Luciana Souza has one wish for humanity in a troubled time: “That we all can make a difference in every way that we live.” Souza is a singer-songwriter originally from São Paolo, Brazil, and her words carry a certain tragic resonance as the world watches the Amazon rainforest burn. But she spoke those sobering words last March, on The Checkout Live at Berklee College of Music, right before paying homage to her country’s all-time greatest songwriter, Antonio Carlos Jobim.

The New York Gypsy All-Stars perform a modern strain of gypsy jazz unlike any other. By combining fiery Balkan wedding grooves with ancient Turkish traditions, these conservatory-trained musicians are quick to show off their virtuosity while also creating an intoxicating atmosphere for the dance floor.

There’s nothing fake about David Murray.

Whatever else you call Herbie Hancock — jazz-piano paragon, funk-fusion pioneer, Afro-Futurist, humanitarian, sage — you’d have to agree on “moving target.” Forward motion is the hallmark of his multifaceted career, which has yielded all manner of accolades, including a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2016.

Before he made his leap to stardom as the musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Jon Batiste already showed signs that he wanted to change the world for the better. Batiste, 32, will headline a special concert at the Newport Jazz Festival next Friday, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He has a new album releasing on the same day: Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard (Verve), which was recorded during an engagement last fall.

Charlie Haden left us five years ago, but his influence and musical contributions are still being felt today. Last year, Impulse! Records posthumously released a tranquil recording featuring the double bassist in an intimate duo setting with the pianist Brad Mehldau, titled Long Ago and Far Away . They performed together in 2007 at the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Germany.

The Mexico City-born artist Antonio Sanchez has always been outspoken about immigration, a subject he addresses on his new album, Lines In The Sand . For Sanchez, a five-time Grammy award-winning drummer and composer, activism came naturally; in a sense, he never had a choice in the matter. His calling as a crusader for human rights is indelibly linked to an immigration story in his family, which took place before he was born.

The title of Kendrick Scott’s new Blue Note album, A Wall Becomes A Bridge, suggests a provocative response to current events. But Scott — a generational talent on drums, and an acclaimed composer — says he had something a bit more personal in mind. In this episode of The Checkout, he speaks candidly about the struggle he experiences when creating original work — in particular, the voices of self-doubt in his head.

What’s the opposite of sampling when constructing a great loop? Kassa Overall has some ideas. On his recent album Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz , the Seattle-born, New York-based artist often lays the groundwork for a great song by capturing a stellar collaborative improvisation, steering the flow from behind the drum kit. Then he digitally modifies those organic performances to create precise hip-hop compositions that feature his own ethereal lyricism.

Pianist-composer Myra Melford isn’t one for dogmas. Whether she’s checking out the boogie-woogie of James P. Johnson, the fractured concepts of Cecil Taylor or Gnawa trance ceremonies in Morocco, openness guides the way she navigates life and music.