IT’S TOP TEN TIME!

One of the true joys of running a jazz website is finding out what other jazz journalists consider to be the best albums of the year. It’s fun to compare  notes, thinking things like “you really liked that album?!?”. It makes you want to take a second look at something you might have missed the past year.

It’s like something radio talk show announcers say, “We listened to so and so’s speech so you don’t have to.” Someone has taken the time to listen to countless releases (and there are TONS of albums out there) and did you the service of letting you know what to spend some time on.

If you see something listed by more than one journalist, by all means get it! If there’s something by a writer that you trust that you don’t know about, give the journalist the benefit of a doubt and check it out. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

 

1. Mark Turner

Cécile McLorin Salvant – Ghost Song (Bandcamp)

Melissa Aldana – 12 Stars (Blue Note)

Joel Ross – Ballad of the Poet (Blue Note)

Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy

Jeff Parker / Eric Revis / Nasheet Waits – Eastside Romp (Rogue Art)

Dezron Douglas, Atalaya (International Anthem)

Anna Butterss – Activities (Bandcamp)

Qasim Naqvi / Wadada Leo Smith / Andrew Cyrille –  Two Centuries (Bancamp)

James Brandon Lewis Quartet – Molecular Systematic Music  – Live

Doug Wamble – Blues In The Present Tense (Halcyonic)

 

 

II. Kazune Hayata

 

1.CODA                      Koichi Osamu

2.Crossing Reality                Eri Chichibu

3.Ghost Song                     Cecile McLorin Salvant

4.Breath by Breath               Fred Hersch

5.12 Stars                       Melissa Aldana

6.The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott’s Charles Mingus

7.Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey  Butcher Brown

8.Be Bop!                        Pasquale Grasso

9.The Mothers 1971               Frank Zappa

10.Amaryllis & Belladonna             Mary Halvorson

 

 

III. Thomas Conrad

Top Ten Jazz Albums 2022

 

 

1. Immanuel Wilkins The 7th Hand(Blue Note)
2. Keith Jarrett Bordeaux Concert(ECM)
3. Gerald Clayton Bells on Sand (Blue Note)
4. Charles Lloyd Trios: Chapel(Blue Note)
5. Jakob Bro/Joe Lovano Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian(ECM)
6. Marquis Hill New Gospel Revisited(Edition)
7. Various Artists Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen(Blue Note)
8. John Scofield John Scofield (ECM)
9. Tyshawn Sorey Mesmerism(Yeros7)
10. Avram Fefer Juba Lee (Clean Feed)

 

IV  Larry Hollis –New Releases

GADD/CUBER/GOMEZ+WDR BIG BAND-CENTER STAGE-

   LEOPARD

GOLDINGS/BERNSTEIN/STEWART-PERPETUAL 

  PENDULUM-SMOKE SESSIONS

BURTON/MCPHERSON-SUMMIT ROCK SESSION-GIANT  

  STEPS ART

VARIOUS ARTISTS-HONORING PAT MARTINO-

  HIGHNOTE

MICHAEL WEISS-PERSISTANCE-CELLAR LIVE

OPUS 5-SWING ON THIS-CRISS CROSS

T.S. MONK-TWO CONTINENTS ONE GROOVE-

  STORYVILLE

STEVE DAVIS=BLUESTHETIC-SMOKE SESSIONS

GRANT STEWART-LIGHSTING OF THE LAMPS-CELLAR 

  MUSIC

ALAN BROADBENT TRIO-LIKE MINDS-SAVANT

                                                                                              

