IT’S TOP TEN TIME AGAIN!!!

by George W. Harris • December 31, 2024 • 0 Comments

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR ACTUALLY STARTS BY LOOKING BACKWARDS. WHAT WERE THE MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR? OH, YES, WE CAN TALK ABOUT “THE BEST” ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, BUT WHICH ONES ARE WE GOING TO KEEP GOING BACK AND LISTEN TO? HERE IS THE COLLECTED WISDOM OF THE BEST JAZZ JOURNALISTS. PICK A FEW FROM THEIR CHOICES AND ENRICH YOUR EARS. GOD BLESS
NEW RELEASES – GEORGE HARRIS
- TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO – SEEING – (ECM)
- ESCOFFERY – ALONE – (SMOKE SESSIONS)
- HYEONSEON BAEK – LONGING – (SELF PRODUCED)
- LAUREN HENDERSON – SOMBRAS – (BRONTOSAURUS)
- ABDULLAH IBRAHIM – 3 – (GEARBOX RECORDS)
- BRIAN BROMBERG – LAFARO – (SELF PRODUCED)
- ZACH RICH – SOLIDARITY – (ORIGIN)
- DIEGO FIGUEIRIDO – I LOVE SAMBA (ARBORS)
- HEAVENLY CREAM – AN ACOUSTIC TRIBUTE TO CREAM (QUARTO VALLEY RECORDS)
- KEVIN BURT AND BIG MEDICINE – THANK YOU BILL – (SELF PRODUCED)
TOP HISTORICAL RECORDINGS – GEORGE HARRIS
- CHICK COREA/BRIAN BLADE/CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: TRILOGY (CONCORD)
- SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1939-50 (MVD)
- NAT KING COLE: LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE (ICONIC ARTIST GROUP)
- CHET BAKER AND JACK SHELDON: IN PERFECT HARMONY (ELEMENTAL)
- ART TATUM: JEWELS IN THE TREASURE BOX (RESONANCE)
- SONNY ROLLINS: FREEDOM WEAVER (RESONANCE)
- STEVE DAVIS: MEETS HANK JONES (SMOKE SESSIONS)
- DON BYAS: CLASSIC DON BYAS SESSIONS 1944-46 (MOSAIC)
- JOHNNY GRIFFIN QUARTET: LIVE IN VALENCIA (STORYVILLE)
- JIMMY ROWLES TRIO: THE NOCTURNE SESSION (FRESH SOUND)
SCOTT YANOW NEW RELEASES –
- RICKY ALEXANDER – JUST FOUND JOY – TURTLE BAY
- KENNY BARRON – BEYOND THIS PLACE – PIAS
- LORI BELL – RECORDA ME – REMEMBERING JOE HENDERSON – SELF-RELEASED
- BRIAN BROMBERG – LAFARO – SELF-PRODUCED
- CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA – AND SO IT GOES – R.M.I. RECORDS
- VIYAY IYER – COMPASSION – ECM
- DANNY JONOKUCHI BIG BAND – A DECADE – BANDSTAND 30
- JON DE LUCIA – THE BRUBECK OCTET PROJECT – MUSAEUM CLAUSUM RECORDINGS
- GARY URWIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA – FLYING COLORS – SUMMIT
- VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA –CENTENNIAL: THE MUSIC OF THAD JONES – BCM+D RECORDS
REISSUES, HISTORICAL – SCOTT YANOW
- DON BYAS – CLASSIC SESSIONS 1944-1946 – MOSAIC
- NAT KING COLE – LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE CHICAGO – ICONIC
- TERRY GIBBS DREAM BAND – VOL. 7: THE LOST TAPES, 1959 – WHALING CITY SOUND
- JAMES P. JOHNSON – WORLD BROADCAST RECORDINGS – SOLO ART
- ART PEPPER – THE COMPLETE MAIDEN VOYAGE RECORDINGS – OMNIVORE
- SONNY ROLLINS – FREEDOM WEAVER – RESONANCE
