Kevin Whitehead

There's nothing dated about a new 2-disc album that revisits Getz's 1961 nightclub recording at New York's Village Gate. Listening to it now, it's hard to overstate what a terrific tenor he was.

The songs on Williams' new album have easy-to-follow contours, forward motion, set-ups and payoffs — features soloists can work with. The end result is the sound of a plan coming together.

Saxophonist Marsalis has been leading a quartet for the last 20 years, with only one personnel change; their new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, shows they're still going strong.