"There was a lot of tears. There was a lot of anguish," Jimmy Greene says of writing Beautiful Life. Jimmy & Dena Katz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Herbie Hancock and Pharrell Williams performed Williams' hit "Happy" at the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition. Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz hide caption
Steve Coleman practices in his backyard in Allentown, Penn. Jeff Fusco/Courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation hide caption
Cécile McLorin Salvant performed two sets at Newport, including one for a main-stage crowd on the festival's sunny opening day. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption
The audience at the main stage of the Newport Jazz Festival. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption
Bassist Charlie Haden in 1978. Haden died on Friday in Los Angeles. Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis hide caption
Charles Gayle was honored with a lifetime achievement award at this year's Vision Festival. On the event's opening night, Gayle performed as his alter ego, Streets the Clown. John Rogers for NPR hide caption
Horace Silver performs for television in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1979. JazzSign/Lebrecht Music & Arts/Corbis hide caption
Percussionist Pete Escovedo and his daughter Sheila E. perform together in Rome in 2013. Jun Sato/WireImage hide caption
Jimmy Scott performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2001. Leon Morris/Redferns hide caption
Flame Collective. Cezar Altai/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Clifford Brown turned in a number of fine solos playing with bandleader Art Blakey in 1954. Francis Wolff/Courtesy of Blue Note Records hide caption
Wynton Marsalis leads a group of musicians through upper Manhattan's Riverside Church for the New Orleans-style funeral of vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 2002. Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Sun Ra's music sounds like it was intercepted from another world. Baron Wolman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption