Kevin Whitehead

Four decades after his death, Evans remains part of the jazz conversation. A new anthology surveys records the jazz pianists made as leader, from 1956 until his death in 1980.

Barnes and Osborne would both be 100 on July 17. Barnes grew up in Chicago and went on to play on Bob Dylan's first single. Osborne turned up on records by Mel Tormé , Wynonie Harris and others.

Last winter, knowing his time on earth was growing short, the bassist, who died May 15, resolved to cap 40 years of making his own records with a final statement: two albums, by two quartets.