Jazz Journalists Association 2018 'Best of' Jazz from JJA Members

Mark Lomanno

Mark Lomanno — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:58:26 GMT

24 Featured Releases from 2024 - Rhythm of Study

This list is unranked and alphabetized. See my full review of the year's recordings on rhythmofstudy.com just after the New Year.

Benjamin, Lakecia. Phoenix Reimagined (Live) (Ropeadope)

Brennan, Patricia. Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)

Cohen, Anat; Quartetinho. Bloom (Anzic)

Davis, Caroline. Portals, Volume 2: Returning (Intakt)

Davis, Kris. Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)

Eckroth, Michael. Human Geography (Truth Revolution)

Evans, Peter. Extra (We Jazz)

Halvorson, Mary. Cloudward (Nonesuch)

Hanahan, Sarah. Among Giants (Blue Engine)

Hargrove, Roy. Grand-Terre (Verve)

Holober, Mike. This Rock We’re On: Imaginary Letters (Palmetto)

Jones, Darius. Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity)

Keezer, Geoffrey. Live at Birdland (self-release)

Morales, Mauricio. Seven Days (self-release)

Owens, Ulysses. A New Beat (Cellar Music)

Petrucciani, Michel; Trio feat. Gary Peacock & Roy Haynes. Jazz Club Montmartre - CPH 1988 (Storyville)

Ramamurthy, Arun; Trio. New Moon (Greenleaf)

Rubalcaba, Gonzalo; & Hamilton de Hollanda. Collab (Sony Music Brazil)

Stewart, Luke. Silt Trio. Unknown Rivers (Pi)

Turre, Andromeda. From the Earth (independent)

Tyner, McCoy; & Joe Henderson. Forces of Nature: Live at Slug's' (Blue Note)

Wendel, Ben. Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard (Edition)

Wolf, Warren. The History of the Vibraphone (Cellar Music)

Zenon, Miguel. Golden City (independent)

Chuck Koton

Chuck Koton — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 04:45:04 GMT

Gratefully Live: Favorite performances of 2023

#10. January 13, 2023. Virtuosic pianist Bobby West, back in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles during a break in his years long Taiwan residency, opened The World Stage’s 2023 season of Friday night concerts. His trio, which included long time veterans of the LA music scene, bassist Kevin O’Neal and drummer Jerrell Ballard, began with the thunderous, instantly recognizable and suddenly 'controversial" George Gershwin composition, “Rhapsody In Blue.” The rest of the evening rocked with this hard swingin’ trio performing original compositions from West’s highly acclaimed recording, “Leimert Park After Dark.” If you’re living in Taiwan or gonna be there soon, look up Bobby West!

#9. July 20, 2023. Pianist Adam Ledbetter brought an inspiring band into The World Stage that transformed this historic Leimert Park venue (founded over 35 years ago by jazz giant Billy Higgins and world renowned poet Kamau Daaood), into the church that it often becomes. Along with drummer Reggie Quinerly and his better half, vocalist Kizzie Ledbetter, the Cats and “Catress” truly lifted the spirits of all. Their original composition, “Train,” created a dynamic tension that built more and more as Ms Ledbetter’s vocals buoyed up the listeners to “climb on board” the Freedom Train. Then Mr Ledbetter exhorted the audience to join in with his dexterous, rapid rapping of his spiritual experience and strong faith, all the while, the talented, slick drumming of Reggie Quinerly drove the beat with restrained yet insistent rhythms. The Ledbetters make every performance feel like Sunday!

#8. June 8, 2023. Tenor saxophonist Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq, a long time fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene and an integral member and often the leader of Horace Tapscott’s Pan African People’s Arkestra (PAPA), departed the US several decades ago. Eventually resettling in Germany where he has continued performing for European audiences, Abdul-Khaliq has regularly returned to Leimert Park in Los Angeles for gigs where he has seamlessly stepped right back into the scene, performing with his own bands as well as with PAPA. His band, composed of Adam Ledbetter(piano), veteran Jeff Littleton(bass) and the youthful Eric Williams(drums), cooked at The World Stage, reminding the listeners in the room, as well as those watching via “live stream,” that Fuasi is at the top of his game!

#7. Jan. 9,2023. One of the top drummers of the last 35 years, Marvin “Smitty” Smith brought his All Stars to the venerable Baked Potato in Universal City, CA ,just a stones throw from where “Smitty,” along with brilliant tenor saxophonist, Ralph Moore, played for several years in the Tonight Show band. Joining Moore on the front line were veteran, multi-reedist Dale Fielder and rising star, trumpeter Chris Lowery, who gained invaluable experience and exposure the last few years with master saxophonist Azar Lawrence. Recently arrived to the LA area from Oklahoma City, keyboardist Adam Ledbetter and veteran bassist Edwin Livingston rounded out the band. A sold out audience was treated to a night of hard swinging, straight ahead jazz that included compositions by Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner and Thelonious Monk.

#6 Feb. 24, 2023. The World Stage audience was treated to a celebration of Los Angeles born and raised jazz giant, Dexter Gordon, by an all star band of veterans. Like a previous tribute a year earlier when the tallest jazz fan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, presented Maxine Gordon and her memoir of life with Dex to The Stage, the front line included tenor sax masters Justo Almario and Teodross Avery. The dynamic veteran of the drums, Roy McCurdy, was joined by first call Cats, pianist Theo Saunders and bassist Henry Franklin. The band swung hard on “The Chase,” with Almario and Avery pushing each other like Gordon and Wardell Grey famously did on Central Avenue in the 1940s!

#5 June 22, 2023. Since 1999, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival has been presenting the finest unadulterated jazz to its devoted California wine country audiences. Founder Jessica Felix literally and figuratively received her flowers as she stepped down as festival director. New musical director, bassist and band leader, Marcus Shelby, organized a stirring tribute to two of the music's legends who ascended to Jazz Heaven this past year, legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and master of the Hammond B3 organ Joey DeFrancesco. The front line of recently named NEA jazz master saxophonist Gary Bartz, the great tenor and soprano saxophonist Azar Lawrence and Pharoah's son, tenor saxophonist Tomoki Sanders led the performance of mostly Sanders’ compositions. Brian Ho, on organ, represented DeFrancesco's legacy and the interstellar rhythm section of pianist Marc Cary, bassist Marcus Shelby and, legend in his own right, drummer Billy Hart drove the band through the tribute.The Cats generated cheers and tears from the audience when they performed Sanders' transcendent composition “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” An unexpected highlight of the performance came when young Sanders mimicked his father's inimitable way of introducing his band mates, a display that elicited plenty of amazement from the audience. The jazz scene down here on the ground will never be the same with those two greats now swinging in Jazz Heaven!

#4) June 15, 2023. Legendary pianist and composer Horace Tapscott’s Leimert Park, Los Angeles based Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, now led by drummer Mekala Session, performed their spirited, joyful yet, at times, solemn music to a wildly responsive and appreciative audience at The World Stage. On the tune, “Dred Scott,” composed by the late Nate Morgan, bass clarinetist James Andrews and bassist Joey Ector established a haunting groove with their deep, low notes The bass drum of Session joined in, followed by the powerful horns to express a mood of profound and sacred outrage at this ugliest of decisions by the US Supreme Court. In 1857, the infamous Chief Justice Taney “interpreted” the Constitution to rule that Black Americans “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” That is the nation’s history, still reflected in white supremacy today, which the Black nationalist creative arts movement has been dedicated to overcoming since the 1960s. Now in its 62nd year, the “Ark,” as it is known, continues to keep the Black community-based mission and musical legacy of founder and visionary Tapscott alive. When one considers the criminally scant financial resources that Tapscott and the Ark have had to subsist on for all these years, the accomplishment rightfully assumes mythic proportions.

#3) Sept. 23, 2023. The venerable Charles Lloyd, at 85, as inventive and unrelenting as ever, and with a still mesmerizing tone, closed his set at the Monterey Jazz Festival with his iconic composition,“Forest Flower.” This original contributed mightily to Charles Lloyd's ascent to the top of the jazz world when his band, which included young lions pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette on drums, performed it to universal acclaim on this same stage in 1966. Unforgettable!

#2) Oct. 23, 2023. Marcus Miller brought his latest band, featuring trumpeter Russell Gunn, into Catalina's Bar & Grill in Hollywood for 4 sold out nights of pure jazz funk! One only needed to hear the band perform, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” to understand why a line of people snaked around the club for Miller’s second set.

#1) Sept. 23, 2023. The Azar Lawrence Experience closed out the Monterey Jazz Festival and, as they finished the 90 minute set (twice the allotted length), the audience was screaming & dancing in the aisles and in front of the stage. Saxophonist Lawrence blew ecstatically on his eponymous original composition from the recently re-released 1976 Prestige recording, People Moving! Lawrence’s performance seared the ears of the listeners and reminded them that the young saxophonist who performed in the bands of Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyler and Miles Davis in the 1970s, still played this fiery music like no one else on the scene today.

john szwed

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:32:18 GMT

Susan Alcorn/Jose Lencastre/Hernani Faustino Manifesto Clean Feed

Darcey James Argue’s Secret Society Dynamic Maximum Tension Nonesuch

Miha Gantar Amsterdam Clean Feed

Irreversible Entanglements Protect Your Light Impulse

Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra In the Dark ESP

Chris Potter Got the Keys to the Kingdom Edition

Roots Magic Long Old Road Clean Feed

Ned Rothenberg Crossings Four Clean Feed

Joshua Redman Where We Are Blue Note

Tyshawn Sorey Continuing Pi

Vocal

Cecile McLorin Salvant Mélusine Nonesuch

Historical/Rara Avis

Hasaan Ibn Ali Reaching for the Stars Omnivore

John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy Evenings at the Village Gate Impulse

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Lukka Bop

Latin Jazz

Hilario Duran Cry Me a River Alma

Rick Mitchell

Rick Mitchell — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 21:02:07 GMT

Here are thirty top albums featured on my radio shows, Jazz in the New Millennium (syndicated by the African American Public Radio Consortium) and The Motif (KBOO-FM Portland, Oregon). Together, I think these albums help define a 21st Century mainstream, centered in straight-ahead while incorporating elements of the avant-garde, funk and fusion, and a healthy injection of Afro-Latin jazz. What these albums definitely have in common is an awareness of the vital importance of rhythm. And in that spirit, I have decided to give the drummers some this year by listing the drummers and percussionists on each album.

