S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s fusion jazz, including Nels Cline Singers, Jaco Pastorius, Elizabeth Shepherd and others.

Hall and Oates, after scoring No. 1 songs in the 1970s and ’80s, have more recently focused on their role as a celebrated concert act.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s avant-garde and experimental jazz, including Roscoe Mitchell, Jimmy Giuffre, Wadada Leo Smith and others.

Jeff Oster is making a New Age record with Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie’s help. Yes, you heard right.

A late-1980s introduction to Jeff Lynne forged some of the best-selling music of Tom Petty’s career. They also became life-long friends.

Steve Howe has crafted a legendary career with his hands, and he takes that very seriously, indeed.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s modern and mainstream jazz albums, including Keith Jarrett, Brian Blade, Fred Hersch and others.

Graham Nash frames Crosby Stills Nash and Young’s ups and downs, their reunions and splits, their huge hits and weird failures.

I’m not one to get overly emotional about a celebrity’s death, even one whose work touched me. Dimebag Darrell was different.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s non-jazz albums, including Lucinda Williams, Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Drive-By Truckers and others.