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Reflecting on Your 2021 Jazz Year: New-to-You Favorites


HutchFan

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This thread isn't limited to new releases, but here's some grist for the mill.

JazzTimes' 2021 Year in Review 

https://jazztimes.com/features/lists/year-in-review-top-40-jazz-albums-2021/

40. Mike LeDonne It’s All Your Fault (Savant)
39. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas SoundPrints
38. Steve Coleman and Five Elements Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II (MDW NTR) (Pi)
37. Dan McCarthy A Place Where We Once Lived 
36. John Pizzarelli Better Days Ahead: Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny (Ghostlight)
35. Jihye Lee Orchestra Daring Mind (Motéma)
34. Jamire Williams But Only After You Have Suffered (International Anthem)
33. Oz Noy Snapdragon (Abstract Logix)
32. Nadje Noordhuis Gullfoss (Little Mystery)
31. Vince Mendoza Freedom Over Everything (Modern)
30. Eivind Aarset Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey (Jazzland)
29. Various Artists Indaba Is (Brownswood)
28. Brian Lynch Songbook Vol 1: Bus Stop Serenade (Hollistic Music Works)
27. The Cookers Look Out! (Gearbox)
26. Thumbscrew Never Is Enough (Cuneiform)
25. James Francies Purest Form (Blue Note)
24. Amir ElSaffar/Rivers of Sound The Other Shore (Outnote)
23. Percy Jones/Alex Skolnick/Kenny Grohowski/Tim Motzer PAKT (MoonJune)
22. Craig Taborn Shadow Plays (ECM)
21. Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios Songs from My Father (Whaling City Sound)
20. Irreversible Entanglements Open the Gates (International Anthem)
19. Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE (Concord Jazz)
18. Sons of Kemet Black to the Future (Impulse!)
17. Cameron Graves Seven (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
16. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels Tone Poem (Blue Note)
15. Kenny Garrett Sounds from the Ancestors (Mack Avenue)
14. Veronica Swift This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue)
13. Henry Threadgill Zooid Poof (Pi)
12. Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)
11. Dr. Lonnie Smith Breathe (Blue Note)
10. Archie Shepp and Jason Moran Let My People Go (Archieball)
9. Pat Metheny Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) (Modern)
8. William Parker Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World: Volumes 1-10 (Centering)
7. Not posted
6. Ches Smith and We All Break Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic)
5. Vijay Iyer Uneasy (ECM)
4. Johnathan Blake Homeward Bound (Blue Note)
3. Anna Webber Idiom (Pi)
2. Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/London Symphony Orchestra Promises (Luaka Bop)
1. James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily Quintet Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)

 

 

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On 11/9/2021 at 7:12 PM, JSngry said:

The Mosaic that could have done this project justice no longer exists I'm afraid...and maybe never did?

But factoring in the Transparency & Atavistic material as well as the Saturn/Transition-Delmark material (to say nothing of the R&B dates and such), you go from 1948 - 1960 over the course of a BUTTLOAD full of CDs. And factor in the scholarship about his Birmingham life, and then the Themei organization, and then the move from "Ethiopianism" to Afro-Futurism/Space Worlds...it's one helluva ride, an encapsulation of a lot of significant American history, all of it going on, for the very longest, TOTALLY off the radar.

And also - old-school African-American economic self-determination, neither depending on nor seeking White Capital. Never underestimate the role that not going after White Backing Money plays in the narrative that comes forth right away...

The pieces are beginning to come together, but looking at it in linear fashion like this made a LOT of things jump out for me in a way that had heretofore been sort of implied and/or assumed/underplayed.

The data is there (a lot of it coming from the Alton Abraham collection, and if you don't know THAT story...), the music is definitely there, and I'm sure (I hope...) that serious-minded people without an agenda already have done this for their own edification.

But yeah, it needs to be done, if only, as per the Sun Ra model - by the individual to benefit the collective. And that's just the Chicago years.

check it out - How far is this removed from a Tadd Dameron Eckstine chart? Not very!