Joe Chambers, Dance Kobina, Blue Note: (Joe Chambers, drums; Emilio Valdes, percussion)

Tyshawn Sorey, Continuing, Pi: (Tyshawn Sorey, drums)

Cecile Mcloren Salvant, Melusine, Nonesuch: (Kyle Poole, Obed Calviere, drums; Weedie Bramah, percussion)

Joshua Redman featuring Gabrielle Cavassa, where are we, Blue Note: (Brian Blade, drums)

Billy Childs, The Winds of Change, Mack Avenue: (Brian Blade, drums)

Mike Clark, Kosen Rufu, Wide Hive: (Mike Clark, drums; Bill Summers, percussion)

Johnathan Blake, Passage, Blue Note: (Johnathan Blake, drums)

Sammy Figueroa, Searching for a Memory, Ashe: (Sammy Figueroa, percussion; Ludwig Afonso, drums)

Terrell Stafford, Between Two Worlds, Le Coq: (Johnathan Blake, drums; Alex Acuna, percussion)

Walter Smith III, Return to Casual, Blue Note: (Kendrick Scott, drums)

Kendrick Scott, Corridors, Blue Note: (Kendrick Scott, drums)

Artemis, In Real Time, Blue Note: (Allison Miller, drums)

Orrin Evans, The Red Door, Smoke Sessions: (Marvin "Smitty" Smith, drums)

Eddie Henderson, Witness to History, Smoke Sessions (Lenny White, drums)

Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band, Cry Me a River, Alma: (Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, drums; Jorge Luis Torres, Magdelys Savigne, percussion)

Isiah J. Thompson, The Power of the Spirit, Blue Engine: (TJ Reddick, Domo Branch, drums)

The Dave Stryker Trio, Prime, Strike Zone: (McClenty Hunter, drums)

SuperBlue: Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter, The Iridescent Spree, Edition: (Corey Fonville, drums)

John Scofield, Uncle John's Band, ECM: (Bill Stewart, drums)

Michael Feinberg, Blues Variant, Criss Cross:(Nasheet Waits, drums)

Cecilia Smith, The Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project Volume One, Innova: (Ron Savage, drums)

Ben Wolfe, Unjust, Resident Arts: (Aaron Kimmel, drums)

Louis Hayes, Exactly Right, Savant: (Louis Hayes, drums)

Joe Farnsworth, In What Direction Are You Headed, Smoke Sessions): (Joe Farnsworth, drums)

Edmar Casteneda World Ensemble, Viento Sur, self-released: (Marcelo Woloski, Rodrigo Villalon, percission)

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Playing with Fire, Linus: (Yissy Garcia, drums; Mary Paz, percussson)

Harold Lopez-Nussa, Timba a la Americana, Blue Note: (Ruy Adrian Lopez-Nussa, drums; Barbaro Crespo, percussion)

Noah Haidu, Standards, Sunnyside: (Lewis Nash, drums)

Lauren Henderson, Conjuring, Brontosaurus: (Joe Dyson, drums)

Leon Lee Dorsey, Cantalooupe Island, Jazz Avenue: (Mike Clark, drums)

Matty Bannond

Matty Bannond — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:03:41 GMT

Here’s my top ten albums that I reviewed in 2023, in alphabetical order…

- “Contrast of Opposites” by Galumphing Duo (AMP Records).
- “Conversation #8 Ablaze” by Florian Arbenz (Hammer).
- “Estrellero” by Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud and Marcos Cavaleiro (Sunnyside).
- “fractus” by fractus (Independent).
- “Incantation” by Emma Rawicz (Independent).
- “Neon” by Arina Fujiwara (Independent).
- “Shimmer Wince” by Anna Webber (Intakt Records).
- “Spam Likely” by Jessica Pavone (577 Records).
- “The Engine” by The Green Mean Machine (Independent).
- “The Last Quiet Place” by Ingrid Laubrock (Pyroclastic).

Lawrence Peryer

Lawrence Peryer — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:56:48 GMT

Noteworthy Jazz and Jazz-Adjacent Artists who Appeared on the Spotlight On podcast in 2023.

Javon Jackson gives Peter Bradley's art a swinging soundtrack

Benjamin Koppel plays jazz with a novelist's narrative

Simon Berz creates art with drums, sound, and trash

Joe Mills (Aver) of Move 78 decodes jazz from the algorithms

EMBER are a jazz trio with a collective mindset

Brandon Seabrook’s magic clusterf**k of merciless banjo torture

Brian McCarthy blends jazz, astronomy, and the AfterLife

LILAMORS electronically redefine the jazz trio

Danny Fox loves good jazz and great pizza

Bruno Råberg pushes the boundaries of acoustic bass

Marijus Aleksa

Dominic Miller

Monika Herzig

Jane Ira Bloom & Mark Helias

Christopher Hale

Conic Rose

Bart Wirtz and Emiel van Rijthoven of WAAN

Geoffrey Himes

Geoffrey Himes — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 14:30:57 GMT

GEOFFREY HIMES’S 25 BEST JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2022:

Immanuel Wilkins: The 7^th Hand (Blue Note)
Charles Lloyd: Chapel Trio (Blue Note)
Cecile McLorin Salvant: Ghost Song (Nonesuch)
Bill Frisell: Four (Blue Note)
The Dave Douglas Quintet: Songs of Ascent (Greenleaf)
The Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra: In the Valley (Stricker Street)
Grdina/Helias/Shipp: Pathways (Attaboygirl)
Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Orchestra: Community Music (RPF)
Erik Friedlander: The Queen's Firefly (Skiptone)
Frank Catalano: Live at Birdland (Ropeadope)
Miguel Zenon: Musica de las Americas (Miel)
Julian Lage: View with a Room (Blue Note)
Joel Ross: The Parable of the Poet (Blue Note)
John Yao’s Triceratops Off-Kilter (See Tao)
Dierk Peters: Spring (Sunnyside)
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding: Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto)
J.D. Allen: Americana, Vol. 2 (Savant)
Bad Plus: The Bad Plus (Edition)
Jakob Bro & Joe Lovano: Once Around the Toom: A Tribute to Paul Motian (ECM)
Matt Carmichael: Marrow (Edition)
Cyrus Chestnut: My Father's Hands (HighNote)
Andrew Cyrille: Blues for Cecil (ECM)
Ricky Ford: The Wailing Ricky Ford (Whaling City)
Hilario Duran & David Virelles: Front Street Duets (Alm)
Eugenie Jones: Players (Openmic)

GEOFFREY HIMES’S 25 BEST NON-JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2022:

1. The Drive-By Truckers: Welcome to Club XIII (ATO)
2. Beyonce: Renaissance (Columbia)
3. The Delines: The Sea Drift (El Cortez)
4. Craig Finn: A Legacy of Rentals (Partisan)
5. Taylor Swift: Midnights (Republic)
6. Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & the Big-Steppers (Aftermath/Interscope)
7. Charley Crockett: The Man from Waco (Son of Davy)
8. The Dropkick Murphys: This Machine Still Kills Fascists (Dummy Luck)
9. Bonny Light Horseman: Rolling Golden Holy (37d03d)
10. Miranda Lambert: Palomino (RCA)
11. Willi Carlisle: Peculiar, Missouri (Free Dirt)
12. Mary J. Blige: Good Morning, Gorgeous (300 Entertainment)
13. Lizzo: Special (Atlantic)
14. Maggie Rogers: Surrender (Debay/Capitol)
15. The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: I Am the Moon (Fantasy)
16. Bad Bunny: Un Verano sin Ti (Rimas)
17. Lee Fields: Sentimental Foot (Daptone)
18. Trombone Shorty: Lifted (Blue Note)
19. The North Mississippi Allstars: Set Sail (New West)
20. Adeem the Artist: White Trash Revelry (Four Quarters/Thirty Tigers)
21. Susanna Malkki and the Los Angeles Philharmonic: Steve Reich: Music for Ensemble and Orchestra (Nonesuch)
22. Charlie Treat: Into the Wild Mystic Mountain (Treat)
23. Courtney Marie Andrews: Loose Future (Fat Possum)
24. Weyes Blood: And in the Darkness Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)
25. Sunny Sweeney: Married Alone (Aunt Daddy/Thirty Tigers)

John Chacona

John Chacona — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:27:19 GMT

John Chacona

Erie (PA) Times-News, All About Jazz, PostGenre Media and blogger at let's call this

Ten favorite new releases

Amyrillis and Belladonna Mary Halvorson (Nonesuch)
Ghost Song, Cécile McLorin Salvant (Nonesuch)
For The Love Of Fire And Water, Myra Melford's Fire And Water Quintet (RogueArt)
Other Zones, Michael Formanek Quartet (Circular File Records)
Séances, Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre (Pyroclastic Records)
The Bottom, Luke Stewart's Silt Trio (Cuneiform)
Terri Lyne Carrington, New Standards Vol. 1 (Candid)
John Escreet, Seismic Shift (Whirlwind Records)
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra with Catherine Russell, Good Time Music: Community Music, Vol. 2 (Royal Potato Family)
Dan Weiss Trio, Dedication (Cygnus)

