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"Top Ten" seems a rather arbitrary number, so here are my favorites out of about a thousand CDs which came my way last year. The selection is a personal choice based on musical merit and not necessarily popular appeal, sales, or airplay elsewhere. This is not a ranking, CDs are listed more or less in order received.
Grammy nominees are indicated with * except in the reissue/ historical section. The Grammy eligibility year is October through August, thus some of this year’s nominees appeared on our list last year, and some on this list may be nominated next year. Also, Grammy categories of Latin Jazz and Contemporary Jazz were eliminated this year, although some entries that would have been in those categories have shown up in others.
- Jim Wilke
Favorite Jazz | Reissues | Northwest | Earlier Picks
artist - album title - label ( * nominated for a Grammy )
Small groups -
Jane Ira Bloom - Wingwalker - Out-line
*Joe Lovano / Us Five - Bird Songs - Blue Note
Brian Lynch - Unsung Heroes - Hollistic Musicworks
Charlie Haden Quartet West - Sophisticated Ladies - EmArcy
Henry Franklin - The Soul of The World - Skipper Productions
Reeds & Deeds (Eric Alexander/Grant Stewart) - Tenor Time - Criss Cross
Storms/Nocturnes (Keezer/Locke/Garland) - Via - Origin
We3 (Liebman/Swallow/Nussbaum) - Amazing - Kind of Blue
Irvin Mayfield - A Love Letter to New Orleans - Basin Street
Terell Stafford - This Side of Strayhorn - MaxJazz
Rufus Reid - Hues of a Different Blue - Motema
Bill Smith/Enrico Pieranunzi - The Rome Sessions - Edipan
Sean Jones - No Need for Words - Mack Avenue
Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau - Live at Birdland - ECM
James Farm (Redman/Parks/Penman/Harland) - James Farm - Nonesuch
Organik Vibe Trio - Moscow - Organik Vibe Trio
Gary Burton - The New Gary Burton Quartet - Mack Avenue
Pat Metheny - What’s It All About - Nonesuch
Phil Woods & Bill Mays - Phil & Bill - Palmetto
Jay Ashby/Steve Davis - Mistaken Identity - MCG
Larry Vuckovich - Somethin’ Special - Tetrachord
*Donald Harrison - This is Jazz: Live at The Blue Note - Half Note
Tineke Postma - The Dawn of Light - Challenge
Roy Haynes - Roy-Alty - Dreyfus Jazz
Carol Morgan Quartet - Blue Glass Music - Blue Bamboo
3 Cohens - Family - Anzic
Pat Martino- Undeniable - HighNote
Guido Basso - Changing Partners - Rhythm Tracks
Charles Lloyd/Maria Farantouri - Athens Concert - ECM
Enrico Rava Quintet - Tribe - ECM
Ernie Watts Quartet- Oasis - Flying Dolphin
Eddie Daniels/Roger Kellaway - Live at The Library of Congress - IPO
Dave Douglas - Three Views - GreenLeaf
The Claudia Quintet + 1 - What Is The Beautiful - Cuneiform
*Sonny Rollins - Road Shows Vol.2 - Doxy / EmArcy
*nominated for a Grammy
Pianists & Friends -
*Fred Hersch - Alone at The Vanguard - Palmetto
Lynne Arriale - Convergence - Motema
Jessica Williams - Freedom Trane - Origin
Per Danielson Trio- Time Will Tell - Random Act
Benny Green- Source - Jazz Legacy
*Corea, Clarke & White - Forever - Concord
Dan Tepfer - Goldberg Variations / Variations - Sunnyside
Alan Pasqua - Twin Bill - BFM Jazz
*nominated for a Grammy
Vocalists - including pianists who sing
*Kurt Elling - The Gate - Concord
Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found - Obliq Sound
*Karrin Allyson - ‘Round Midnight - Concord
Deborah Pearl - Souvenir of You - Evening Star
Judy Wexler - Under a Painted Sky- Jazzed Media
Giacomo Gates - The Revolution Will Be Jazz - Savant
Laila Biali - Tracing Light - Laila Biali