- PHAROAH SANDERS –PHAROAH – LUAKA BOP
- JOHNNY SMITH – THE LAST NIGHT AT SHANER’S – PME RECORDS
- ART TATUM – JEWELS IN THE TREASURE BOX – RESONANCE
- COOTIE WILLIAMS – CONCERT FOR COOTIE 1928-62 – ACROBAT
CHRIS WALKER:
1) Ritenour/Grusin-Brasil (Candid)
2) Etienne Charles-Creole Orchestra feat. Rene Marie (Culture Shock Music)
3) Matt Wilson’s-Good Trouble (Palmetto)
4) Nat King Cole-Live at The Blue Note Chicago (Iconic)
5) Al Jarreau-WOW! Live at Childe Harold (Resonance)
6) Emily Remler-Cookin’ at The Queens (Resonance)
7) Miles Davis-54 (Prestige)
8) B.B. King-In France (Elemental Music)9) Cathy Segal-Garcia-Social Anthems Volume 2 (Dash-Hoffman Records)10) Amber Weekes-“Celebrates Nancy Wilson” (Amber Inn Productions)
– LUDWIG VANTRIKT NEW RELEASES
1) TIZIANO TONONI & EMANUELE PARRINI – OTHER INTERACTIONS …ON JULY 5TH – (FELMAY RECORDS FY 7078 -2024)
2)RYAN KEBERLE – BRIGHT MOMENTS (POSI-TONE PR8261 – 2024)
3) ANTHONY BRANKER & IMAGINE – SONGS MY MOM LIKED (ORIGIN RECORDS 82896 – 2024)
4) MICHAEL SARIAN – LIVE AT CLIFF BELL’S (SHIFTING PARADIGM RECORDS SP208 -2024)
5) RAHSAAN BARBER & EVERYDAY MAGIC – SIX WORDS (JAZZ MUSIC CITY – 2024)
6) BEHN GILLECE – STICK TOGETHER (POSI -TONE PR8256 – 2024)7) MARY HALVORSON – CLOUDWARD” (NONESUCH RECORDS – 2024)8)JULIEN KNOWLES – AS MANY, AS ONE (SELF PRODUCED 2024)9) ANDREW HILL SEXTET PLUS 10 – A BEAUTIFUL DAY, REVISTED (PALMETTO RECORDS – 2024. TWO LPS)10) DARIUS JONES – LEGEND OF E’BOI (AUM FIDELITY 120-1 2024)KEN WEISS NEW RELEASES –
- KRIS DAVIS TRIO – RUN THE GAUNTLET – PYROCLASTIC
- TYSHAWN SOREY TRIO – THE SUSCEPTIBLE NOW – PI
- PATRICIA BRENNAN SEPTET – BREAKING STRETCH – PYROCLASTIC
- MATT MITCHELL – ZEALOUS ANGLES – PI KIRA
- KIRA – KIRA KIRA LIVE – ALISTER SPENCE MUSIC
- CHARLES LLOYD – THE SKY WILL STILL BE THERE TOMMOROW – BLUE NOTE
- THE MESSTHETICS AND JAMES BRANDON LEWIS – IMPULSE
- VIJAY IYER – COMPASSION – ECM MATT SHIPP – NEW CONCEPTS IN PIANO TRIO JAZZ – ESP-DISK
- ANDREW HILL SEXTET PLUS TEN – A BEAUTIFUL DAY, REVISTED – PALMETTO 2024
TOP HISTORICAL RECORDING – KEN WEISS
- SUN RA – LIGHTS ON A SATELLITE : LIVE AT THE LEFT BANK – RESONANCE
- PHIL HAYNES’ 4 HORNS & WHAT? – THE COMPLETE AMERICAN RECORDINGS – CORNER STORE JAZZ
- MAL WALDRON & STEVE LACY – THE MIGHTY WARRIORS – ELEMENTAL
- YUSEF LATEF – ATLANTIS LULLABY – THE CONCERT FROM AVIGNON – ELEMENTAL
- SUN RA – AT THE SHOWCASE: LIVE IN CHICAGO 76-77 – JAZZ DETECTIVE
LARRY HOLLIS NEW RELEASES: –
- ONE FOR ALL—BIG GEORGE—SMOKE SESSIONS
- SHAREL CASSITY/COLEEN CLARK—ALLIANCE–SHIFTING PARADIGM
- AKIKO TSURUGA—BEYOND NOSTALGIA—STEEPLECHASE
- LOUIS HAYES—ARTFORM REVISITED—SAVANT
- SOMETHING ELSE!—SOUL JAZZ—SMOKE SESSIONS
- KENNY BARRON—BEYOND THIS PLACE—ARTWORK
- CHARLES MCPHERSON—REVERENCE-SMOKE SESSIONS
- JACK WALRATH—LIVE AT SMALLS—CELLAR MUSIC.
