I don't get usually involved in genre-definition conversations, partly because when asked what they make, most musicians will say "music" instead of identifying a genre. Ultimately, it becomes a question of values as people decide what characteristics are crucial to a genre. When I was at OffBeat and Gambit, genre decisions got heated when it came time to decide what artist belongs in what category. What's Bonerama? Where does Anders belong?

In 2010, Jason Marsalis kicked a jazz anthill when he half-jokingly riffed on video about "Jazz Nerds International" - jazz musicians who

The Open Ears Series has presented weekly improvised music shows for five years upstairs at the Blue Nile. To celebrate, organizers have booked a special series of performances including tonight's show at 10 p.m. by the Dutch duo of Ab Baars (tenor sax, clarinet, shakuhachi) and Ig Henneman (viola).

Last year, Preservation Hall and the jazz band that bears its name celebrated 50 years with activities throughout the year culminating in a star-studded show at Carnegie Hall. That show, like the show that the band played to close out this year's Jazz Fest, served as relatively concise statement of what the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has become.

When you enter "Ralston Crawford and Jazz," a show currently on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art, it's important to remember that it is not in chronological order.

Jonathan Lethem goes Dick on The Talking Heads, The New Orleans Helsinki Connection needs some new records, and Graceland's still great even though Paul Simon doesn't get it.

Swedish adventurous jazz combo The Thing collaborated with Neneh Cherry, whose roots in the avant-garde are solid as Don Cherry's daughter and former vocalist for punk-jazz band Rip, Rig & Panic. Here are two videos from The Cherry Thing - covers of MF Doom's "Accordion" and Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream."