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"Top Ten" lists often seem rather arbitrary, 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. The is not a ranking, CDs are listed in order received.
Grammy nominees are indicated with * except in the reissue/ historical section.
- Jim Wilke
Favorite Jazz | Reissues | Northwest | Earlier Picks
artist - album title - label
Small groups
Ben Allison & Man Size Safe - Little Things Run the World - Palmetto
Pat Metheny (trio) - Day Trip - Nonesuch *
David ‘Fathead’ Newman - Diamondhead - HighNote
Jane Ia Bloom - Mental Weather - Outline
Jim Rotondi - Four of a Kind - Positone
Claudio Roditi - Impressions - Groovin’ High/Sunnyside
Gary Versace - Outside In - Criss Cross Jazz
John Ellis & Double-Wide - Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow - Hyena
Nicholas Payton - Into The Blue - Nonesuch
Dr.Michael White - Blue Crescent - Basin Street
Mark Sherman Quartet - Live at The Bird’s Eye - Miles High 2 CD
James Carter - Present Tense - EmArcy
Steve Turre - Rainbow People - HighNote
Kenny Wheeler - Other People - CAM
Bob Belden - Miles from India - Times Square *
Roswell Rudd - Quartet Keep Your Heart Right - Sunnyside
Myriam Alter - Where Is There - Enja/JustinTime
Royce Campbell Trio - Roses & Wine - Philology
Wycliffe Gordon Quintet - Boss Bones - Criss Cross Jazz
Grace Kelly/Lee Konitz - GracefulLee - Paz
Roy Hargrove - Earfood - EmArcy / Groovin’ High
Joe Magnarelli - Persistence - Reservoir
Joe Temperley - The Sinatra Songbook - Hep
Organissimo - Groovadelphia - Big O
Ernie Watts Quartet - To The Point Live at Jazz Bakery - Flying Dolphin
Joe Locke - Force of Four - Origin
Corey Christiansen - Roll With It - Origin
Aldo Romano - Just Jazz - Dreyfus Jazz
Ari Hoenig - Bert’s Playground - Drefyus Jazz
Antonio Ciacca Quintet - Lush Life - Motema
Don Thompson Quartet - For Kenny Wheeler - Sackville
Martin Taylor - Double Standards -The Guitar Label
Dave Holland Sextet - Pass It On - Dare 2/EmArcy
The Styker/Slagle Band - The Scene - ZOHO
Amina Figarova - Above The Clouds - Bartamina / Munich
James Moody & Hank Jones Quartet - Our Delight - IPO
Kirk Lightsey - Lightsey to Gladden - Criss Cross Jazz
Clayton Brothers - Brother to Brother - ArtistShare
* also nominated for a Grammy
Pianists & Friends -
Eliane Elias - Something for You (Bill Evans) - Blue Note
Chick Corea & Gary Burton - The New Crystal Silence - Concord 2 CD *
Ellis Marsalis - An Open Letter to Thelonious - ELM
Jessica Williams - Songs for a New Century - Origin
Enrico Pieranunzi - As Never Before - Cam Jazz
Marcin Wasilewski Trio - January - ECM
Ahmad Jamal - It’s Magic - Dreyfus Jazz
Don Friedman Trio - Straight Ahead - No Coast Jazz
Cedar Walton - Seasoned Wood - HighNote
Michael Moore & Fred Hersch - This We Know - Palmetto (download only)
Kenny Barron - The Traveler - Sunnyside
Mike Melvoin and Kim Park - The Art of Conversation - City Light
Vocalists - including pianists who sing
Giacomo Gates - Luminosity - Double Dave
Karrin Allyson - Imagina Songs of Brasil - Concord *
Judy Wexler - Dreams & Shadows -Jazzed Media
Lorraine Feather - Language - Jazzed Media
Norma Winstone - Distances - ECM *
Alison Ruble - This Is A Bird - Origin
Denise Donatelli - What Lies Within - Savant
Patricia Barber - The Cole Porter Mix - Blue Note
Jay Clayton - The Peace of Wild Things - Sunnyside
Dena DeRose - Live at Jazz Standard, Vol.2 - MaxJazz
Sheila Jordan - Winter Sunshine - Justin Time
* also nominated for a Grammy
Big Bands, Large Ensembles
Bohuslän Big Band/Steve Swallow - Swallow Songs -BBB
Vince Mendoza - Blauklang - ACT *
Phil Norman Tentet - “Totally” Live at Catalina - MAMA
Joe Lovano / WDR Band & Orch - Symphonica - Blue Note *
Carla Bley - Appearing Nightly - WATT *
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - Act Your Age - Immergent CD & DVD *
Mark Masters Ensemble - Farewell Walter Dewey Redman - Capri
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra - Monday Night Live - Planet Arts *
* also nominated for a Grammy
Afro-Cuban & Latin Jazz
Arturo O’Farrill & Afro-Latin Jazz Orch - Song for Chico - ZOHO *
Jovino Santos Neto - Alma do Nordeste - Adventure Music
Conrad Herwig - Latin Side Of Wayne Shorter - Half Note *
Wayne Wallace - The Nature of the Beat - Patois
* also nominated for a Grammy
Frank Rosolino/Carl Fontana - Trombone Heaven Vancouver 1978 - Uptown *
Ike Quebec - Blue & Sentimental - Blue Note
Horace Silver Qnt - Further Explorations - Blue Note
Miles Davis - Bags’ Groove - Prestige
Sonny Rollins - Rollins Plays for Bird - Prestige
Slim Gaillard - Ice Cream on Toast 1937-47 - Hep *
Coleman Hawkins -The Hawk Flies High - Riverside
Sonny Rollins - Freedom Suite - Riverside
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar - Riverside
Cy Touff & Sandy Mosse - Tickle Toe - Delmark *
Sonny Clark - Leapin’ & Lopin’ - Blue Note
Hank Mobley - Peckin’ Time - Blue Note
Hank Mobley - Quintet - Blue Note
*historical recording first issued this year
For Northwest jazz fans in particular, here are some of the exceptional releases from artists living in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.
Thomas Marriott - Crazy, Music of Willie Nelson - Origin
Hadley Caliman - Gratitude - Origin
Dawn Clement - Break - Origin
Matt Jorgensen + 451 - Another Morning - Origin
Bridge Quartet - Day - Origin
Bill Coon/ Ron Peters - No Boundaries - Modern Hot
Cory Weeds Quartet - Big Weeds - Cellar Live
Kelley Johnson - Home - Sapphire
Earlier picks: 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.
—Jim
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