REISSUES/HISTORICAL – Larry Hollis 

TUBBY HAYES-COMPLETE HOPBINE 69-JAZZ IN BRITIAN

DAVE BRUBECK TRIO-LIVE FROM VIENNA-BRUBECK 

  EDITIONS

WES MONTGOMERY-NDR HAMBURG STUDIO 

  RECORDINGS-NDR KULTUR

CHARLES MINGUS-LOST ALBUM FROM RONNIE 

   SCOTT’S-RESONANCE

FREDDUE HUBBARD-MUSIC IS HERE-WEWANTSOINDS

ALBERT COLLINS-COLD SNAP-ALLIGATOR

DEXTER GORDON-SOUL SISTER-STEEPLECHASE

MCCOY TYNER/FREDDIE HUBBARD-LIVE AT FABRIK-

  NDR KULTUR

ROLAND KIRK-LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT’S-GEARBOX

BILL EVANS-MORNING GLORY-RESONANCE

 

V. George Harris 

 

  Lauren Henderson: La Bruja

Classic Black and White Sessions

McCoy Tyner & Freddie Hubbard: Live at Fabrik

Hank Williams: I’m Gonna Sing-Mother’s Best 

  Gospel Radio Recordings

Giacomo Gates: You

Al Cohn & Joe Newman with Freddie Green: The 

  Swingin’ Sessions

Boa Sete: Samba In Seattle

Anat Cohen & Marcello Goncalves: Reconvixo

Joel Ross: Parable of the Poet

Kurt Rosenwinkel and Jean-Paul  Brodbeck: 

  The Chopin Project

   

VI. BILL DONALDSON:

 NEW RELEASES/HISTORICAL –

CHARLES MINGUS – THE LOST ALBUM FROM RONNIE 

  SCOTT’S – RESONANCE RECORDS  

WAYNE SHORTER – LIVE AT THE DETROIT JAZZ 

  FESTIVAL – CANDID RECORDS  

CHARLES LLOYD – TRIO OF TRIOS – BLUE NOTE  

BILL EVANS – MORNING GLORY AND INNER SPIRIT – 

  RESONANCE RECORDS  

KIRK KNUFFKE TRIO – GRAVITY WITHOUT AIRS – TAO 

  FORMS 

TIGRAN HAMASYAN – STANDART – NONESUCH 

  RECORDS  

HONORING PAT MARTINO, VOL. 1: ALTERNATIVE 

  GUITAR SUMMIT – HIGHNOTE RECORDS  

ENRICO RAVA & FRED HERSCH – THE SONG IS YOU – ECM  

SOMI – ZENZILE: THE REIMAGINATION OF MIRIAM 

  MAKEBA – SALON AFRICANA  

STEVEN BERNSTEIN’S MILLENNIAL TERRITORY 

  ORCHESTRA’S COMMUNITY MUSIC SERIES. (VOL. 2) 

  GOOD TIME MUSIC WITH CATHERINE RUSSELL. (VOL. 3)  

  MANIFESTO OF HENRY-ISMS. (VOL. 4) POPULAR 

  CULTURE – ROYAL POTATO FAMILY 

 

VII. BERNIE KOENIG : NEW RELEASES –

 

Sal Mosca – For Lennie Tristano – Fresh Sound   

HMC – HIgh and Outside – Cadence 

Wadada Leo Smith  – Sacred Ceremonies – Tum 

Rene Lussier, Erick D,Orion, Robbie Kuster,   

  Martin tetreault  – Prtntemps 2021  – Victo  

Rich Halley, Dan Clucas, Clyde reed, Carson   

  Halley  –  Boomslang – PIne Eagle  

Mary LaRose – Out There  – LIttle Music

Charles Mingus Lost Album  from Ronnie Scott’s 

  Resonance  

Charles Mingus At Carnegie Hall – Atlantic –  

  ROGV 134

 

VIII. LUDWIG VAN TRIKT

NEW RELEASES –

 