Reissues or Historical albums

1.     Cecil Taylor, The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert (Oblivion Records)
2.     Albert Ayler, Revelations (Elemental Music)
3.     Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964 (Jazz Detective Records)

Best vocal album

Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ghost Song, (Nonesuch)

Best debut album

Julieta Eugenio, JUMP (Greenleaf Music)

Best Latin jazz CD

Miguel Zenón, Música de Las Américas (Miel Music)

Patrick Hinely

Patrick Hinely — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 14:52:57 GMT

2021's chosen dozen:

John Coltrane - A LOVE SUPREME LIVE IN SEATTLE - Impulse

Miles Davis - THE LOST CONCERT - Sleepy Night

Chet Doxas - YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU - Whirlwind

Harold Land - WESTWARD BOUND - Reel to Real

Chris Laurence - KEN WHEELER: SOME GNU ONES - Jazz in Britain

Jeff Lederer/Sunwatcher - EIGHTFOLD PATH - Little Music

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels - TONE POEM - Blue Note

Charles Mingus - AT CARNEGIE HALL, DeLUXE EDITION - Rhino

Wes Montgomery - NDR HAMBURG STUDIO RECORDINGS - Jazzline/NDR

Lee Morgan - COMPLETE LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE - Blue Note

Oregon - 1974 - Moosicus

Eberhard Weber - ONCE UPON A TIME - ECM

Laurence Donohue-Greene

Laurence Donohue-Greene — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:04:17 GMT

Laurence Donohue-Greene (Managing Editor, The New York City Jazz Record) BEST OF 2019....

MUSICIANS OF THE YEAR (2019)

1) Kris Davis

2) Jaimie Branch

3) Joe Lovano

4) Michael Leonhart

5) Evan Parker

RECORD LABELS OF THE YEAR (2019)

1) ECM

2) Sunnyside

3) Intakt

4) International Anthem

5) NoBusiness

BEST NEW RELEASES (2019)

1) Joe Lovano - Trio Tapestry (ECM)

2) Michael Leonhart Orchestra - Suite Extracts, Vol.1 (Sunnyside)

3) Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise (International Anthem)

4) James Brandon Lewis - UnRuly Manifesto (Relative Pitch)

5) Alex Harding/Lucian Ban - Dark Blue (Sunnyside)

6) Per Texas Johansson - Stråk på himlen och stora hus (Moserobie)

7) Red Kite - Red Kite (RareNoise)

8) Steph Richards - Take The Neon Lights (Birdwatcher)

9) Gebhard Ullmann/Hans Ludemann/Oliver Portratz/Eric Schaefter - mikroPULS (intuition)

10) Phil Slater - The Dark Pattern (Earshift Music)

BEST VOCAL RELEASES (2019)

1) Mary Stallings - Songs Were Made To Sing (Smoke Sessions)

2) Jazzmeia Horn - Love and Liberation (Concord)

3) Tomeka Reid/Kyoko Kitamura/Taylor Ho Bynum/Joe Morris - Geometry of Distance (Relative Pitch)

4) Veronica Swift - Confessions (Mack Avenue)

5) Dwight Trible - Mothership (Gearbox)

BEST REISSUES (2019)

1) Mal Waldron - Free at Last (ECM)

2) Erroll Garner - Campus Concert (Mack Avenue-Octave Music)

3) ICP Tentet - Tetterettet (ICP - Corbett vs. Dempsey)

4) Charles Tolliver All Stars - Right Now... and Then [Paper Man] (Strata-East)

5) Art Pepper - Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (Artists House-Omnivore)

BEST BOXED SETS (2019)

1) Nat “King” Cole - Hitting’ The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943) (Resonance)

2) John Coltrane - 1963: New Directions (Impulse!)

3) The Quintet [Paal Nilssen-Love, et al.] - Events 1998-1999 (Not Two)

4) Art Pepper - The Complete Artists House Recordings (Artists House-Omnivore)

5) DKV Trio & Joe McPhee - The Fire Each Time (Not Two)

BEST LATIN JAZZ (2019)

1) Preservation Hall Jazz Band - A Tuba to Cuba (Sub Pop)

2) Jiggs Whigham BuJazzO - Cuban Fire (Doublemoon)

3) Michele Rosewoman New Yor-Uba - Hallowed (Advance Dance Disques)

4) Poncho Sanchez - Trane’s Delight (Concord)

5) Michel Camilo - Essence (Resilience Music Alliance)

BEST LARGE ENSEMBLE RELEASES (2019)

1) Michael Leonhart Orchestra - Suite Extracts, Vol.1 (Sunnyside)

2) Wayne Horvitz European Orchestra - Live at the Bimhuis (NovarraJazz)

3) Ralph Peterson Gen-Next Big Band - Listen Up! (Onyx)

4) Jiggs Whigham BuJazzO - Cuban Fire (Doublemoon)

5) Tom Pierson Orchestra - Last Works (Auteur)

BEST DEBUT RELEASES (2019)

1) Larry Grenadier - The Gleaners (ECM)

2) Lisa Hoppe’s Third Reality - The Mighty Unlikely (Jazzhaus Musik)

3) Junius Paul - Ism (International Anthem)

4) Nick Dunston - Atlantic Extraction (Out Of Your Head)

5) Jamile - If You Could See Me Now (s/r)

BEST TRIBUTES (2019)

1) Joe Fiedler - Open Sesame (Clean Feed) *Sesame Street tribute

2) Iro Haarla/Ulf Krokfors/Barry Altschul - Around Again (The Music of Carla Bley) (TUM)

3) Ralph Peterson’s Messenger Legacy - Legacy Alive, Vol.6 at The Side Door (Onyx)

4) Paul Dunmall Sun Ship Quartet - John Coltrane 50th Memorial Concert at Café Too (Confront)

5) Dick Hyman/Ken Peplowski - Counterpoint: Lerner & Loewe (Arbors)

BEST UNEARTHED GEMS/PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS (2019)

1) Bill Dixon/Cecil Taylor - Duets 1992 (Triple Point)

2) Sam Rivers Quintet - Archive Project, Vol.2: Zenith (NoBusiness)

3) Francois Tusques - Alors Nosferatu Combina Un Plan Ingénieux (Finders Keepers)

4) Ella Fitzgerald - Ella at The Shrine (Verve)

5) Charles Lloyd Quartet - Montreuex Festival 1967 (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series 46) (TCB)

BEST JAZZ PUBLICATIONS (2019)

1) Sweet Thunder: Duke Ellington’s Music in Nine Themes by Jack Chambers (Milestones Music & Art)

2) Rabbit’s Blues: The Life and Music of Johnny Hodges by Con Chapman (Oxford University Press)

3) Jason Moran - Jason Moran (Walker Arts Center)

4) Cloud Arrangers by Ziga Kortnik (Pega Society)

5) Jazz From Detroit by Mark Stryker (University of Michigan Press)

BEST SOLO ALBUMS (2019)

1) Brian Charette - Beyond Borderline (SteepleChase)

2) Peter Brötzmann - Solo: I Surrender Dear (Trost)

3) Ed Neumeister - One and Only (Meisteromusic)

4) Ahmad Jamal - Ballades (Jazzbook/Jazz Village)

5) Fred Frith - Woodwork (Klang Galerie)

BEST LIVE ALBUMS (2019)

1) Evan Parker/Barry Guy/Paul Lytton - Concert in Vilnius (NoBusiness)

2) Torbjörn Zetterberg & The Great Question - Live (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

3) Ed Neumeister - One and Only (Meisteromusic)

4) Eve Risser - Après un Rêve (Clean Feed)

5) Mars Williams - An Ayler Xmas, Vol.3: Live in Krakow (Not Two)

BEST LIVE CONCERTS (NYC) (2019)

*Ghost Train Orchestra "Plays Moondog” @Winter Jazzfest, Le Poisson Rouge (1/5/19)

*Gary Bartz "Another Earth 50th Anniversary” w/Pharoah Sanders, Charles Tolliver, James King, Bruce Edwards, Nasheet Waits, Eric Berryman @Winter Jazzfest, Le Poisson Rouge (1/10/19)

*Arooj Aftab w/Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily @Joe's Pub (4/28/19)

*Barre Phillips solo @Zürcher Gallery (5/20/19)

*Andrew Cyrille w/Tomeka Reid, Beatrice Capote @Vision Festival, Roulette (6/11/19)

*Kris Davis Trio w/William Parker, Jeff "Tain” Watts @Vision Festival, Roulette (6/14/19)

*Michael Leonhart Orchestra @Jazz Standard (7/16/19)

*David Tronzo solo and w/Stomu Takeishi, Ned Rothenberg @Ibeam Brooklyn (8/10/19)

*Ravi Coltrane Quartet w/David Virelles, Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake @Summerstage Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, Marcus Garvey Park (8/24/19)

*Pat Metheny Side-Eye Trio w/James Francies, Marcus Gilmore @Sony Hall (9/11/19)

John Chacona

John Chacona — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 17:08:13 GMT

Favorite Releases of 2019

John Chacona, Erie (PA) Times-News and blogger at Let's Call This

Another strong year. My list (in Delicious Library, an essential organizing tool) of potential Top Ten releases was 76 items out of a total number of jazz or jazz-ish releases for the period of 369. Even at that number, I didn't hear everything, and the period in question is the one requested by Francis Davis for the NPR poll. So significant yearend releases like the Teri-Lyn Carrington date didn't make it to my ears in time.

Rankings are invidious, but I'm on record in the NPR poll with the one below, so here goes.