Put the Nicholas Brothers out in front of this one!

I mean, I knew, but I didn't really KNOW, if you know what I mean.

Damn. I couldn't access the first video, but Space Aura is *&_^$@! badass. I have a reasonable (maybe unreasonable by some standards) number of Ra recordings, but never heard that before!

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On 12/18/2021 at 10:59 AM, HutchFan said:

This thread isn't limited to new releases, but here's some grist for the mill.

JazzTimes' 2021 Year in Review 

https://jazztimes.com/features/lists/year-in-review-top-40-jazz-albums-2021/

40. Mike LeDonne It’s All Your Fault (Savant)
39. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas SoundPrints
38. Steve Coleman and Five Elements Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II (MDW NTR) (Pi)
37. Dan McCarthy A Place Where We Once Lived 
36. John Pizzarelli Better Days Ahead: Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny (Ghostlight)
35. Jihye Lee Orchestra Daring Mind (Motéma)
34. Jamire Williams But Only After You Have Suffered (International Anthem)
33. Oz Noy Snapdragon (Abstract Logix)
32. Nadje Noordhuis Gullfoss (Little Mystery)
31. Vince Mendoza Freedom Over Everything (Modern)
30. Eivind Aarset Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey (Jazzland)
29. Various Artists Indaba Is (Brownswood)
28. Brian Lynch Songbook Vol 1: Bus Stop Serenade (Hollistic Music Works)
27. The Cookers Look Out! (Gearbox)
26. Thumbscrew Never Is Enough (Cuneiform)
25. James Francies Purest Form (Blue Note)
24. Amir ElSaffar/Rivers of Sound The Other Shore (Outnote)
23. Percy Jones/Alex Skolnick/Kenny Grohowski/Tim Motzer PAKT (MoonJune)
22. Craig Taborn Shadow Plays (ECM)
21. Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios Songs from My Father (Whaling City Sound)
20. Irreversible Entanglements Open the Gates (International Anthem)
19. Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE (Concord Jazz)
18. Sons of Kemet Black to the Future (Impulse!)
17. Cameron Graves Seven (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
16. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels Tone Poem (Blue Note)
15. Kenny Garrett Sounds from the Ancestors (Mack Avenue)
14. Veronica Swift This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue)
13. Henry Threadgill Zooid Poof (Pi)
12. Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)
11. Dr. Lonnie Smith Breathe (Blue Note)
10. Archie Shepp and Jason Moran Let My People Go (Archieball)
9. Pat Metheny Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) (Modern)
8. William Parker Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World: Volumes 1-10 (Centering)
7. Not posted
6. Ches Smith and We All Break Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic)
5. Vijay Iyer Uneasy (ECM)
4. Johnathan Blake Homeward Bound (Blue Note)
3. Anna Webber Idiom (Pi)
2. Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/London Symphony Orchestra Promises (Luaka Bop)
1. James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily Quintet Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)

 

 

Thanks for posting. Many of these I haven’t listened to yet so it makes a nice reference. 

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1 hour ago, JSngry said:

 

Does this get it?

"Star Time" from The Nubians Of Plutonia. If you suint just a little, you can hear Tadd Dameron like a mo here.

Thanks. You're right. Wow. I have a lot of Ra recordings, but try to diversify time-wise and figured I didn't really need all the older titles. Time to reassess.

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I felt like 2021 was overall weaker for new releases than 2020, which I thought was a good year. Perhaps that reflects a rush to release material in 2020 due to the Pandemic with subsequent scarcity in the following year. However, I also found that some of the releases by the 'new wave' that's been making such exciting music out of London / Chicago / Cape Town / NY, felt a little safer and less interesting this year. 

