Starting in the late 1940s, a new, more cerebral and mellower response to bebop became one of the dominant strains in jazz. Enjoy the birth, maturation and continuation of cool jazz, with an emphasis on ballads.
Think of these progressive instrumentals as the ultimate "temp tracks" -- that is, the music used during the editing phase of a film production to set the mood for a scene. Great for budding indie filmmakers and soundtrack enthusiasts.