Ten favorite new releases

1.     Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic Records)
2.     Tomeka Reid Quartet: Old New (Cuneiform)
3.     Tyshawn Sorey & Marilyn Crispell: The Adornment Of Time (Pi Recordings)
4.     Jaimie Branch: Fly Or Die Ii: Bird Dogs Of Paradise (International Anthem)
5.     Anthony Braxton: Quartet (New Haven) 2014 (Firehouse 12)
6.     The Art Ensemble Of Chicago: We Are On The Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (Pi Recordings)
7.     Greg Ward and his Rogue Parade Ensemble: Stomping Off From Greenwood (Greenleaf Music)
8.     Mark Dresser Seven: Ain't Nothing but a Cyber Coup & You (Clean Feed)
9.     Moppa Elliott: Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band (Hot Cup Records)
10. Mark Lomax, II:   400: An Afrikan Epic (CFG Multimedia)

Reissues or Historical albums

1.     The Art Ensemble Of Chicago And Associated Ensembles (ECM)
2.     Nat King Cole: Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943 (Resonance Records)
3.     Allen Lowe: An Avant Garde of Our Own (ESP Disk)

Best vocal album

Jeanne Lee/Ran Blake: The Newest Sound You Never Heard (A-Side Records)

Best debut album

Harish Raghavan: Calls for Action (Whirlwind Recordings)

Best Latin jazz CD

Miguel Zenón: Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (Miel Music)

best of jazz 2019 jja

Jeroen de Valk — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 12:15:26 GMT

asdfasdff

Mirian Arbalejo

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 14:02:58 GMT

FAVORITE JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2018 (by Mirian Arbalejo)

Both Directions At Once. John Coltrane. (Impulse!)

Close Up. Sara Serpa. (Clean Feed Records)

CODE GIRL. Mary Halvorson. (Firehouse 12 Records)

Concentric Circles. Kenny Barron Quintet. (Blue Note)

Dirt . . . and More Dirt. Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg. (Pi)

DORAVANTE. Abe Rábade Trío. (Nuba + Karonte Records)

Emanon. Wayne Shorter. (Blue Note Records)

En Dag I Oktober. Hvalfugl. (Hvalfugl Music)

Harmony. Sam Harris (self-released)

Kennedy Meets Gershwin. Nigel Kennedy. (Warner Classics)

Lebroba. Andrew Cyrille. (ECM)

Live In Healdsburg. Anat Cohen y Fred Hersch. (Anzic Records)

Music IS. Bill Frisell. (OKeh)

Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions. Eric Dolphy. (Resonance)

Origami Harvest. Ambrose Akinmusire. (Blue Note Records)

Ours/Theirs. Thumbscrew. (Cuneiform)

Presence. Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band. (Smoke Sessions)

Seymour Reads The Constitution!. Brad Mehldau Trio. (Nonesuch Records)

Standards In Dublin. Gonzalo del Val with Dave Liebman and Ronan Guilfoyle. (Quadrant Records)

Still Dreaming. Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Scott Colley, Brian Blade (Nonesuch)

Temporary Kings. Mark Turner and Ethan Iverson. (ECM)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Associated Ensembles. (ECM)

The Influencing Machine. Elliot Galvin. (Edition Records)

The Other Side Of Air. Myra Melford's Snowy Egret. (Firehouse 12 Records)

The Window. Cecile McLorin Salvant. (Mack Avenue)

Tokyo '81. Woody Shaw. (Elemental)

Universal Beings. Makaya McCraven. (International Anthem)

Vientos Cruzados. Luis Verde Quartet. (self-released)

WORK. The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk. Miles Okazaki. (self-released)

*Mirian has shared these titles in the Francis Davis / NPR Jazz Critics Poll, It Don't Mean A Thing and Cuepoint.

Geoffrey Himes

Geoffrey Himes — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 18:31:54 GMT

TOP TWENTY JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2018 BY GEOFFREY HIMES

1. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels + Lucinda Williams: Vanished Gardens (Blue Note)

2. Henry Threadgill: Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus (Pi)

3. Steve Coleman: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (Pi)

4. Wayne Shorter: Emanon (Blue Note)

5. Todd Marcus: On These Streets (A Baltimore Story) (Stricker Street)

6. Jason Moran & Bandwagon: Looks of a Lot (Yes)

7. Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads the Constitution! (Nonesuch)

8. Bill Frisell: Music Is (Okeh)

9. Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band: Presence (Smoke Sessions)

10. SFJazz Collective: Live: SFJazz Center 2017 (SFJazz)

11. Kat Edmonson: Old Fashioned Girl (Spinnerette)

12. Michael Leonhart Orchestra: The Painted Lady Suite (Sunnyside)

13. Allison Miller Carmen Staaf: Science Fair (Sunnyside)

14. Matthew Shipp Quartet: Sonic Fiction (ESP)

15. Jonathan Finlayson: 3 Times Round (Pi)

16. Anat Cohen/Fred Hersch: Live in Healdsburg (Anzic)

17. Jason Palmer: Rhyme and Reason (Giant Steps)

18. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Soundprints: Scandal (Greenleaf)

19. Hamid Drake, Ralph M. Jones, Adam Rudolph: Karuna (Meta)

20. Cyrus Chestnut: Kaleidoscope (HighNote)

TOP TWENTY NON-JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2018 BY GEOFFREY HIMES

1. Kevin Gordon: Tilt & Shine (Crowville)

2. Bettye LaVette: Things Have Changed (Verve)

3. Alejandro Escovedo & Don Antonio: The Crossing (Yep Roc)

4. The Decemberists: I’ll Be Your Girl (Capitol)

5. Rosanne Cash: She Remembers Everything (Blue Note)

6. Ashley McBryde: Girl Going Nowhere (Atlantic)

7. Meshell Ndegeocello: Ventriloquism (Naive)

8. Ashley McBryde: Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Bros. Nashville)

9. Pistol Annies: Interstate Gospel (RCA/ShopKeeper)

10. Courtney Marie Andrews: May Your Kindness Remain (Mama Bird)

11. Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis: Wild! Wild! Wild! (Bloodshot)

12. Paul McCartney: Egypt Station (Capitol)

13. Charley Crockett: Lonesome as a Shadow (Thirty Tigers)

14. Lonnie Holley: Mith (Jagjaguway)

15. Paul Kelly: Nature (Cooking Vinyl/Gawd Aggie)

16. Old Crow Medicine Show: Volunteers (Columbia)

17. Blood Orange: Negro Swan (Domino)

18. Lucero: Among the Ghosts (Liberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers)

19. Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Look Now (Concord)

20. The Bottle Rockets: Bit Logic (Bloodshot)

TOP TEN HISTORICAL ALBUMS OF 2018 BY GEOFFREY HIMES

1. Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)

2. The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) Super Deluxe Edition (Capitol)

3. John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once (Impulse)

4. Bobbie Gentry: The Girl from Chickasaw County (Capitol)

5. The Kinks: Village Green Preservation Society (BMG)

6. Neil Young: Roxy: Tonight's the Night (Reprise)

7. The Louvin Brothers: Love and Wealth: The Lost Recordings (Modern Harmonic)

8. Bob Dylan: More Blood, More Tracks (Columbia/Legacy)

9. Woody Shaw: Tokyo ’81 (Elemental)

10. Maggie Roche: Where Do I Come From: Selected Songs (Storysound)

Laurence Donohue-Greene

Laurence Donohue-Greene — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 22:25:17 GMT

Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor (The New York City Jazz Record)

BEST NEW RELEASES (2018)

Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids - An Angel Fell (Strut)

Sylvie Courvoisier Trio - D’Agala (Intakt)

Dave Holland (Evan Parker, Craig Taborn) - Uncharted Territories (Dare2)

Lee Konitz/Dan Tepfer - Decade (Impulse)

Michael Leonhart Orchestra - The Painted Lady Suite (Sunnyside)

Johan Lindström Septett - Music For Empty Halls (Moserobie)

Brian Marsella Trio - Outspoken: The Music of the Legendary Hasaan (Tzadik)

Christian McBride - New Jawn (Mack Avenue-Brother Mister Prod.)

Thumbscrew - Theirs (Cuneiform)

John Zorn - In a Convex Mirror (Tzadik)

MUSICIANS OF THE YEAR (2018): Satoko Fujii; Joel Ross; Mary Halvorson

HISTORICAL RELEASES OF THE YEAR (2018)

1- Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet - The Complete Lansdowne Recordings (1965-1969) (Jazzman)

2- Various - The Savory Collection 1935-1940 (Mosaic)

3- John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album (Impulse-Verve)

W. Royal Stokes

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 17:53:36 GMT

10 BEST NEW RELEASES OF 2018

Don Byron & Aruan Ortiz: Random Dances &(A)tonalities (Intakt Records)

Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Live At The Village Vanguard Vol. I (The Embedded Sets) (PI Recordings)

Diva Jazz Orchestra, 25th Anniversary Project (ArtistShare)

Stefon Harris & Blackout, Sonic Creed (Motema Music)

Monika Herzig, Sheroes (Whaling City Sound)

McClenty Hunter Jr., The Groove Hunter (Strikezone Records)

Roger Kellaway Trio, New Jazz Standards Vol. 3 (Summit Records)

Ernie Krivda, A Bright And Shining Moment (Capri Records Ltd.)

