Jan 21, 2012
I don't pretend to have the critical abilities to give you a "best of" list for any year in jazz, and there are always musical releases I fail to catch up with that likely would make a list. Instead, I've created a number of categories to give you some idea of my favorite recordings of 2011, and Podcast 251 features a selection or two from them. This year's Favorite Things include:
Notable Releases
Vince Mendoza - Nights on Earth
Rez Abbisi’s Invocation – Suno Suno
Marcus Strickland – Triumph of the Heavy
Christian McBride Big Band – The Good Feeling
Sonny Rollins – Road Shows, Vol. 2
Great New Things from Old Friends
Rene Marie - Black Freudian Slip
Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express
Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Explosion – Urban Nature
New Gary Burton Quartet - Common Ground.
Karrin Allyson – ‘Round Midnight
New Artists and Those Hitting Their Stride
Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening
Ben Williams – State of Art
Julian Lage - Gladwell
Warren Wolf – Warren Wolf
Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found
Memorable Reissues, Compilations, and Posthumous or Archival Albums
Miles Davis - Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1
Dee Dee Bridgewater – Midnight Sun
Sir Roland Hanna – Colors from a Giant’s Kit
Norah Jones - ….Featuring
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers - Ugetsu
Tribute Albums of Note
Joe Lovano Us 5 – Bird Songs
Pablo Aslan Quintet – Piazzolla in Brooklyn
Bobby Sansbria & the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra - Tito Puente – Masterworks Live!
Giacamo Gates - The Revolution Will Be Jazz
Yotam – Brasil
Reunions and Collaborations of Note
Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian – Live at Birdland
Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton – Play the Blues
Chick Corea and Stephano Bollani – Orvietto
Stefon Harris/David Sanchez/Christian Scott – Ninety Miles
Bob James & Keiko Matsui - Altair & Vega
Click here to listen to the Podcast, which features tracks from these releases, including:
Marcus Strickland – "Bolt Bus Jitter" from Triumph of the Heavy
Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Explosion –"Cha Cha Pa' Ti" from Urban Nature
Gretchen Parlato - "Juju" from The Lost and Found
Sir Roland Hanna – "20th Century Rag" from Colors from a Giant’s Kit
Yotam – "Antigua" from Brasil
Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian – "Solar" from Live at Birdland