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Too many to count for me

best new listens care of Relative Pitch, Astral Spirits and Grateful Dead archival releases

special mention to my friend Kevin Reilly for what he has built with Relative Pitch - vibrant visceral stuff that has a huge range yet somehow has a label vibe & signature. He has great ears and doesn’t release tripe. Plus he’s doing it without the ultra active in person scene that generates many of these combinations. Much of what happens on this label are unique combinations of musicians from different geographic and musical scenes. 

plus I’m now listening to an unheard batch of erstwhile CD’s - very very refreshing so far

special mention to Fred Frith trio plus Lotte Anker & Susana Santos Silva added on disc 2 - on Intakt. I will say I’ve found most of that label’s newer releases too staid for my tastes  

 

Edited by Steve Reynolds
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On 12/18/2021 at 10:59 AM, HutchFan said:

This thread isn't limited to new releases, but here's some grist for the mill.

JazzTimes' 2021 Year in Review 

https://jazztimes.com/features/lists/year-in-review-top-40-jazz-albums-2021/

40. Mike LeDonne It’s All Your Fault (Savant)
39. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas SoundPrints
38. Steve Coleman and Five Elements Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II (MDW NTR) (Pi)
37. Dan McCarthy A Place Where We Once Lived 
36. John Pizzarelli Better Days Ahead: Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny (Ghostlight)
35. Jihye Lee Orchestra Daring Mind (Motéma)
34. Jamire Williams But Only After You Have Suffered (International Anthem)
33. Oz Noy Snapdragon (Abstract Logix)
32. Nadje Noordhuis Gullfoss (Little Mystery)
31. Vince Mendoza Freedom Over Everything (Modern)
30. Eivind Aarset Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey (Jazzland)
29. Various Artists Indaba Is (Brownswood)
28. Brian Lynch Songbook Vol 1: Bus Stop Serenade (Hollistic Music Works)
27. The Cookers Look Out! (Gearbox)
26. Thumbscrew Never Is Enough (Cuneiform)
25. James Francies Purest Form (Blue Note)
24. Amir ElSaffar/Rivers of Sound The Other Shore (Outnote)
23. Percy Jones/Alex Skolnick/Kenny Grohowski/Tim Motzer PAKT (MoonJune)
22. Craig Taborn Shadow Plays (ECM)
21. Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios Songs from My Father (Whaling City Sound)
20. Irreversible Entanglements Open the Gates (International Anthem)
19. Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE (Concord Jazz)
18. Sons of Kemet Black to the Future (Impulse!)
17. Cameron Graves Seven (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
16. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels Tone Poem (Blue Note)
15. Kenny Garrett Sounds from the Ancestors (Mack Avenue)
14. Veronica Swift This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue)
13. Henry Threadgill Zooid Poof (Pi)
12. Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)
11. Dr. Lonnie Smith Breathe (Blue Note)
10. Archie Shepp and Jason Moran Let My People Go (Archieball)
9. Pat Metheny Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) (Modern)
8. William Parker Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World: Volumes 1-10 (Centering)
7. Not posted
6. Ches Smith and We All Break Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic)
5. Vijay Iyer Uneasy (ECM)
4. Johnathan Blake Homeward Bound (Blue Note)
3. Anna Webber Idiom (Pi)
2. Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/London Symphony Orchestra Promises (Luaka Bop)
1. James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily Quintet Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)

 

 

Ok, so spent some time listening through this list at those that I could stream. They definitely hit it right on the money with #1 being Jesup Wagon - wow, talk about an excellent album! 

Others I really dug that I hadn't heard before were the LeBoeuf big band stuff, Shepp & Moran (damn good), Brian Lynch (BN throwback sound and compositions), the Indaba Is comp, Jihye Lee Orchestra, Lovano & Douglas and the LeDonne album. LeDonne was, like Lynch, a throwback of sorts in terms of arrangements and style and was a nice contrast to the more modern Jihye Lee album. 