Roberta Piket, West Coast Trio (13th Note Records)

Joshua Redman, Still Dreaming (Nonesuch)

3 BEST REISSUE OR HISTORICAL RELEASES

Gene Krupa Quartet, Live 1966 (Dot Time Legends)

New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Goin’ to New Orleans (Black Eagle/blackeagles.com)

The Savory Collection 1935-1940 (Mosaic)

BEST VOCAL RELEASE

Tessa Souter, Picture in Black and White (NOA Records)

BEST DEBUT RELEASE

Mariel Austin Rock-Jazz Orchestra, Runner in the Rain (Mariel Austin/marielaustin.com)

BEST LATIN JAZZ RELEASE

Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Back to the Sunset (Dafnison Music)

For my expanded NOTABLE RELEASES OF 2018 and my A ROUNDUP OF 125 OR SO JAZZ, BLUES, BEYOND, AND OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO please go to wroyalstokes.com.

J Hunter

Sat, 22 Dec 2018 20:39:25 GMT

Top Ten Jazz2K Discs of 2018:

SHAKERS N' BAKERS - Heart Love (Little I Music)
CHICK COREA & STEVE GADD BAND - Chinese Butterfly (Concord / Stretch)
BEN WENDEL - The Seasons (Motema)
DARRYL YOKLEY'S SOUND REFORMATION - Pictures at an African Exhibition (TruthRevolution Records)
ORRIN EVANS & THE CAPTAIN BLACK BIG BAND - Presence (Smoke Sessions)
BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO - Seymour Reads the Constitution! (Nonesuch)
CHRISTIAN McBRIDE - Christian McBride's New Jawn (Mack Avenue)
SCOTT PETITO - Rainbow Gravity (Planet Arts)
JAMES WEIDMAN - Spiritual Impressions (Inner Circle Music)
JOE LOCKE - Subtle Disguise (Origin)

-----

And now, the winners of the 2018 Jazz2K Awards:

BEST VOCAL DISC

TESSA SOUTER - Picture in Black & White (NOA)

BEST SOLO OR DUO DISC

BILL FRISELL - Music IS (OKeh)

BEST PARTY DISC

MIKE CLARK & DELBERT BUMP - Retro Report (Ropeadope)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

JOHN SCOFIELD - Combo 66 (Verve)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (Best First release)

JAMES FRANCIES - Flight (Blue Note)

LOCAL HERO AWARD (Best Regional Release)

CHRIS PASIN - Ornettiquette (Planet Arts)

Monifa Brown

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 23:55:38 GMT

Here is a rundown of my top ten favorite recordings of 2018 in addition to my two favorite reissues:

*SF Jazz Collective CD: Live at SF Jazz Center 2017-Original Compositions & The Music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder, & Thelonious Monk. (SFJazz Records)

*Eddie Henderson-Be Cool (Smoke Sessions)

*McClenty Hunter-Groove Hunter (Strikezone Records)

*Kenny Barron-Concentric Circles (Blue Note)

*Shamie Royston- Uplifted Heart (Sunnyside)

*Allan Harris-The Genius of Eddie Jefferson (Resilience Music)

*Renee Rosnes-Beloved Of The Sky (Smoke Sessions)

*Stefon Harris & Blackout-Sonic Creed (Motema)

*Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band-West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads)

*Kurt Elling-The Questions (Okeh/Sony Masterworks)

Reissues

*Miles Davis John Coltrane-The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Sony Legacy)

*Erroll Garner-Nighconcert (Mack Avenue)

John Chacona

John Chacona — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 15:36:03 GMT

My ten favorite (not necessarily best) releases of the year.

Usual disclaimers apply. I only chose what I heard (I did not hear "Emanon" among other eminent releases). Submitted using the qualifying release date interval and the format of the NPR Poll. I'm lazy.

IMHO, this was a strong year, and my choices were arrived at without much angst. There were 62 releases that were finalists for this list, which, I think, speaks to the strength of the scene.

Here goes:

Ten best new releases

Miles Okazaki: Work (Complete, Volumes 1-6) (self)
Makaya McCraven: Universal Beings (International Anthem Recording Co.)
Steve Coleman & Five Elements: Live At The Village Vanguard Vol. I (Pi Recordings)
James Brandon Lewis/Chad Taylor: Radiant Imprints (Off Records)
Andrew Cyrille: Lebroba (ECM)
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin: Awase (ECM)
Henry Threadgill / 14 or 15 Kestra: AGG: Dirt... And More Dirt (Pi Recordings)
Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (Firehouse 12)
Thiefs: Graft (Jazz & People)
Code Girl: Mary Halvorson (Firehouse 12)

Reissues or Historical albums

Anthony Braxton: Sextet (Parker) 1993 (Firehouse 12)
John Coltrane: Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album (Verve)
Woody Shaw: Live In Bremen 1983 (Elemental Music)

Best vocal album

William Parker: Voices Fall From The Sky (Aum Fidelity)

Best debut album

Ben LaMar Gay: Downtown Castles Can’t Block the Sun (International Anthem Recording Co.)

Best Latin jazz CD

Román Filiú: Quartería (Sunny Side Records)

Philip Booth

Philip Booth — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 17:08:19 GMT

My list of ten favorite 2018 releases, along with 25 other notable new recordings, and historical releases. Listed alphabetically, as I hate numerical rankings.

Kenny Barron Quintet, Concentric Circles (Blue Note)

Eddie Daniels, Heart of Brazil: A Tribute to Egberto Gismonti (Resonance)

Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart, Toy Tunes (Pirouet)

Chris Lightcap, Superette (Royal Potato Family)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas/Sound Prints, Scandal (Greenleaf)

Nolatet, No Revenge Necessary (Royal Potato Family)

Joshua Redman/Ron Miles/Scott Colley/Brian Blade, Still Dreaming (Nonesuch)

Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads)

Antonio Sanchez (featuring WDR Big Band), Channels of Energy (CamJazz)

Wayne Shorter, Emanon (Blue Note)

----------

Historical

John Coltrane, Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Impulse)

Miles Davis and John Coltrane, The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)

Charlie Haden & Brad Mehldau, Long Ago and Far Away (Impulse)

Fred Hersch Trio, ‘97 @ The Village Vanguard (Palmetto)

Art Pepper, Unreleased Art Pepper Vol. 10: Toronto (Widow’s Taste)

---------------

25 other Notable Jazz Releases

Antonio Adolfo: Encontros -- Orquestra Atlantica (AAM)

Ambrose Akinmusire, Origami Harvest (Blue Note)

Roni Ben-Hur & Harvie S, Introspection (Jazzheads)

Anat Cohen & Fred Hersch, Live in Healdsburg (Anzic)

Chick Corea, The Musician (Concord)

Rob Dixon Trio featuring Charlie Hunter & Mike Clark, Coast to Crossroads (Rob Dixon)

Bill Frisell, Music IS (Okeh/Sony)

Aaron Goldberg, At the Edge of the World (Sunnyside)

Jimmy Haslip/Scott Kinsey/Gergo Borlai, Arc Trio (Blue Canoe)

Carlos Henriquez, Dizzy Con Clave (RodBros)

Fred Hersch Trio, Live in Europe (Palmetto Records)

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels + Lucinda Williams, Vanished Gardens (Blue Note)

Medeski Martin & Wood with Alarm Will Sound, Omnisphere (Indirecto)

Brad Mehldau Trio, Seymour Reads the Constitution! (Nonesuch)

Hendrik Meurkens/Bill Cunliffe, Cabin in the Sky (Height Advantage)

Francois Moutin & Kavita Shaw, Interplay (Dot Time)

Bill O'Connell, Jazz Latin (Savant)

Houston Person & Ron Carter, Remember Love (HighNote)

Charles Pillow Large Ensemble, Electric Miles (MAMA)

Dan Pugachi Nonet, Plus One (Unit)

Cecile McLorin Salvant, The Window (Mack Avenue)

SFJAZZ Collective, Original Compositions & the Music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder & Thelonious Monk (SFJAZZ)

John Scofield, Combo 66 (Verve)

Dr. Lonnie Smith, All in My Mind (Blue Note)Jim Snidero & Jeremy Pelt, Jubilation! Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (Savant)

Kamasi Washington, Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)

David R. Adler

David Adler — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 01:48:02 GMT

I saw Ted Panken, John Murph and other fellow jazz scribes discussing the utility or non-utility of Year-End Top 10 lists and it made me want to try something different. I do have a Top 10, but rather than impose that kind of fixity on 2018 I thought I’d put my Top 10 last, not first. And in its place I’m doing what I do naturally every year: keep tallies in different categories that add up to a fuller story about where the music went and what I responded to most. So here is 2018 in debut albums, solo albums, duo albums and large ensemble albums. And then finally my Top 10.

Debut Albums:

Justin Brown, Nyeusi (Biophilia)

Big Heart Machine (Outside In)

Rogério Boccato Quarteto, No Old Rain (Red Piano)

Noam Wiesenberg, Roads Diverge (BJU)

James Francies, Flight (Blue Note)

Yuhan Su, City Animals (Sunnyside)

Jonathan Barber, Vision Ahead (ind.)

Ben LaMar Gay, Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun (International Anthem)

Matthew Lux, Contra/Fact (Astral Spirits)

Miki Yamanaka, Miki (Cellar Live)

Joe Armon-Jones, Starting Today (Brownswood)

JinJoo Yoo, I’m Curious (Gut String)

Mayu Saeki, Hope (BJU)

Blue Lab Beats, Xover (All Points)

Gene Jackson Trio Nuyorx, Power of Love (Red River)

William Tatge Trio, General Cargo (BJU)

MND FLO, From Time (ind.)

Solo Albums:

Brad Mehldau, After Bach (Nonesuch)

Mike Seal, Dogwoods (ind.)

Josh Sinton, krasa (ind.)

Rob Clearfield, Wherever You’re Starting From (Woodgathering)

Miles Okazaki, Work: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk, Vols. 1-6 (ind.)

