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TOP TEN TIME AND THE POWER OF “OOMPH”

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YES, WHILE THERE WAS A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF GIGS, AT LEAST WE GOT TO HEAR SOME NEW MUSIC.

SOME OF IT WAS PRETTY CREATIVE IN LIGHT OF THE RESPONSE TO THE COVID “SOCIAL DISTANCING’. WE GOT A BUNCH OF “SOLO” ALBUMS, SOME MULTI-TRACK SESSIONS AND EVEN SOME “VIRTUAL” ALBUMS.

AS ALWAYS, I THANK ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE STUDY, AS EACH JOURNALIST IS AN EXPERT IN WHAT MAKES JAZZ ENJOY ABLE.

SO, WHAT MAKES AN ALBUM A “TOP TEN” FOR THE YEAR?

IT’S MY SAME CRITERIA FOR BELIEVING SOMEONE DESERVES TO BE IN BASEBALL’S “HALL OF FAME”

I BELONG TO A NUMBER OF “BASEBALL NERD” CLUBS ON FACEBOOK, AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS DEBATING IF SO AND SO SHOULD BELONG. THE ARGUMENT GOES, “‘PLAYER A’ HAS THESE STATS AND IS IN THE HOF,, AND ‘PLAYER B’ WHO’S  NOT IN THE HALL HAS THERE BETTER STATS, SO HE DESERVES TO BE VOTED IN”

IT GOES ON AND ON.

I HAVE ONE CRITERIA, AND I GOT IT FROM THE ACTRESS ANN SHERIDAN.

ANN SHERIDAN WAS A FILM ACTRESS MOSTLY IN THE 1930s AND 40s. SHE HAD A NICKNAME THAT CAPTURED  HER LOOK PERFECTLY, AS SHE WAS DUBBED “THE ‘OOMPH’ GIRL.”

IN OTHER WORDS, SHE HAD THAT UNDESCRIBABLE QUALITY THAT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT HER, SHE EXUDED THAT “OOMPH”. GUYS KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. YOU CAN ANALYZE HER LEGS, EYES, FIGURE AND  HAIR, BUT IT’S THE TOTAL “IT” THAT EITHER WORKS OR I DOESN.T

IT’S THE SAME WITH JAZZ MUSICIANS. GIMME A NAME.SONNY ROLLINS :”OOMPH” , BUD POWELL “OOMPH”. MONK-THESE NAMES JUST ADD A GLIMMER TO YOUR EYE WHEN YOU HEAR THEM.

THAT’S MY STANDARD FOR “TOP TEN” ALBUMS, SO HERE WE GO

GEORGE HARRIS 

  1. Sonny Rollins in  Holland (Resonance)
  2. Thelonious Monk in Palo Alto (Impulse!)
  3. Denny Zeitlin: Live at Mezzrow (Sunnyside)
  4. Paul Desmond: The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings (Mosaic)
  5. Jeremy Pelt: The Art of Intimacy Volume 1 (Jazzdepot)
  6. Pat Metheny: From This Place (nonesuch)
  7. Jimi Hendrix: Songs for Groovy Children (legacyrecordings)
  8. Dion DiMucci: Blues with Friends (kitbarecords)
  9. Kenny Barron/Dave Holland/Johnathan Blake: Without Deception (Daveholland)
  10. All Belletto Quintet and Sextette 1954 (FreshSound)

MARK TURNER

     1.Bill Frisell – Valentine (Blue Note)
     2.Gilfema – Three (Sounderscore)
     3.Eric Revis  – Slipknots Through a Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)
     4.Joyfultalk – A Separation of Being (Constellation)
     5.Ambrose Akinmusire – On the tender spot of every calloused moment (Blue Note)
     6.Greg Osby & Florian Arbenz  – Reflections of the Eternal Line (Hammer)
     7,JLCO & Wynton Marsalis – The Ever Fonky Lowdown (Blue Engine)
     8. Jeff Parker – Suite for Max Brown (International Anthem)
     9.Wada Leo Smith & Barry Schrader – Pacific Light and Water/Wu Xing – Cycle of Destruction (Ex Machina)
     10.Nate Wooley – Seven Storey Mountain VI  (Pyroclastic)
DAVID KUNIAN
   1) Irreversible Entanglements – Who Sent You
    2) Nels Cline Singers – Share the Wealth
    3) Christian Scott – Axiom
    4) Jonathan Batiste – Chronology of a Dream
    5) Matt Wilson – Hug!
    6) Exploding Star Orchestra – Dimensional Stardust
    7) Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling
    8) Shabaka Hutchings and the Ancestors – We are Sent Here by History
    9) Nubya Garcia – Source
    10) Brad Walker Vs. The Extended Trio – Sidebar Series Vol.
MICHAEL NASTOS
    1 Gilfema ‘III” (Sounderscore)
    2 Maria Schneider Orchestra “Data Lords” (Artist Share)
    3  Rudresh Mahanthappa “Hero Trio” (Whirlwind)
    4 Amjad Ali Khan/Sharon isbin “Strings For Peace” (Zoho )
  5 Somi “Holy Room Live At Alte Oper” (Salon African)
    6 Enzo Carniel/House Of Echo “Walls Down ” (Jazz & People)
    7  Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble “Dawn Chorus” (Innova/ACF)
    8 Kurt Elling “Secrets Are The Best Stories” (Nonesuch)
    9 Kenny Barron/Dave Holland/Jonathan Blake”Without Deception” (Dare 2)
    10 Christian McBride “The Movement” (Mack Avenue)
SCOTT YANOW

