Respected jazz pianist Fred Hersch begins a week-long residency at the Village Vanguard on Tuesday night. Download his dazzling song "Whirl."

The "Matriarch of the Blues" had grit in her voice that could melt like sugar or rub like salt in a wound. The great vocalist, whose turbulent life broke through in her affecting delivery, has died at age 73.

Afro-Cuban jazz master Chucho Valdés performs with Spanish chanteuse Buika at Carnegie Hall on Saturday night. Download his stirring piece "Yansá."

Soul jazz singer Gregory Porter holds court at Smoke every Thursday night. Download his fiery tune "1960 What?" here.

Celebrated trumpeter Jimmy Owens kicks off a week-long residency at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club-Cola on Tuesday night. Download his blues-inspired arrangement of the Monk standard "Epistrophy" here. 

Veteran musician Walter Parks brings his smoky Americana rock to Rockwood Music Hall on Monday night. Download his wistful single "So Bad So Good" here. 

Sebastián Cruz and the Cheap Landscape Trio brings its energetic and imaginative Colombia-meets-NYC inspired jazz to Cornelia Street Cafe. Download its carnivalesque number "Paradis Quarter" here. 

World music jazz quartet Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits performs at the Sixth Street Synagogue's Nittle Nacht (Xmas Eve) Radical Jewish Culture Blow Out Benefit on Saturday night. Download the group's festive single "Bird Boy" here.

The Paul Winter Consort performs the 32nd Annual Winter Solstice Celebration at St. John The Divine on Friday and Saturday nights. Download the instrumental ensemble's jovial "Tomorrow Is My Dancing Day" here. 

Wadada Leo Smith performs at Roulette on Thursday and Friday nights in honor of his 70th birthday. Download "Mbira," which blends Shona music from Zimbabwe with American and traditional Chinese music, for free here.

Lettuce plays its groovy, festive funk Wednesday night at Brooklyn Bowl with The Nigel Hall Band as part of the second annual Royal Family Holiday Rage. Download "Blast Off" from the septet's third record here.

Adrian Ellis, who has been executive director at Jazz at Lincoln Center since 2007, will leave his post in January. Ellis is not completely cutting ties with Jazz at Lincoln Center. He will act as a special adviser to the Jazz at Lincoln Center board.

Jazz songstress Nancy Harms performs at Shrine in Harlem on Friday night. Download her version of the jazz standard "Bye Bye Blackbird" here. 

Wicked Knee plays Thursday night at Le Poisson Rouge with Mago and Caveman with Cyro Baptista. Download "Congo March" from the group's debut EP here.

Nate Wooley's quintet performs at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Gowanus on Wednesday night. Download "Ethyl," off of the group's debut album, Nate Wooley Quintet: (Put Your) Hands Together.

Sola Rosa plays SOBs on Tuesday night. Download the group's song "Turn Around," which features emerging Wellington songstress Iva Lamkum.

The Portuguese jazz vocalist Sara Serpa performs at the Anthology Film Archive Wednesday night. Download her song "Sem Razão" here.

Drummer and composer Paul Motian, one of the most influential musicians in jazz, died on Tuesday. He was 80 years old and lived in Manhattan. The cause was complications of myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone-marrow disorder, according to his label, ECM.

The tiny Gulf country of Qatar is home to a film festival, a philharmonic orchestra, a modern art museum — and soon, a New York-style jazz club.

The quartet Béla Fleck & the Flecktones plays Town Hall Wednesday night. Download a little blu-bop from the group with the song "Life in Eleven."