Mr Ellroy's distinctive on-page voice is part 1950s jive-talking jazzman, part high-minded seeker after eternal truths.

ECONOMIST: The man that mother made

What did he sound like playing a private party or an after-hours club, that jazzman's preferred hangout, in the company of friends?

NPR: A Jazz Genius Goofs Off

Jazzman Miles Davis, poet Langston Hughes and singer Lena Horne feature prominently.

ECONOMIST: Harlem's days of glory

Last year, Jazzman Records released a compilation largely assembled by Carolina funk and soul historian Jason Perlmutter, called Carolina Funk: First in Funk.

NPR: Carolina Funk: Atlantic Coast Underground

Mr. Person was giving a master class, and after hearing Mr. Alterman play some of the American songbook classics, the older jazzman had found someone to mentor.

WSJ: Joe Alterman Strikes a Chord | By Nat Hentoff

He combines magnificent technique with a jazzman's thirst for adventure.

ECONOMIST: Our pick of the best, including music by Abdullah Ibrahim