On the latest episode of Milestones: Celebrating the Culture, NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY-winning recording artist Terri Lyne Carrington joins host Angélika Beener to spotlight two under-acknowledged figures in their centennial year: trombonist, arranger and trailblazing trombonist Melba Liston, and Rock & Roll progenitor, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.

On the next special edition episode of Milestones: Celebrating the Culture podcast, host Angélika Beener commemorates 100 years of Miles Davis with two masters of their craft whose work helped carry Davis’s legacy across generations — award-winning trumpeter and composer and the sound behind the Miles Davis biopic, Miles Ahead Keyon Harrold, and legendary hip-hop producer Easy Mo Bee, the architect behind Davis's final album.

Celebration the 60th anniversary of Speak No Evil, the 1966 masterpiece by Wayne Shorter that stands as one of the defining works of post-bop music. Guest Jeremy Pelt joins the conversation to talk about this classic and his brand new album.

On this episode of Milestones: Celebrating the Culture, host Angélika Beener sits down with pianist, composer, and producer Nat Adderley Jr.

The push for a federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday began almost immediately after Dr. King’s assassination in April 1968, when the late Representative John Conyers introduced the first motion to make King’s birthday a federal holiday. Yet it would take another 11 years for the proposal to reach the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote in 1979. When the bill fell just five votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass, it was music that helped galvanize the nation.

In the world of music, few names resonate quite like that of Steely Dan. Often cited by critics as one of their finest works, Pretzel Logic — their third album — marks a significant evolution in their musical journey. In honor of its 50th anniversary, on this episode of Milestones we delve into the landmark album with GRAMMY winning guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, whose admiration for Steely Dan runs deep.

Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder is 60

The family of Max Roach discusses their iconic dad during centennial year

Pianist, composer, educator and advocate Bertha Hope-Booker, joins us to discuss her fascinating musical journey -- including her recording career and her legacy and preservation work. With a career spanning over six decades, we take a deep dive into the early years that brought her from Los Angeles to New York City, the keys to developing her own sound, the best advice she received from Philly Joe Jones and Johnny Griffin, and her thoughts on being an inspiration to women in jazz.