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Each year I'm asked for my picks of the best jazz CDs. While not fond of "Top Ten" lists, here is a list of my favorites out of more than a thousand CDs which came my way last year.

Favorite Jazz | Reissues | Northwest | Earlier Picks


Jim's Favorite Jazz CDs of 2001

 artist - album title - label

Big Bands -
Mingus Big Band - Tonight at Noon, Three or Four Shades of Love - Dreyfus Jazz
Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Star Big Band - Things to Come - MCG/Telarc
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra - Can I Persuade You - Planet Arts
Dave Holland Big Band - What Goes Around - ECM
Rob McConnell Tentet - Thank You, Ted! - Justin Time

Small groups -
Joe Lovano - Caruso - Blue Note
Nick Brignola - Tour de Force - Reservoir
Don Sickler - Reflections - High Note
Jane Bunnett - Spirtuals & Dedications - Justin Time
Sam Yahel - YaYa 3 - Warner Bros
Joshua Redman - Elastic - Warner Bros
Hancock, Brecker, Hargrove - Directionsin Music - Verve
Wayne Shorter - Footsteps Live
BudShank - On The Trail - Raw
Orbert Davis - Priority - 3 Sixteen
Oregon - Live at Yoshi’s - Intuition
Branford Marsalis - Footsteps of Our Fathers - Marsalis Music/ Rounder
Curtis Lundy - Purpose - Justin Time
Herbie Mann - Eastern European Roots - herbiemannmusic.com
Chris Potter - Travelling Mercies - Verve
Brent Jensen/ David Sills - Stay Cool - Origin
One For All - Live at Smoke - Criss Cross

Pianists -
Lynne Arriale - Inspiration - TCB
Bob Florence - Another Side - MAMA
Jean Michel Pilc - Welcome Home - Dreyfus Jazz
Jessica Williams - This Side Up - MaxJazz
E.S.T. - Strange Place for Snow - Columbia
Kenny Barron - Live at Bradley’s - Sunnyside
Kenny Barron - Canta Brasil - Verve ]
Michel Petrucciani - Days of Wine & Roses - Sunnyside

Singers -
Diana Krall - Live in Paris - Verve
Tierney Sutton - Something Cool - Telarc
Karrin Allyson - In Blue - Concord
Dena DeRose - Love’s Holiday - Sharp 9
Mark Murphy - Lucky To Be Me - High Note

Others -
Gary Burton/ Makoto Ozone - Virutosi - Concord
Toots Thielmans & Kenny Werner - Verve
Various artists - Secret Ellington - True Life
Richard Galiano & Eddy Louis - Face to Face - Dreyfus Jazz


Jim's Favorite Reissues of 2001

Thad Jones & Mel Lewis - Opening Night - alangrantjazz
Charlie Christian - Genius of the Electric Guitar - Columbia
Johnny Smith - Complete Small Group Sessions- Mosaic
Sarah Vaughan - Complete Roulette Studio Sessions - Mosaic
Lou Donaldson- complete Blue Note Sessions 1957-60 - Mosaic


Best Northwest Jazz CDs of 2001

For Northwest jazz fans in particular, here are some of the exceptional releases from artists living in this part of the country.

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra - Live! - Origin
Mark Taylor - After Hours - Origin
Dave Peck - Out of Seattle - Let’s Play Stella
Julian Priester - In Deep End Dancing - Conduit
Geoff Cooke - See You At The Bridge - CAP
Don Lanphere - Where Do You Start? - Orgin
Hans Teuber/ Dave Peterson - Winter - Origin
Darin Clendenin - Tidings of Joy and Jazz - Pony Boy
Greta Matassa & Mimi Fox - Two for the Road (DVD) - Origin


Earlier picks: 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.

—Jim


Amazon.com is an easy way to order the music you're looking for. That CD could be in your mailbox in a couple of days by clicking here.



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