George Colligan, Nation Divided (Whirlwind)

Keith Jarrett, La Fenice (ECM)

Wendy Eisenberg, Its Shape Is Your Touch (VDSQ)

Alan Pasqua, Soliloquy (ind.)

Dan Tepfer, Natural Machines (YouTube)

Duo Albums:

Mark Turner & Ethan Iverson, Temporary Kings (ECM)

Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner, Faroe (Sunnyside)

Jonathan Kreisberg & Nelson Veras, Kreisberg Meets Veras (New For Now)

Tim Berne & Matt Mitchell, Angel Dusk (screwgun)

Frank Carlberg & Noah Preminger, Whispers and Cries (Red Piano)

Michael Coleman & Ben Goldberg, Practitioner (BAG)

Anteloper (Jaimie Branch/Jason Nazary), Kudu (International Anthem)

Will Holshouser & Eric Vloeimans, Will & Eric (Aviary)

Lee Konitz & Dan Tepfer, Decade (Verve)

Robbie Lee & Mary Halvorson, Seed Triangular (New Amsterdam)

Ben Wendel, Standards with Friends (YouTube)

Large Ensemble Albums:

Michael Leonhart Orchestra, The Painted Lady Suite (Sunnyside)

Big Heart Machine (Outside In)

Orrin Evans & Captain Black Big Band, Presence (Smoke Sessions)

Barney McAll feat. Monash Art Ensemble, Zephyrix (Extra Celestial)

Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Down a Rabbit Hole (Summit)

Antonio Sanchez, Channels of Energy (CAM Jazz)

Luzia von Wyl Ensemble, Throwing Coins (Hathut)

Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Back to the Sunset (Dafnison)

Miho Hazama, The Monk: Live at Bimhuis (Sunnyside)

Pedro Giraudo & The WDR Big Band, An Argentinian in New York (Zoho)

Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band, Always Forward (Alternate Side)

Top 10 Albums:

Wayne Shorter, Emanon (Blue Note)

Miguel Zenón featuring Spektral Quartet, Yo Soy La Tradición (Miel)

Esperanza Spalding, 12 Little Spells (Concord)

Cécile McLorin Salvant, The Window (Mack Avenue)

Miles Okazaki, Work: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk, Vols. 1-6 (ind.)

Caroline Davis, Heart Tonic (Sunnyside)

The Bad Plus, Never Stop II (Legbreaker)

Dan Weiss, Starebaby (Pi)

Robbie Lee & Mary Halvorson, Seed Triangular (New Amsterdam)

Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret, The Other Side of Air (Firehouse 12)

Marcela Breton

Marcela Breton — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 15:55:59 GMT

These are a few of my favorite CDs in 2018:

Leny Andrade "Bossa Nossa : Leny Andrade Canta Fred Falcão (Biscoito Fino)

Roxy Coss "The Future is Female" (Posi-tone)

Champian Fulton "The Stylings of Champian" (Champian Records) (2 CDs)

Jeff Hamilton Trio "Live at San Pedro" (Capri)

Azar Lawrence "Elementals" (HighNote)

Jorge Nila "Tenor Time" (Ninjazz Records)

Orquesta Akokán “Orquesta Akokán" (Concord)

Eddie Palmieri "Full Circle" (Uprising)

Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band "West Side Story Reimagined" (Jazzheads)(2 CDs)

Lauren Sevian "Bliss" (Posi-tone)

Chucho Valdés “Jazz Batá 2” (Mack Avenue)

Los Van Van "Legado" (Egrem)

Reissues:

Various “The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions” (Craft) (5 CDs)

Alice Coltrane “Spiritual Eternal : the Complete Warner Bros. Studio Recordings” (Real Gone Music) (2 CDs)

Dexter Gordon "Tokyo 1975" (Elemental Music)

Helen Humes "The Helen Humes Collection,1927-62" (Acrobat) (2 CDs)

Charles Mingus “Live at Montreaux 1975” (Eagle Rock Entertainment) (2 CDs)

Teddy Wilson "Classic Brunswick & Columbia Sessions 1934-42" (Mosaic) (7 CDs)

Steve Feeney

Stephen Feeney — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 20:46:59 GMT

TOP TEN 2018:

Wayne Shorter – Emanon (Blue Note)

Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (Young Turks Recordings)

William Parker – Voices Fall From The Sky (Centering)

Mary Halvorson – Code Girl (Firehouse 12)

Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories (Dare2 Records)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas/Sound Prints: Scandal (Greenleaf)

Brad Mehldau Trio – Seymour Reads the Constitution (Nonesuch)

Kenny Barron – Concentric Circles (Blue Note)

Thumbscrew – Theirs (Cuneiform Records)

Andrew Cyrille – Lebroba (ECM)

Vocal:

William Parker – Voices Fall From The Sky (Centering)

Debut:

John Bailey – In Real Time (Summit Records)

Latin:

David Virelles – Igbo Alakoron (The Singer’s Grove) Vol. I & II (Pi Recordings)

Historical:

Dexter Gordon Quartet – Espace Cardin 1977 (Elemental Music)

John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Impulse)

Fred Hersch – Fred Hersch Trio ’97 Live @The Village Vanguard (Palmetto)

John Szwed

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:13:34 GMT

1 Wayne Shorter Emanon Blue Note

2 Frank Kimbrough Monk’s Dreams: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Sphere

Monk Sunnyside

3 Charles Lloyd Vanished Gardens Blue Note

4 Mark Masters Our Metier Capri

5 Myra Melford, The Other Side of Air Firehouse 12

6 Wolfgang Muthspiel Where the River Flows ECM

7 Matthew Shipp Sonic Fiction ESP

8 Jacob Sachs, Fishes Clean Feed

9 Mark Turner and Ethan Iverson Temporary Kings ECM

10 The Oakland Elementary School Arkestra. The Saga of Padani. Modern Harmonic

Reissues:

1 The Savory Collection 1935-1940 Mosaic

2 Charles Mingus Jazz in Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden Strata Media

3 John Coltrane The Lost Album Impulse

Latin:

David Virelles. Igbo Alakorin (The Singer’s Grove, Vol 1 & 2. Pi

Christopher Burnett

Christopher Burnett — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 15:22:51 GMT

Jazz Artistry Now – 2018 marks the 17th year I have submitted a “Top Jazz” recordings list for consideration.

PARAMETERS

This is the same list submitted to the Jazz Journalists Association and posted to my long-time “Musings In Cb” blog as well. The list contains links to the recordings or published reviews.

Readers are encouraged to listen and enjoy these records for themselves.

The parameters of this list conclude that all of these recordings are objectively brilliant in artistry and scope.

Therefore I do not rank them – it’s all great work.

Jazz Artistry Now only reviews work that we justly believe to be in the 4.0- to 4.5- out of 5.0-star range.

You will find music by widely-publicized jazz musicians and not-so-well-known alike. That’s cool.

I always include recordings released on our Artists Recording Collective label because we believe the inherent nature of acceptance into the collective ensures the quality of music we release is organically among the best recordings produced each year.

There is also a mixture of “types” of jazz among the music listed here – from melodic and traditional-sounding music to progressive, improvised and abstract experimentations. That’s cool too.

Again, we hope that you explore these particular works along with your normal listening playlists.

Thanks for reading.

~ Christopher Burnett, a JAN editor, writer, and a professional voting member: Jazz Journalists Association

[ JAN ‘Best of Jazz’ 2018 Reviews ]

JAN REVIEW SCALE

JAN uses a 5-point scale for reviews. We only review music we think is in the 4.0 to 4.5 out of 5 stars range. So, all of the music reviewed here is the best of the best in our editorial and collectively informed opinions.

Our highest review rating is 4.5 because objective reality remains that nobody is 5 stars. We know that some writers and publications give fives. But, is there really a five-out-of-five recording, though? We say not. So, if we write about yours, or your client’s recording, it is likely among the best music being released by any scale.

When JAN publishes a review, the recording is representative of the best jazz artistry now.

# # #

www.JazzArtistryNow.com

[ ARC Records 2018 Stellar Releases ]

[ Christopher Burnett’s 2018 personal picks ]

Logan Richardson …state of the art alto saxophonist whose original voice has matured and moved the music forward into this Century.
Ernest Melton …a young prodigy who is a refreshing throwback to the era when the essence of the music was learned from elders on the bandstand and many hours in the personal woodshed.
Sean Conly …hey, everybody – modern jazz sounds like this.
Dan Arcamone …genius is often bandied about in jazz, but in the case of this thoughtful and formidable artist, I say not – he is a ‘genius.’