*Tierney Sutton Band - American Road - BFM Jazz
Sophie Milman - In The Moonlight - eOne
René Marie - Black Lace Freudian Slip - Motema
Kate Reid - The Love I’m In - Kate Reid
*nominated for a Grammy
Big Bands, Large Ensembles
Marcus Shelby Orch - Soul of the Movement - Porto Franco
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra - Treelines - Justin Time
NY Jazz Initiative - Mad About Thad - Jazzheads
Daniel Jamieson’s Danjam Orchestra - Sudden Appearance - OA2
Orrin Evans - Captain Black Big Band - Positone
Westchester Jazz Orch - Maiden Voyage Suite - WJO
John Daversa - Junk Wagon - BFM Jazz
Ron Carter - Ron Carter’s Great Big Band- Sunnyside
*Christian McBride Big Band - The Good Feeling - Mack Avenue
*Vanguard Jazz Orchestra - Forever Lasting - Planet Arts
Phil Dwyer Orchestra feat Mark Fewer - Changing Seasons - Alma
The Phil Norman Tentet - Encore! - MAMA
New World Composers Octet- Breaking News -Big and Phat Jazz
Bob Brookmeyer/New Art Orchestra/Fay Claassen - Standards - ArtistShare
* nominated for a Grammy
Afro-Cuban & Latin Jazz
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Qnt - To Hear from There - Patois
*Arturo O’Farril & Afro Latin Jazz Orch - 40 Acres and a Burro - ZOHO
T.K. Blue - Latin Bird - Motema
Brian Lynch & Spheres of Influence- Conclave Vol.2- Criss Cross
Jane Bunnett & Hilario Duran - Cuban Rhapsody - Alma
Stefon Harris/David Sanchez/Christian Scott - Ninety Miles - Concord Picante
José Rizo’s Mongorama - Mongorama - Saungu
Monty Alexander - Harlem-Kingston Express Live! - Motema
Etienne Charles - Kaiso - Culture Shock
*Miguel Zenón - Alma Adentro - Marsalis Music
Sammy Figueroa & Latin Jazz Explosion - Urban Nature - Senator / Ashe
Claudio Roditi - Bons Amigos - Resonance
Poncho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard - Chano Y Dizzy! - Concord Picante
Yotam - Brasil - Jazz Legacy
Jovino Santos Neto - Current - Adventure Music
Mario Adnet - More Jobim Jazz - Adventure Music
Elisabeth Lohninger Band - Christmas in July - Jazzsick
* nominated for a Grammy
*Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers - The Sesjun Radio Shows - T2
Thelonious Monk - Monk’s Music - OJC
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers - Ugetsu - OJC
Ella Fitzgerald/Oscar Peterson - Ella and Oscar - OJC
Jim Hall - Concierto - CTI/ Masterworks
*Bill Evans- The Sesjun Radio Shows- T2
Milt Jackson - Sunflower - CTI Masterworks
Ray Charles - Singular Genius (ABC Singles) - Concord
Freddie Hubbard - First Light - CTI/ Masterworks
Stanley Turrentine - Salt Song - CTI/ Masterworks
*historical recording first issued this year
For Pacific Northwest jazz fans in particular, here are some of the exceptional releases from artists living in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.
Chuck Deardorf - Transparence - Origin
Thomas Marriott - Human Spirit - Origin
Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto - Current - Adventure Music
Bill Anschell - Figments - Origin
Elspeth Savani - Flights of Mind - Elspeth Savani
Cory Weeds- Just Like That - Cellar Live
Wellstone Conspiracy - Humble Origins - Origin
Milt Kleeb Dectet - Something If Nothing Else - Pony Boy
Earlier picks: 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
Buy any CD on this list and you're guaranteed some great music! Each of these CDs has received frequent airplay on Jazz After Hours and/or Jazz Northwest. You can order here from amazon.com and it will benefit Jazz After Hours.
—Jim
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