- SARAH HANAHAN—AMONG GIANTS—BLUE ENGINE
- ALEX SIPIAGIN—HORIZONS–BLUE ROOM
REISSUES/HISTORICAL – LARRY HOLLIS
- CHARLES MINGUS—MINGUS TAKES MANHATTAN NEW LAND
- SONNY ROLLINS—FREEDOM WEAVER—RESONANCE
- MCCOY TYNER/JOE HENDERSON—FORCES OF NATURE— BLUE NOTE
- TUBBY HAYES—NO BLUES—JAZZ IN BRITAIN
- FREDDIE HUBBARD 5TET—AT ONKEL POS CARNEGIE HALL— NDR INFO
- SHELLY MANNE & HIS MEN—JAZZ FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST-REEL TO REAL
- SONNY STITT/RED HOLLOWAY—AT CORDEN’S PLACE—JAZZ REWIND
- MEL BROWN—CHICKEN FAT—IMPULSE
- B. KING—LIVE IN JAPAN–GEFFEN
- CANNONBALL ADDERLEY-BURNIN’ IN BORDEAUX/POPPIN’ IN PARIS – ELEMENTAL
ZIM TARRO NEW RELEASES –
- TODAY’S TOMORROW – JUSTIN CHART – (UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP)
- DAVE STRYKER TRIO WITH BOB MINTZER – GROOVE STREET – (STRIKEZONE 8826)
- EPHEMERIS – EPHEMERIS – MARSKEN RECORDS MR03
- JASON KAO HWANG – “SOLILOQUIES SOLILOQUIES, UNACCOMPANIED PIZZICATO VIOLIN IMPROVISATIONS” (TRUE SOUND RECORDINGS TS05)
- CHRISTIAN FABIAN TRIO – “HIP TO THE SKIP” (SPICE RACK RECORDS SR-101-68)
- DOUG MACDONALD – “THE SEXTET SESSION” (DMAC MUSIC DM25)
- CLIFF KORMAN TRIO – “URBAN TRACKS”
- MATT PANAYIDES TRIO – “WITH EYES CLOSED” (PACIFIC COAST JAZZ PJ93456
- HYESEON HONG JAZZ ORCHESTRA– “THINGS WILL PASS” (PACIFIC COAST JAZZ PJ94621)
- MONIKA HERZIG’S SHEROES – “ALL IN GOOD TIME” (ZOHO ZM 202404)
- PONY BOY ALL-STAR BIG BAND – “THIS IS NOW” (PONY BOY RECORDS PB50191-2) DRONE BONE –
- AMY SHEFFER – (SELF RELEASE)
JEROME WILSON NEW RELEASES –
- FAY VICTOR/HERBIE NICHOLS SUNG – LIFE IS FUNNY THAT WAY, (TAO FORMS)
- CHARLES LLOYD – THE SKY WILL STILL BE THERE TOMORROW, (BLUE NOTE)
- DARIUS JONES – LEGEND OF E’BOI (THE HYPERVIGILANT EYE), (AUM FIDELITY)
- BILL FRISELL – ORCHESTRAS – (BLUE NOTE)
- FRANK CARLBERG LARGE ENSEMBLE, ELEGY FOR THELONIOUS – (SUNNYSIDE)
- RON MILES – OLD MAIN CHAPEL – (BLUE NOTE)
- PATRICIA BRENNAN SEPTET – BREAKING STRETCH – (PYROCLASTIC)
- DAVID MURRAY QUARTET – FRANCESCA – (INTAKT)
- BETH GIBBON – LIVES OUTGROWN, (DOMINO)
- JASON STEIN, ANCHORS, (TAO FORMS)
– ABE GOLDSTEIN NEW RELEASES
- LEO GENOVESE – ESTRELLRO 2 – (577 RECORDS)
- FAY VICTOR LIFE IS FUNNY THAT WAY – (TAO FORMS)
- CHRISTIAN MARIEN – HOW LONG IS NOW – (MARMADE RECORDS)
- KIRK KNUFFKE – SUPER BLOND – (STEEPLECHASE)
- BEN ALLISON – TELL THE BIRDS I SAID HELLO (SONIC CAMERA)
- REMEDY – LIVE AT JAZZKAMMER (SELF PRODUCED)
- JAMES LEWIS BRANDON – TRANSFIGURATION (INTAKT)
- BRIAN MARSELLA/JOHN ZORN – BALLADES (TZADIK)
- WADADA LEO SMITH – CENTRAL PARK MOSAICS (RED HOOK)
- BRIAN LANDRU-PLAYS ELLINGTON & STRAYHORN (PALMETTO