Contemporary Jazz

It's all about the improv: that's what distinguishes jazz from other genres. You can pick your fave instrument for solos — guitar, sax, horn, keyboards, even bass — and there's a huge variety of ensembles and soloists, from the Holly Cole Trio ("So and So" comes from an album of Tom Waits covers) to B.C. native, the incredible Diana Krall.

Now that you're familiar with the leading lights in contemporary jazz (and we've cast the net pretty wide), it's time to do what jazz musicians do themselves: branch out a little off the beaten path. Here, you'll discover "Tutu" (from Tutu) by the legendary Miles Davis, recorded late in his career in tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

We hate to break it to you, but the beret and round sunglasses are so '50s hipster. Hey, we get it . . . we, er, dig where you're coming from. You're tuned in. So, hepcat, here are some memorable cuts, from the warm alto sax of Richard Underhill (formerly of Toronto's Shuffle Demons) to the jazz-electronica of Montreal's Kobayashi "(Narn't").

With the advent of fusion and so-called "smooth jazz" in the '80s, coupled with the decline of jazz radio, many people were wondering if time-honored traditions were about to become extinct. Fortunately, at more or less the same time, a group of young players (beginning with Wynton Marsalis and continuing with the likes of Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, and Brad Mehldau) pushed back on the jazz pendulum. And not a moment too soon. Feel their momentum, and impact, right here.