ASSEMBLY – Jacob Garchik – Yestereve Records

ANATOMY – Billy Mohler – CONTAGIOUS MUSIC

RYAN KEBERLE’S COLLECTIVE – DO BRASIL

  SONHOS DA ESQUINA – self produced  

Ayanda Sikade – Umakhulu – Afro Synth 

SWISS JAZZ ORCHESTRA &amp – CHRISTOPH IRNIGER,

  “THE MUSIC OF PILGRIM” – Stadt Zurich Kultur/  

  NWOG

JOHN ESCRET – SEISMIC SHIFT – WHIRLWIND

  RECORDINGS

Burton/McPherson Trio featuring Dezron 

  Douglas – The Summit Rock Session at Seneca 

  Village – Giant Step Arts

Jason Palmer – Live from Summit Rock in Seneca

  Village – Giant Step Arts  

Tyshawn Sorey Trio + 1 with Greg Osby – The Off-

  Off Broadway Guide to Synergism – Pi 

  Recordings  

JOHN YAO’S TRICERATOPS – OFF-KILTER –  TAO 

  RECORDINGS  

IX. JEROME WILSON NEW RELEASES –

 

Columbia Icefield, Ancient Songs of Burlap 

  Heroes – Pyroclastic 

Charles Lloyd Trio – Chapel – Blue Note 

Zoh Amba – O, Sun – Tzadik 

Tyshawn Sorey Trio – Mesmerism – Yeros  

Janel LeppinEnsemble – Volcanic Ash – Cuneiform 

Miles Okazaki – Thisness – Pi 

Wayne Shorter/Terri Lyne Carrington/Leo   

  Genovese/Esperanza Spalding – Live at the 

  Detroit Jazz Festival – Candid 

Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini – Auburn Whisper        Cressman Music 

Mary Halvorson –  Amaryllis – Nonesuch 

Randal Despommier – A Midsummer Odyssey   

  Sunnyside

X. KEN WEISS

 

NEW RELEASES –

Günter Baby Sommer & The Lucaciu 3 – 

  Karawane – INTAKT

Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant Avec Folie a 

  Quatre – Séances – PYROCLASTIC

James Brandon Lewis Quartet – Molecular 

  Systematic Music Live – INTAKT

Satoko Fuji & Joe Fonda – Thread of Light – 

  FSR

David Murray-Brad Jones-Hamid Drake Brave   

  New World Trio – Seriana – INTAKT

Ahmad Jamal – Emerald City Nights Live at the 

  Penthouse (1963-1964) – JAZZ DETECTIVE

Wadada Leo Smith – The Emerald Duets – TUM

Miles Okazaki – Thisness – PI

Frank Kimbrough – 2003-2006 volume one 

  Lullabluebye volume two Play – PALMETTO

Tony Malaby’s Sabino – The Cave of Winds – 

  PYROCLASTICs

 

 XI. SCOTT YANOW

 

NEW RELEASES – Lakecia Benjamin – Pursuance: The Coltranes – 

  Ropeadope

Evan Christopher – Blues In The Air – Camille 

  Productions

Brent Fischer Orchestra – Pictures At An 

  Exhibition – Clavo

Connie Han – Secrets Of Inanna – Mack Avenue

Samara Joy – Linger Awhile – Verve

Charles Lloyd – Chapel – Blue Note

Roberta Magris – Match Point – J Mood

Hal Smith’s New Orleans Owls – Early Hours – 

  Self-Released

Bobby Watson – Back Home In Kansas City – Smoke 

  Sessions

Jeremy Wong – Hey There – Cellar Music Group

 

REISSUES, HISTORICAL – SCOTT YANOW

George Avakian – One Step To Heaven –Rivermont

Chris Barber – Just Once More For All Time – Lake

Dave Brubeck Trio – Live From Vienna 1967 – 

  Brubeck Editions

Chick Corea – The Montreux Years – BMG

Miles Davis – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 – 

  Columbia/Legacy

Herb Geller – European Rebirth – Fresh Sound

Freddie Hubbard – The Complete Blue Note & 

  Impulse’60s Studio Sessions – Mosaic

Ahmad Jamal – The Complete Okeh, Parrot & Epic 

  Sessions 1951-1955 – Fresh Sound

Charles Mingus – The Lost Album From Ronnie 

  Scott’s – Resonance

Various Artists – Classic Black & White Jazz 

  Sessions – Mosaic

 

