After 30 years of teaching the "best student improvisers on the planet," to use his term, Berklee professor of ensemble Hal Crook '71 is retiring soon and celebrating this week with a concert featuring some of his most remarkable former students. A trombonist, Crook will perform with Grammy Award–winner Esperanza Spalding '05, drummer Antonio Sanchez '97, guitarist Lionel Loueke '04, pianist Leo Genovese '01, saxophonist Chris Cheek '91, and Deborah Pierre '13.

A former member of the Phil Woods Quintet and the Tonight Show Orchestra, Crook has performed with a long list of jazz greats, including Bob Brookmeyer, Mick Goodrick, Woody Herman, Milt Hinton, Thad Jones, John Medeski, Paul Motian, and Clark Terry.

The podcast features "Behind These Eyes," one of the Crook originals he and his band will play in the concert, The Music of Hal Crook: Set Me Free, on Thursday, February 18, at the Berklee Performance Center.