   1. Alan Barnes + Eleven – 60th Birthday Celebration – Woodville

   2. Sharel Cassity – Fearless – Self-Released

   3.Joe Castro – Passion Flower: For Doris Duke – Sunnyside

   4. Paul Desmond – The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings – Mosaic

   5. Josie Falbo – You Must Believe In Spring – Southport

 6. Ella Fitzgerald – The Lost Berlin Tapes – Verve

   7.Connie Han – Iron Starlet – Mack Avenue

   8. Christopher Hollyday – Dialogue – Jazzbeat Productions

   9.Susie Meissner – I Wish I Knew – Lydian Jazz

   10. Carl Saunders – Jazz Trumpet – Summit

 

DAVID ADLER

   1. Lionel Loueke, HH (Edition)

   2. Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic, Compass Confusion (Pyroclastic)

   3. Matt Moran Trio, Return Trip (Diskonife)

   4. Immanuel Wilkins, Omega (Blue Note)

   5. Sara Serpa, Recognition (Biophilia)

 6. Cory Smythe, Accelerate Every Voice (Pyroclastic)

   7. Chico Pinheiro, City of Dreams (Buriti)

   8. Jeremy Pelt, The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1 (HighNote)

   9. Susan Alcorn Quintet, Pedernal (Relative Pitch)

   10. Emi Makabe, Anniversary (Greenleaf)

 

THOMAS CONRAD

 

 

  1. Maria Schneider Orchestra Data Lords (ArtistShare)
  2. Ambrose Akinmusire on the tender spot of every calloused moment (Blue Note)
  3. Immanuel Wilkins Omega (Blue Note)
  4. Gerald Clayton Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note)
  5. Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio (Whirlwind)
  6. Joel Ross Who Are You? (Blue Note)
  7. Jason Palmer The Concert: 12 Musings for Isabella (Giant Step Arts)
  8. Hank Mobley The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions (Mosaic)
  9. Charles Mingus @ Bremen 1964 & 1965 (Sunnyside)
  10. Thelonious Monk Palo Alto (Impulse!)

KEN WEISS

  1. James Brandon Lewis Quartet: Molecular (Intakt)
  2. Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell: How to Turn the Moon (proclastic toh-kichi)
  3. Satolko Fujii, Tatsya Yoshida: Baikamo (Libra)
  4. Lafayette Gilchrist: Now (Lafayette gilchrist Music)
  5. Maria Schneider Orchestra: Data Lords (artist share)
  6. Rudresh Mhanthappa: Hero Trio (whirlwind)
  7. James Brandon Lewis, Chad Taylor: L ive In Willisau (intakt)
  8. Eric Revis: Slipknots Through a Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)
  9. Fred Hersch: Songs From  Home (Palmetto)
  10. Gordon Grdina: Nomad Trio (Skirl)
  11. Mike Fahje Jazz Orchestra:Urban(e) (Greenleaf)

LARRY HOLLIS

  1.  Thelonious Monk: Palo Alto (Impulse)
  2. Hank Mobley: Complete Blue Note Sessions 1953-79 (Mosaic)
  3. Lennie Tristano: The Duo Sessions (Dot TIme)
  4. Horace Tapscott: The Giant Is Awakened (Real Gone)
  5. Kenny Barron/Mulgrew Miller: Art of P iano Duo Live (Sunnyside)
  6. Black Art Jazz Collective: Ascension (High Note)
  7. Larry Willis: I Fall In Love Too Easily (High Note)
  8. Wayne Escoffery: The Humble Warrior (Smoke Sessions)
  9. Bobby Watson/Vincent Herrying/Gary Bartz: Bird at 100 (Smoke Sessions)
  10. Grant Steward: Rise and Shine (Cellar)

ROBERT IANNAPOLLO

  1. Charles Mingus: @Bremen 1964 & 1975 (Sunnyside)
  2. Sam Rivers: Ricochet (No Business)
  3. Sonny Rollins: Rollins in Holland (Resonance)
  4. Matt Wilson Quartet: Hug! (Palmetto)
  5. Rudresh Mhanthappa:  Hero Trio (Whirlwind)
  6. Eric Revis: Slipknot’s Through a Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)
  7. Noah Haidu: Doctone (Sunnyside)
  8. Theo Hill: Reality Check (positone)
  9. Eva Kess: Falling Stars (Jeu Klang)
  10. Paul Jones: Let’s Get Tropical (Outside In)

 

JEROME WILSON

  1. Maria Schneider Orchestra: Data Lords (Artist Share)
  2. Nate Wooley: Seven Storey Mountain VI (Pyrioclastic)
  3. Jason  Palmer: The Concert: 12 Musings For Isabella (Giant Step)
  4. Jeff Parker: Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem)
  5. Denise Mangiardi: Bown Book: Alice’s Loft
  6. Avishai Cohen: Big Vicious (ECM)
  7. Michael Thomas: Event  Horizon (Giant Steps Art)
  8. Lakecia Benjamin:  Pursuance-The Coltranes (Ropeadope)
  9. Arturo O’Farrill/The Latin Jazz Orchestra: Four Questions (ZOHO)
  10. Matt Wilson Quartet: Hug! (Palmetto)

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