Of those that I couldn't get into: the Lloyd and Marvels - not my fave of his by far; the Ches Smith started good but the drumming overwhelmed any improv there; the Lonnie Smith - I typically like his albums but this wasn't hitting for me; and the Aarset was just ok. 

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27 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

Ok, so spent some time listening through this list at those that I could stream. They definitely hit it right on the money with #1 being Jesup Wagon - wow, talk about an excellent album! 

Others I really dug that I hadn't heard before were the LeBoeuf big band stuff, Shepp & Moran (damn good), Brian Lynch (BN throwback sound and compositions), the Indaba Is comp, Jihye Lee Orchestra, Lovano & Douglas and the LeDonne album. LeDonne was, like Lynch, a throwback of sorts in terms of arrangements and style and was a nice contrast to the more modern Jihye Lee album. 

Of those that I couldn't get into: the Lloyd and Marvels - not my fave of his by far; the Ches Smith started good but the drumming overwhelmed any improv there; the Lonnie Smith - I typically like his albums but this wasn't hitting for me; and the Aarset was just ok. 

Thanks for sharing your impressions, Dub!  :tup 

I've been meaning to investigate James Brandon Lewis.  Will give that one a listen, for sure.

 

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I bought too many CDs, as always, but only few made a really memorable impression:

Oliver Nelson - Nocturne (OJC/New Jazz)

Paul Bryant - The Blues Message (Fresh Sound/Pacific Jazz)

Maria Rivas & Liberjazz Trio - Pepiada Queen (Obeso Pacanins)

Mark Whitfield - Live & Uncut (Chesky)

Shirley Scott - One For Me (Strata East)

Anselmo Sacasas Y Su Orquesta - 1942-1944 (Harlequin)

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FWIW, here's my list that I submitted to the Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2021, organized by Tom Hull and Francis Davis and hosted this year for the first time by The Arts Fuse (Boston).

To the extent that this annual poll, now in its 16th year, represents critical consensus -- 156 folks voted this time -- I'm typically out of step with most of the fraternity. In short, I favor music more rooted in the core African American values of blues and swing than most of my colleagues. My aesthetic certainly allows for free jazz and its offshoots -- my top 10 this year includes recordings by James Brandon Lewis, Henry Threadgill, and Tim Berne, and I voted for Julius Hemphill in the reissue/archival category. But I still lean toward music with, to me, a more palpable connection to the jazz tradition. I realize of course that the idea of "the jazz tradition" is layered and complex, but I think my ballot itself defines how and where I draw the lines.

In any case, here's a link to the results and Francis Davis' introductory essay. Note that the first list you see is Francis' own ballot and the overall results appear below, so you have to scroll to see it. There are also links to all 156 individual ballots. https://artsfuse.org/.../the-2021-jazz-critics-poll-only.../

Footnote: We are prevented from voting for any recording that we wrote liner notes for or otherwise participated in the promotion. That meant I couldn't vote for Roy Brooks' "Understanding" in the reissues/archival category because I wrote the main essay for the package.

NEW RELEASES
1. Johnathan Blake, "Homeward Bound" (Blue Note)
2. The Cookers, "Look Out!" (Gearbox)
3. Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, "El Arte Del Bolero" (Miel Music)
4. Bill Charlap Trio, "Street of Dreams" (Blue Note)
5. Renee Rosnes, "Kinds of Love" (Smoke Sessions)
6. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, "Jesup Wagon" (Tao Forms)
7. Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)
8. Henry Threadgill "Zooid," Poof (Pi)
9. Houston Person, "Live in Paris" (HighNote)
10. Tim Berne-Chris Speed-Reid Anderson-Dave King, "Broken Shadows" (Intakt)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)
1. John Coltrane, "A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle" (1965, Impulse!)
2. Hasaan Ibn Ali, "Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album" (1965, Omnivore)
3. Julius Hemphill, "The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony" (1977-2007, New World)

VOCAL
Samara Joy, "Samara Joy" (Whirlwind)
DEBUT
Kazemde George, "I Insist" (Greenleaf Music)
LATIN
Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)

Edited by Mark Stryker
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41 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Thanks for sharing your impressions, Dub!  :tup 

I've been meaning to investigate James Brandon Lewis.  Will give that one a listen, for sure.

