SJ O'Connell

Everyone's always saying that jazz is dead -- at least since the fuzz shut down New Orleans' Storyville in 1917 -- but jazz will never die. Musicians on the other hand can, do and have.

And quite a few jazz legends are buried in L.A. In fact, it's pretty surprising how many pivotal stars have their final resting place here, in plots ranging from glistening grassy lawns to dusty disarray.

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The Lighthouse Cafe

Have you hugged a jazz musician today? You should. For the second year in a row, April 30th has been declared International Jazz Day by no less a reputable organization than the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This year's host city is Istanbul.

But why not L.A.? After all, jazz matured simultaneously with the City of Angels and throughout the last 100 years some of the most important jazz musicians have lived and worked here. While clubs like the Blue Whale and the Jazz Bakery keep the spirit alive, many ghosts still swing in the dark corners of our desert grid. Here are five of the very best Los Angeles jazz landmarks.

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Terrace Martin plays tomorrow's Paid Dues festival in San Bernardino. The producer, saxophonist, and emcee came up on the streets of Crenshaw and Slauson, and was tapped for Snoop Dogg's 2004 Rhythm & Gangsta album at 17 and for Quincy Jones' production staff at 22. Millions of record sold contain his melodic and soulful production touch.

After releasing the Marvin Gaye inspired Here My Dear EP in 2010 and Locke High 2 in 2011, Martin has plans to forge a name of his own with the June album release of 3 Chord Fold. In conversation, Martin describes his experience traversing the worlds of hip-hop and jazz.

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Angie Seegers

Austin Peralta

Twenty-two-year-old virtuoso pianist Austin Peralta died shockingly the day before Thanksgiving. Until now, details of the final hours of his life have been mostly a mystery.

See also: The Life and Death of Austin Peralta

His coroner's report, obtained by West Coast Sound, states that viral pneumonia was the most likely cause of death -- aggravated by a series of chemical depressants including alcohol, morphine, and sedative drugs including Xanax and Valium.

When all of those depressants entered Peralta's body on the morning of November 21, 2012, they reacted in tandem with the underlying pneumonia to stop his breathing.

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Michael Wilson

In person, the bearded and bald-headed Nicholas Payton does not look like one of the most polarizing figures in modern jazz. The 39-year-old trumpeter is a calm and quiet presence. Whether he intended to or not, however, after posting a blog entry in late 2011 entitled "On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore," a blizzard of controversy descended upon him, inciting late night, off-the-record conversations that prompted twice as many questions as answers.

The rub? Payton's determination to do away with the term "jazz" in favor of the phrase "Black American Music" or as his tweets have fashionably reduced it, "#BAM."

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Bassist Darryl Jones should be a household name. His fluid, funky low end has supported at least a dozen of the biggest concert draws of the last 30 years, starting with Miles Davis' band when he was just 21. When Sting left the Police for a solo career in the mid-'80s, Jones was the man he hired to play bass. He supported Madonna in her prime on the Blond Ambition tour and for the last 20 years he has played on every gig and album by the Rolling Stones. Now, for the first time in his career, Jones is stepping into the spotlight.

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Rick Diamond

Don Was is a frequent sight at shows around L.A. He's hard to miss: all hair, hat, sunglasses, and smiles. He made a name for himself as a bass player with Was (Not Was) as well as a producer for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. Last year, he became the president of Blue Note Records. Around the same time, we took the label to task for what had become a gradual dilution of a great legacy.

See also: Blue Note Records' Troubling New Direction

Blue Note released some of the most important jazz albums of the 1950s and 1960s but since the turn of the century had opted for a radio-friendly folk vibe that left jazz fans scratching their heads. One of Was' first signings was saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who plays Walt Disney Concert Hall Saturday to promote his first record with the label in over 40 years. In our interview below, Was talks about his work at the label.

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Eric Ryan Anderson

Branford Marsalis Quartet - Marsalis (seated)

New Orleans-born saxophonist Branford Marsalis has been a household name since the early 1980s. Alongside his younger brother Wynton, he set the jazz world ablaze, earning his stripes on the bandstand with Art Blakey. From there, he found work in pop music (the Grateful Dead, Sting) and acting (Throw Mama From the Train, School Daze).

His unpredictable career found its highest profile when, just over 20 years ago, he became the bandleader for Jay Leno's incarnation of The Tonight Show. He spent his weekdays on late night television, smiling politely at Jay's Bill Clinton jokes and most of his weekends jetting to New York to see his young son. Marsalis did not last on the bandstand too long. He left two and a half years later to focus on his saxophone, releasing a handful of terrific records in the process including his most recent release Four MFs Playin' Tunes. We spoke to Marsalis by phone about his brief tenure as an Angeleno, ahead of his show at Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

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Dailey Pike

Executive Chef Shawn Davis and Owner Dennis "D.Anthony" Robertson

Dennis "D.Anthony" Robertson has moved back and forth between the business and music worlds for years now.

An aspiring drummer, he first began promoting acts at B.B. King's at Universal Studios, working his way into management and eventually ownership of the club. When that venture ended a few years ago, Robertson began planning what he hoped would become Los Angeles' premier venue for jazz. H.O.M.E. (House Of Music & Entertainment) opened in November, and since then Robertson has been quickly learning the ins and outs of running a full-time jazz supper club on a nightly basis.

See also: RG Club: There's a New Jazz Spot in Venice!

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Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery

By Mark McDermott

On the last night of his life, pianist Austin Peralta sat in on a show at Little Tokyo jazz joint the Blue Whale and played, as he always did, as if his life depended upon it.

The 22-year-old son of skateboard legend Stacy Peralta had been gigging since he was 12 -- including a star turn at the Tokyo Jazz Festival at 15, which signified the arrival of a musical force. But Peralta's power had of late reached an apex. As part of Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, the composer was at the forefront of a movement bringing together jazz, hip-hop and electronic music. Peralta, as much as any young musician alive, held in his hands the promise of making jazz relevant to a new generation.

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