Patrick Jarenwattananon

Polio damaged Haden's voice when he was young, but as a bassist and composer, he helped shape the sound of jazz and spanned country and gospel. He died Friday at 76.

The trombonist and three fellow musicians from Houston started one of jazz's most popular groups in the 1960s. As the times changed, so did their music — and their success magnified further.

This summer has seen plenty of worthwhile jazz, including a pianist who's been around since the '50s, a Caribbean jazzman, a band of deliberate melody, and a cover from The Jungle Book. Sample recordings from Harold Mabern, Etienne Charles, the band Black Host and Lauren Desberg.

The late John Levy was many things — African American, a bass player, nearly 100 years old when he died last weekend. But it was his work behind the scenes, as a businessman, which defined his pioneering legacy in music.