Sonny Rollins, colossus of jazz saxophone, dies aged 95
One of the last stars of the bebop generation, Rollins was an genius of melodic invention and improvisation, working with Davis, Monk, Coltrane and others
The Guardian view on 100 years after Miles Davis’s birth: why he still shapes modern music
Editorial: The trumpeter, composer and band leader still towers over jazz because he treated reinvention not as a betrayal, but as necessary for its survival
Miles Davis: Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud review – harmonic openness for Louis Malle’s haunting noir thriller
The trumpeter’s improvised soundtrack for the new wave director’s 1957 film still glows with sensuality, tension and nocturnal beauty in this lavish reissue
‘We must keep her name alive’: Cesária Évora, the captivating Cape Verdean who went from restaurant singer to global star
After a lifetime of poverty, Évora found huge success aged 51 with 1992 album Miss Perfumado. As Cape Verdean singers celebrate her morna ballads on stage, those who knew her recall her power, pride and constant smoking
‘I will sing at the drop of a hat’: Jeff Goldblum’s honest playlist
The actor and pianist swapped playing Beethoven for Deep Purple and knows what to put on at a party, but which of his movie themes has he put words to?
‘Geordie optimism is this rigorous spirit of hard graft’: Newcastle jazz band Knats break out of the north-south divide
While their London peers thrived, Knats faced dwindling funding. But after a Proms appearance and as they release a new album produced by Black Midi’s Geordie Greep, their confidence is high
Add to playlist: the disaster-baiting jazz-rock brinkmanship of Taupe and the week’s best new tracks
The trio combine sludgy rock, homemade electronics and squawking into a watertight groove that makes light work of their complex musicianship
Walter Smith III: Twio Vol 2 review – classic jazz is vividly alive in the hands of this incisive saxophonist
The redoubtable musician and guests including Branford Marsalis and Ron Carter make standard song-shapes sparkle with focus and rugged phrasing
Mike Westbrook obituary
Acclaimed musician, composer and bandleader who was one of the most significant figures in the history of British jazz
Terry Cox obituary
Drummer with Pentangle, the folk-rock group who found fame in the 1960s with their fusion of jazz, blues and traditional songs
Miroslav Vitous: Mountain Call review – double bass duets balance muscularity with mellowness
Jack DeJohnette and Michel Portal – both of whom died recently – are phenomenal foils for the Weather Report alumnus’s classical-influenced jazz
Flea: Honora review – Chili Pepper turns piper, taking up trumpet for a soulful jazz odyssey
Imaginative interpretations of Funkadelic and Frank Ocean sit alongside starry collaborations and gorgeous instrumentals on the bassist’s brassy side project
Raye: This Music May Contain Hope review – a wildly ambitious epic of unbridled self-expression
Almost overstuffed with musical ideas, the singer’s second studio album can be self-indulgent and messy, but it’s a heartfelt and exuberant grand statement from an artist determined to go her own way
Seven of the best music festivals to visit by train from the UK
From jazz in Rotterdam and hip-hop in Paris to brass bands on the beach in Blackpool, the Guardian’s music editor chooses the best European festivals that can be reached by rail
Tomeka Reid: Dance! Skip! Hop! review – an early contender for jazz album of the year
The cellist reunites with guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Tomas Fujiwara for five stunning tracks that are boundary-pushing yet populist