Ken Franckling

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:16:37 GMT

The 10 best new jazz releases of 2018

1.       Jeff Hamilton Trio, Live from San Pedro (Capri)
2.       Benjamin Boone and Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)
3.       Lynne Arriale Trio, Give Us These Days (Challenge)
4.       Eric Alexander, Song of No Regrets (HighNote)
5.       Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs, Essiet Okon Essiet Passion Reverence Transcendence (Whaling City Sound)
6.       Fred Hersch Trio, Live in Europe (Palmetto)
7.       Yelena Eckemoff, Desert (L&H)
8.       Mica Bethea Big Band, Suite Theory (self-produced)
9.       Roxy Coss, The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone)
10.    Dongfeng Liu, China Carib (Zoho)

2018’s best vocal recording: Amy Cervini, No One Ever Tells You (Anzic)

The best historical/reissues of 2018 (includes any recordings made over 10 years ago, whether newly released or reissued):
1.     John Coltrane, Both Directions at Once: The Lost Sessions (Verve)
2.     Esbjorn Svensson Trio, E.S.T. Live in London (ACT)
3.   Fred Hersch Trio, '97 @ The Village Vanguard (self-produced)

2018’s best Latin/Brazilian jazz recordings:

1.     Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Back to the Sunset (Dafnison)
2.     Bobby Sanabria, West Side Story Revimagined (JazzHeads)
3.     Antonio Adolfo, Encontros - Orquestra Atlantica (AAM)
4.     Akira Tana, JAZZaNOVA (Vega)
5.     Eddie Daniels, Heart of Brazil (Resonance)

The 10 best new compositions from CDs released in 2018, listed alphabetically:

Lynne Arriale, “Appassionata” from Give Us These Days (Challenge)
Benjamin Boone, The Unknowable (Homage to Sonny Rollins)” from Benjamin Boone and Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)
Roxy Coss, “Females are Strong as Hell” from The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone)
Yelena Eckemoff, “Bedouins” from Desert (L&H)
Thomas Fonnesbæk, “Panic Attack” from Fonnesbæk and Kauflin, Synesthesia (Storyville)
Ken Fowser, “Coming Up Shorter” from Don’t Look Down (Posi-Tone)
Benito Gonzalez, “Brazilian Girls” from Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs, Essiet Okon Essiet Passion Reverence Transcendence (Whaling City Sound)
Fred Hersch, “Newklypso” from Fred Hersch Trio, Live in Europe (Palmetto)
Monika Herzig, “Nancy Wilson Portrait” from Sheroes (Whaling City Sound)
Dongfeng Liu, “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon” from China Carib (Zoho)

Rick Mitchell

Rick Mitchell — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 01:30:47 GMT

Here are the top 30 tracks from 2018 releases featured on my radio programs Jazz In the New Millennium (syndicated nationally through the African American Public Radio Consortium) and The Motif/Jazz In the Afternoon (KBOO.FM, Portland, Oregon). They are not in ranked order, but I have divided them into two discs, "Geezer Jazz" and "Not-So-Geezer Jazz." I would add that while evaluating jazz through the prism of how it is going to be received on the radio can dilute one's taste, it can also hone it. I don't have to prove how hip I am; I just want to do right by the music and for people to keep listening. Peace.

Geezer Jazz

"One Up, One Down (Take 1)," John Coltrane

"Fly With the Wind," Benito Gonzalez/Gerry Gibbs/Essiet Okun Essiet

"Blues for Langston and Larue," Charles Lloyd and the Marvels

"Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy," Paul Simon

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Dr. Lonnie Smith

"Que Sera Sera," Marcus Miller

"El Guije," Chucho Valdes

"Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean," Wayne Shorter

"DPW," Kenny Barron Quintet

"Dang Swing," John Scofield

"Nobody Said Love Was Easy," Karrin Allyson

"Close Enough for Jazz," Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco

"I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," Wynton Marsalis Septet w/ Ray Charles

"Submarine," Bob James

"Merry Christmas Baby," Les McCann

Not-So-Geezer Jazz

"It Don't Mean a Thing," Grace Kelly

"Respond," R+R=Now

"Save Your Love for Me," Tia Fuller

"General Thunder," Julian Lage

"Hialeah," Harold Lopez Nussa

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow," Kamasi Washington

"Just the Two of Us," Jose James

"Timing," Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life

"14th Street Bounce," Corcoran Holt

"Fight for Freedom," Christian Sands

"Walkin' Funny," Christian McBride

"The Gentleman Is a Dope," Cecile McLorin Salvant

"The Very Thought of You," Joey Alexander feat. Joshua Redman

"Boffadem," The Bad Plus

"Atomic Dog 2017," Me'Shell Ndegeocello

Top Ten Albums of the Year (Across Category, based on Lester Bangs' honest criterion of what got the most play at home, in the car and on the radio)

1. Charles Lloyd and the Marvels + Lucinda Williams, Vanished Gardens (Blue Note)

2. Ry Cooder, The Prodigal Son (Fantasy)

3. Dr. Lonnie Smith, All In My Mind (Blue Note)

4. Buddy Guy, The Blues Is Alive and Well (Silvertone/RCA)

5. Chucho Valdes, Jazz Bata 2 (Mack Avenue)

6. Bettye Lavette, Things Have Changed (Verve)

7. Boz Scaggs, Out of the Blues (Concord)

8. Harold Lopez Nussa, Un Dia Cualquiera (Mack Avenue)

9. Julian Lage, Modern Lore (Mack Avenue)

10. Jose James, Lean On Me (Blue Note)

Nancy Barell

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 16:50:22 GMT

Leslie Pintchik You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine,You Steal My Girl Pinch Hard

Martin Wind Light Blue Laika

Cecile McLorin Salvant The Window Mack Avenue

Jeremy Pelt Noir En Rouge High Note

Fred Hersh Trio Live In Europe Palmetto

Sachal Vasandani Shadow Train GSI

Amy Cervini NoOne Ever Tells You Anzic

Cyrille Aimee Cyrille Aimee Live Mack Ave

Eric Alexander Song Of No Regrets High Note

Stacey Kent I Know I Dream The Orchestral Sessions Okeh

Nancy Barell Jazz Spotlight On Sinatra

Purejazzradio.org

Hrayr Attarian

Hrayr Attarian — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 02:48:15 GMT

My Best of 2018

1) Kenny Barron "Concentric Circles" (Blue Note)

2) Roxy Coss "The Future is Female" (Posi-Tone)

3) Monika Herzig "Sheroes" (Whaling City Sound)

4) Steve Coleman "Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets)" (Pi Recordings)

5) Henry Threadgill "Dirt… And More Dirt" (Pi Recordings)

6) Satoko Fujii "Solo" (Libra)

7) Andrew Cyrille "Lebroba" (ECM)

8) Henry Threadgill "Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus" (Pi)

9) Keith Jarrett "La Fenice" (ECM)

10) Carol Liebowitz and and Birgitta Flick "Malita-Malika" (Leo)

Reissues

1) Woody Shaw "Tokyo' 81" (Elemental)

2) Sun Ra "Discipline 27-11" (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

3) Dexter Gordon "Tokyo 75" (Elemental)

Sammy Stein

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:23:00 GMT

My best Jazz Bits of 2018

Where to begin is the first question. 2018 has seen many stellar recordings, gigs and surprising live experiences, both in the UK and in South America, where I spent much of the year.

Highlight releases include

Ed Jones' album, Prick Up Your Ears' (impossible Ark'

Mark Ward 'Moving Day' ( Edition 66)

Mats Gustafsson's Fire! The Hands (Rune Gramofon)

Paul Jolly and Mike Adcock 'Risky Furniture' (33 Jazz)

Han Bennink, Steve Noble and Alexander Hawkins 11.1.17 (Otoruku)

John Edwards/Mark Sangers/John Hall FGBH (Entr'Acte)

Monk - Monk (Gearbox)

Wayne Shorter 'Emanon' (Blue Note Records)

Writing Highlights - writing with Mats Gustafsson for Free Jazz Collective. Mats did the pictures and I did the narrative about his trip to Columbia.

Also, reviews of gigs including Full Blast at Café Oto - Peter's incredible energy and musical mastery were just amazing.

Other highlights include the amazing women who have come in on my new book which has been commissioned by 8th House Publishing in Canada and some great reviews for my last book ' All That's Jazz' on All About Jazz and Amazon as well as elsewhere, which was incredible.

Sanford Josephson

Sanford Josephson — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 15:09:15 GMT

Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Love is Here to Stay (Verve)

Scott Hamilton, Live at Pyatt Hall (Cellar Live)

Eric Alexander, Songs of No Regret (HighNote)

Houston Person, Ron Carter, Remember Love (HighNote)

Harold Mabern, The Iron Man (Smoke Sessions)

Don Braden, Earth Wind and Wonder (Creative Perspective)

Adrian Cunningham, Ken Peplowski, Duologue (Arbors)

Jeff Hamilton Trio, Live From San Pedro (Capri Records)

Eddie Daniels, Heart of Brazil (Resonance Records)

John Pietaro

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 02:17:55 GMT

MY OWN 'BEST OF 2018' - a perhaps alternative view...

Albums

New Releases:

John Zorn, The Urmuz Epigrams (Tzadik)

Harriet Tubman, Araminta (Sunnyside)

Marty Ehrlich, Trio Exaltation (Clean Feed)

Ra Kalam Bob Moses and Bukky Leo, Spaceships Over Africa (Ra Kalam)

Benjamin Boone/Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)

Yusef Komunyakaa/David Cieri/Mike Brown, White Dust (Ropeadopa)

Christine Correa and Ran Blake, Streaming (Red Piano)

Elliot Levin/Gabriel Lauber Duo, Yu (Dimensional Recordings)

Historic:

Coltrane, Both Directions at Once (Impulse)

Walt Dickerson/Richard Davis - Divine Gemini (SteepleChase)

Latin : Arturo O’Farrill, Fandango at the Wall (Resilience)

Vocals : Christine Correa and Ran Blake, Streaming (Red Piano)

Debuts: Benjamin Boone/Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)

Concert:

I Never Left and Now I’m Back: A Tribute to Roswell Rudd (Nov 17, 2018, Murmrr, Brooklyn)

Musicians:

piano:

Ran Blake

Chris Forbes

Matt Shipp

organ:

Matthew Whitaker

bass:

Ken Filiano

Adam Lane

drums:

Milford Graves

Nasheet Waits

Kenny Wolleson

vibes:

Brian Carrot

Bill Ware

Patricia Brennan

percussion:

Warren Smith

Cyro Baptista

Ches Smith

guitar:

Marc Ribot

Brandon Ross

Mary Halvorson

On' Kai Davis

flute:

Nicole Mitchell

Steve Gorn

soprano saxophone:

Lee Odom

alto:

Sonny Fortune

Gary Bartz

Avram Fefer

tenor:

