Pretty good year, I think. There were 369 releases in my 2019 file, and 63 of them made my semifinal list. I won't list the honorable mentions here; there are just too many of them. The list below exactly mirrors my NPR Poll list.
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)
and if that doesn't qualify as a new release, then:
Catherine Russell: Alone Together (Dot Time)
Best debut album
Harish Raghavan: Calls for Action (Whirlwind Recordings)
Best Latin jazz CD
Miguel Zenón: Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (Miel Music)