charlie Christian.

From its origins in the saloons of America — where Western and African musical traditions formed a series of glorious alliances — to its migration to every corner of the world, jazz has become synonymous with musical genius, experimentation, and sheer creative exuberance. These transformative tracks did nothing less than change the face of music forever. We've tried to include as many of the landmark styles and key artists as possible, so just kick back and slip into the jazz groove.