Joe Lovano

Ras Moshe

James Brandon Lewis

bari:

Dave Sewlson

trumpet:

Wadada Leo Smith

Tom Harrell

trombone:

Steve Swell

tuba:

Bob Stewart

violin:

Gwen Laster

vocals:

Cassandra Wilson

Jay Clayton

Sheila Jordan

poetry:

Steve Dalachinsky

Amina Baraka

Venues:

Minton’s Playhouse (Harlem)

Village Vanguard (West Village)

Joe’s Pub (SoHo/East Village)

ShapeShifter Lab (Park Slope/Gowanus Bklyn)

Roulette (Boerum Hill Bklyn)

17 Frost (Williamsburg Bklyn)

Scholes Street Studio (Williamsburg Bklyn)

The Colony (Woodstock NY)

Bill Milkowski

Bill Milkowski — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 20:18:23 GMT

THE BEST OF 2018

1. JD Allen, Love Stone (Savant)
2. John Scofield, Combo 66 (Verve)
3. Bill Frisell, Music IS (OKeh/Sony Masterworks)
4. Francois Moutin & Kavita Shah, Interplay (Dot Time)
5. Michael Leonhart Orchestra, The Painted Lady Suite (Sunnyside)
6. Wayne Shorter, Emanon (Blue Note)
7. Eddie Henderson, Be Cool (Smoke Sessions Records)
8. Andrew Cyrille, Lebroba (EMC)
9. Joshua Redman, Still Dreaming (Nonesuch)
10. Carlos Hernandez, Dizzy Con Clave (Rodbros Music)

11. Rudy Royston, Flatbed Buggy (Greenleaf Music)
12. Kurt Elling, The Questions (OKeh)
13. Steve Cardenas, Charlie and Paul (Newvelle)
14. Ben Allison, Quiet Revolution (Sonic Camera)
15. Henry Threadgill, Dirt…And More Dirt (Pi Recordings)
16. Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret, The Other Side of Air (Firehouse 12)
17. Dr. Lonnie Smith, All In My Mind (Blue Note)
18. Cuong Vu, Change in the Air (RareNoise)
19. The Nels Cline 4, Currents, Constellations (Blue Note)
20. Mary Halvorson-Bill Frisell, The Maid With The Flaxen Hair — A Tribute to Johnny Smith (Tzadik)
21. Adam Nussbaum, The Lead Belly Project (Sunnyside)
22. Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Back to the Sunset (Dafnison Music)
23. Marshall Gilkes w/WDR Big Band, Always Forward (Alternate Side Records)
24. Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads)
25. The Gil Evans Orchestra, Hidden Treasures, Vol. 1 (Geo)
26. Ralph Peterson’s Gen-Next Big Band, I Remember Bu: Alive Vol. 4 at Sculler’s (Onyx)
27. Ralph Peterson’s Aggregate Prime, Inward Venture: Alive Vol. 5 at the Side Door (Onyx)
28. Frank Kimbrough, Monk’s Dream (Sunnyside)
29. Davy Mooney/Ko Omura, Benign Strangers (Sunnyside)
30. The Chick Corea-Steve Gadd Band, Chinese Butterfly (Concord Jazz)
31. Joey Alexander, Eclipse (Motema Music)
32. Cecile McLorin Salvant, The Window (Mack Avenue)
33. Roman Filiu, Quarteria (Sunnyside) Mark Masters, Our Metier (Capri)
34. Fernando Garcia, Guasabara Puerto Rico (Zoho)
35. Jon Iragabon Quartet, Dr. Quixotic’s Traveling Exotics (Irrabagast)
36. Julian Lage, Modern Love (Mack Avenue)
37. Gilad Hekselman, Ask for Chaos (Hexaphonic/Motema Music)
38. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas, Scandal (Greenleaf)
39. Matthew Shipp, Sonic Fiction (ESP-Disk)
40. Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams, Vanished Gardens (Blue Note)
41. Christian McBride, New Jawn (Mack Avenue)
42. James Brandon Lewis/Chad Taylor, Radiant Imprints (Off Records)
43. Sylvie Courvoirsier, D’Agala (Intakt)
44. Bobby Previte, Rhapsody (Tzadik)
45. Thumbscrew, Theirs (Cuneiform)
46. Aaron Parks, Little Big (Ropeadope)
47. Jonathan Finlayson, 3 Times Round (Pi Recordings)
48. Marcus Miller, Laid Black (Blue Note)
49. Fima Ephron, Songs From The Tree (Fima)
50. Jean Chaumont, The Beauty of Differences (Musfitme Music)

Karl Ackermann

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 19:50:43 GMT

Best of 2018

Not Two, Amir ElSaffar/Rivers of Sound (New Amsterdam Records)

All the Rivers – Live at Panteão Nacional, Susana Santos Silva (Clean Feed Records)

Arild Andersen/Paolo Vinaccia/Tommy Smith In-House Science (ECM Records)

Zero, Matthew Shipp (ESP Disk)

Bright Force, Satoko Fujii’s Kira Kira (Libra Records)

Aruán Ortiz Trio with Brad Jones and Chad Taylor: Live in Zürich (Intakt Records)

Obsidian, Kit Downes (ECM Records)

Marcin Wasilewski Trio Live (ECM Records)

Lionel Loueke Close Your Eyes (Newvelle Records)

Introverted Cultures, Adam Berenson / Scott Barnum / Eric Hofbauer (Dream Play Records)

Esbjorn Svensson Trio e.s.t. live in London (ACT)

Keith Jarrett / Gary Peacock / Jack DeJohnette After The Fall (ECM Records)

Anniversary, Spanish Harlem Orchestra (ArtistShare)

Cyrille Aimée Live, Cyrille Aimée (Mack Avenue records)

Goya, Giuseppe Doronzo (Tora Records)

10³²K, The Law of Vibration (Self-Produced)

Tyshawn Sorey, Pillars (Firehouse 12)

Historical Albums:

Espace Cardin 1977, Dexter Gordon Quartet (Elemental Music)

Mønk, Thelonious Monk (Gearbox Records)

Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album, John Coltrane (Impulse!)

Joe Lang

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 19:28:10 GMT

TOP TEN LISTS 2018

Note, The numbering on these lists do not indicate the order of preference.

Small Groups

1. Holland-Coots Jazz Quintet – This Is So Nice It Must Be Illegal: A Tribute to Fats Waller and His Rhythm (Self-produced)

2. Dan Block – Block Party (Miles High – 8628)

3. Scott Hamilton & Rossano Sportiello – Live at Pyatt Hall (Cellar Live – 070217)

4. Vinnie Raniolo – Air Flight: Songs of Flight (Self-produced)

5. John Eaton & Jay Leonhart – Jerome Kern: The Master (Wolf Trap – 015)

6. Adrian Cunningham & Ken Peplowsi – Doulogue (Arbors – 19460)

7. Dennis Lichtman – Just Across the River (Triple Treble Music – 007)

8. Andy Schumm and His Sink-O-Pators – Futuristic Rhythms (Rivermont – 2244)

9. Bootsie Barnes & Larry McKenna – The More I See You (Cellar Live – 50718)

10. Joe Magnarelli – If You Could See Me Now (Cellar Live – 41818)

Big Bands

1. The New York All-Star Big Band – The Unheard Artie Shaw (HEP – 2104)

2. The DIVA Jazz Orchestra – 25^th Anniversary Project (Arttist Share – 166)

3. Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine – Tasty Tunes (Tall Man)

4. The Ken Peplowski Big Band – Sunrise (Arbors – 19458)

5. The Flying Horse Big Band – The Bat Swings (Flying Horse Records – 30518)

6. The Glenn Crytzer Orchestra – Ain’t It Grand? (Self-produced)

7. New England Jazz Ensemble with Gacomo Gates – Peter and the Wolf (Self- Produced)

8. Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra – Flyin’ Through Florida (Summit – 727)

9. The Count Basie Orchestra – All About Basie (Concord – 00109)

10. Bobby Sanabria – West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads – 1231)

Vocalists

1. Cheryl Bentyne – rearrangements of Shadows (Artist Share – 0157)

2. Veronica Swift and Jeff Rupert – Let’s Sail Away (Rupe Media -10311)

3. Alex Pangman – Alex Pangman’s Hot Three (Justin Time – 8610)

4. Jay Leonhart & Tomoko Ohno – Don’t You Wish (Chancellor Music)

5. Dave Tull – Texting and Driving (Toy Car Records 0210)

6. Daryl Sherman – Lost in a Crowd (Audiophile – 357)

7. Mark Winkler & Cheryl Bentyne – Eastern Standard Time (Café Pacific – 4065)

8. Cécile McLorin Salvant – The Window (Mack Avenue – 1132)

9. Petra Van Nuis & Dennis Luxon – Because We’re Night People (String Damper – 2136)

10. Ann Hampton Callaway – Jazz Goes to the Movies (Shanachie/After 9 – 5464)

Historical

1. Stan Kenton – Mellophonium Magic (Tantara – 1133)

2. Various Artists – The Herdsmen & the Kentonians: Paris Sessions 1954-1956 (Fresh Sound – 939)

3. Harry South – The Songbook (Rhythm and Blues Records – 040)

4. Rogér Guerin – La Formidable Roger Guerin: Paris Meetings (Fresh Sound – 942)

5. Wes Montgomery – In Paris (Resonance – 2032)

6. Oscar Peterson – Oscar Peterson Plays (Verve – 5380361)

7. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings (Verve – B0026763)

8. Erroll Garner – Nightconcert (Mack Avenue – 1142)

9. Louis Armstrong – Pops Is Tops (Verve – B0027518)

10. Dave McKenna – Dave McKenna in Madison (Arbors – 19467)