XII. Bill Milkowski

 

1. Franco Ambrosetti, Nora (Enja)2. Bill Frisell, Four (Blue Note) 3. Charles Lloyd Trios, Chapel (Blue Note) 4. John Scofield, John Scofield (ECM) 5. Pasquale Grasso, Be-Bop! (Sony Masterworks) 6. Enrico Rava/Fred Hersch, The Song Is You (ECM) 7. Marta Sanchez, SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) (Whirlwind Recordings) 8. Seamus Blake, New York Factor, Vol. 1 (self-released) 9. The Jon Cowherd Trio, Pride and Joy (Le Coq Records) 10. Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra, Popular Culture (Community Music, Vol. 4) (Royal Potato Family)

 

 

XIII. Chris Walker-New Releases:

 

1. Joshua Redman.Brad Mehldau.Christian Mcbride & Brian Blade LongGone (Nonesuch)
2. The Bad Plus The Bad Plus(Universal)
3. Myra Melford Fire & Water Quintet For The Love of Fire and Water (Rogueart)
4. Eliane Elias Quietude (Candid)
5. Antonio Sanchez SHIFT Bad Hombre, Vol. II (Warner Brothers)
6. Samara Joy Linger Awhile (Verve)
7. Kurt Rosenwinkel Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano (Heartcore Records)
8. Roberta Donnay Blossom-ing!(Rain Forrest
9. Joel Ross The Parable of The Poet (Blue Note)
10. Keith Jarret Bordeaux Concert(ECM)

 

Historical/Reissues

 

1. John Coltrane Blue Train(Blue Note)
2. Sheila Jordan Comes Love: Lost Session 1960(Capri)
3. Ray Charles Genius Loves Company(Tangerine)
4. Frank Zappa The Mothers 1971(Zappa/Ume)

Erroll Garner Liberation in Swing: Centennial Collection (Octave Mack Avenue

 

XIV. Larry Appelbaum (JazzTimes, WPFW-FM)

NEW RELEASES

1. Dafnis Prieto Featuring Luciana Souza, Cantar(Dafnison)
2. David Virelles, Nuna(Pi)
3. Wayne Shorter-Terri Lyne Carrington-Leo Genovese-Esperanza Spalding, Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival(Candid)
4. Vadim Neselovskyi, Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City(Sunnyside)
5. Terri Lynne Carrington, New Standards Vol. 1(Candid)
6. Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra, In the Valley(Stricker Street)
7. John Scofield, John Scofield(ECM)
8. Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen(Blue Note)
9. Charles Lloyd, Trios: Chapel(Blue Note)
10. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Mesmerism(Pi)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

1. Miles Davis, That’s What Happened [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: 1982-1985](Columbia/Legacy)
2. Elvin Jones, Revival: Live at Pookie’s Pub(1967, Blue Note)
3. Masahiko Togashi w/Don Cherry and Charlie HadenSong of Soil (WEWANTSOUNDS)

VOCAL

• Samara Joy, Linger Awhile (Verve)

DEBUT

• Laufey, Everything I Know About Love (AWAL)

LATIN

• Chucho Valdes & Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet, I Missed You Too! (Sunnyside)

XV. DAVID ADLER

Jacob Garchik, Assembly (Yestereve)

Anna Butterss, Activities (Colorfield)

David Binney, Tomorrow’s Journey (Ghost Note)

Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi, Mars (Intakt)

Patricia Brennan, More Touch (Pyroclastic)

Sasha Berliner, Onyx (JMI Recordings)

Brad Mehldau, Jacob’s Ladder (Nonesuch)

Miguel Zenón, Música De Las Américas (Miel Music)

Melissa Aldana, 12 Stars (Blue Note)

Steve Lehman’s Sélébéyone, Xaybu: The Unseen (Pi Recordings)