Yusef Lateef, who recently passed on at the age of 93, has had a profound influence on my music both in terms of the specific sounds in his recorded legacy and on a more conceptual level. In a world in which musicians so often have alliances that imply a certain disdain for “competing” factions, Yusef Lateef’s openness and breadth of skills and interests have been matched by few artists carrying the “jazz musician” label.

A figure as towering as the Duke does not need a schmoe like me to throw out adjectives to pump up his importance or greatness. Instead, my focus on the show was the musical qualities that have left the most indelible marks on me as a composer, pianist and bandleader.

R.I.P. to Jim Hall, one of my favorite jazz musicians, period.

Wrapping up my Cedar tributes (and my lists, having recently devoted Top 10s to each of these men without the other), here are 10 highlights among the dozens and dozens of tracks these two collaborated on that have been essential to the development of my own musical conception.

We’ll get to Billy Higgins plus Cedar Walton soon; in the meantime here are 10 of my favorite Billy sides without Cedar. What a great excuse to listen to one of the greatest drummers in jazz history.

This is the first of 3 related Top 10 lists – stay tuned for a Billy Higgins list and one featuring the work of Cedar and Billy together.

Last week marked Marian McPartland’s passing. Her warmth is what I will always remember most, but her musical legacy is tremendous.

A few days ago the 2014 class of NEA Jazz Masters was announced, with honors going to the diverse crew of Richard Davis, Anthony Braxton, Keith Jarrett and Jamey Abersold. 3+ years ago, I wrote about musicians who I felt had been neglected in this selection process (click here to read that post for reference), and the latest batch has led me reflect a bit on who has been inducted since and who is still overdue.

Today marks Kenny Barron’s 70th birthday. I have written before (click here) about the impact he had on me as a teacher and a role model for class and dignity. Here, though, I will focus on his incredible recorded legacy. Whittling down the recordings that have shaped my own conception to 10 was pretty well…