Dinner Party - "First Responders"

Supergroups are usually best ignored, but I've been digging last year's collaboration between Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin and 9th Wonder called Dinner Party. Their self-titled debut is about 23 minutes long and just the right length. Check out this jazzy instrumental.

Kamasi Washington - "The Rhythm Changes"

As someone who's always appreciated jazz but never had the expertise to dissect it with any sort of confidence, I can only report that Kamasi Washington's acclaimed The Epic from last year radiates a kind of mastery that even my unsophisticated ears can pick up on. Mostly instrumental, and stretching out to encompass 17 tracks over almost three hours, The Epic works great in the background. And in the case of "The Rhythm Changes," which features vocals from Patrice Quinn, it can lift your mood exponentially.