Neal Schon’s “El Matador” underscores a musical symbiosis with Steve Smith that lingers from their time together in Journey.

If Booker T. and the MGs’ signature hit “Green Onions” always felt like a loose-limbed good time among musical friends, that’s because it actually was.

Richard Thompson is a traveler, always has been, and “Beatnik Walking” — both in its lyric, and in its creation story — speaks to that.

Les McCann’s free-form soul-jazz experiment ‘Invitation to Openness’ is the sound of someone loosing himself from the bonds of expectation.

With three stints going back to 1969, Ian Gillan has a unique perspective on Deep Purple’s catalog. Here’s the song he always wanted to perform live.

Released as part of ‘Tug of War’ in April 1982, “Take It Away” is McCartney’s last best pop hit – but there was a darker undercurrent at work.

As a vehicle for this promising woodwinds talent from Poland Mat Walerian, his encounter with Matthew Shipp on ‘Live at Okuden’ makes good on that promise.

“Oh Daddy” got Adrian Belew a solo deal with Atlantic, who released ‘Mr. Music Head’ on April 28, 1989. The worry was that he’d be forever saddled with it.

This Beatles cover shows how unique original guitarist Peter Banks was, and how important his contributions were to the early Yes sound.

JD Allen’s “A Throng of Millions Can Be One,” just one of many standout moments on ‘Bloom,’ feels like the birth of a new jazz hymn.