Nota bene: All of my choices are in alphabetical order by artist and are to be equally rated. 

10 BEST NEW RELEASES

Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans Single (Outline)

Diva Jazz Orchestra, Special Kay (DivaJazz.com)

Anat Fort Trio, Birdwatching (ECM)

Benny Golson, Horizon Ahead (HighNote)

Jungle: Mat Walerian/Matthew Shipp/Hamid Drake, Live At Okuden (Esp Disk Ltd.)

Ken Peplowski, Enrapture (Capri)

Doug Richards’ Great American Music Ensemble, It's All In The Game (Jazzed Media)

Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage (Road Shows, Vol. 4) (Sony Masterworks)

Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)

Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (PI Recordings)

3 BEST REISSUE OR HISTORICAL 

Count Basie & Lester Young, Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)

Joe Bushkin Quartet, Live at the Embers, 1952 (Dot Time Legends)

New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Celebrating the Big 40 (BlackEagles.com)

BEST VOCAL RELEASE

Shirley Horn, Live At The Four Queens Live (Resonance Records)

BEST DEBUT RELEASE

Christopher Zuar, Musings (Sunnyside Communications)

BEST LATIN JAZZ RELEASE

Ray Obiedo, Latin Jazz Project vol. 1 (Rhythmus Records)

For my “NOTABLE 2016 RELEASES” and “ROUNDUP OF 150 OR SO JAZZ, BLUES, BEYOND, AND OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO,” please go to my blog (wroyalstokes.com/weblog).

W. Royal Stokes 

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JJA News 

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