 

And I forgot to mention the Parker Migration of Silence…they only have the sampler on Apple Music. But I really liked what I heard there. Sent me into a bit of a Parker deep dive which was fun.

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47 minutes ago, Mark Stryker said:

NEW RELEASES
1. Johnathan Blake, "Homeward Bound" (Blue Note)
2. The Cookers, "Look Out!" (Gearbox)
3. Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, "El Arte Del Bolero" (Miel Music)
4. Bill Charlap Trio, "Street of Dreams" (Blue Note)
5. Renee Rosnes, "Kinds of Love" (Smoke Sessions)
6. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, "Jesup Wagon" (Tao Forms)
7. Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)
8. Henry Threadgill "Zooid," Poof (Pi)
9. Houston Person, "Live in Paris" (HighNote)
10. Tim Berne-Chris Speed-Reid Anderson-Dave King, "Broken Shadows" (Intakt)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)
1. John Coltrane, "A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle" (1965, Impulse!)
2. Hasaan Ibn Ali, "Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album" (1965, Omnivore)
3. Julius Hemphill, "The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony" (1977-2007, New World)

VOCAL
Samara Joy, "Samara Joy" (Whirlwind)
DEBUT
Kazemde George, "I Insist" (Greenleaf Music)
LATIN
Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)

Thanks for sharing your list, Mark.

Lots of interesting stuff to explore there!

 

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16 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I found the Brownswood SA comp mentioned above pretty uneven but the good bits are good. Similar to the London one from a few years ago. It's worth listening to for a who's who of the younger South Africa scene, which is currently in florid health.

They've put it all on YT, with Animations etc.

That's the Indaba Is comp...yeah, it's mostly good. The only track I skipped was by The Wretched (song lived up to the band's name for sure, but maybe that was the goal). 

 

16 hours ago, Mark Stryker said:

FWIW, here's my list that I submitted to the Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2021, organized by Tom Hull and Francis Davis and hosted this year for the first time by The Arts Fuse (Boston).

To the extent that this annual poll, now in its 16th year, represents critical consensus -- 156 folks voted this time -- I'm typically out of step with most of the fraternity. In short, I favor music more rooted in the core African American values of blues and swing than most of my colleagues. My aesthetic certainly allows for free jazz and its offshoots -- my top 10 this year includes recordings by James Brandon Lewis, Henry Threadgill, and Tim Berne, and I voted for Julius Hemphill in the reissue/archival category. But I still lean toward music with, to me, a more palpable connection to the jazz tradition. I realize of course that the idea of "the jazz tradition" is layered and complex, but I think my ballot itself defines how and where I draw the lines.

In any case, here's a link to the results and Francis Davis' introductory essay. Note that the first list you see is Francis' own ballot and the overall results appear below, so you have to scroll to see it. There are also links to all 156 individual ballots. https://artsfuse.org/.../the-2021-jazz-critics-poll-only.../

Footnote: We are prevented from voting for any recording that we wrote liner notes for or otherwise participated in the promotion. That meant I couldn't vote for Roy Brooks' "Understanding" in the reissues/archival category because I wrote the main essay for the package.

NEW RELEASES
1. Johnathan Blake, "Homeward Bound" (Blue Note)
2. The Cookers, "Look Out!" (Gearbox)
3. Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, "El Arte Del Bolero" (Miel Music)
4. Bill Charlap Trio, "Street of Dreams" (Blue Note)
5. Renee Rosnes, "Kinds of Love" (Smoke Sessions)
6. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, "Jesup Wagon" (Tao Forms)
7. Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)
8. Henry Threadgill "Zooid," Poof (Pi)
9. Houston Person, "Live in Paris" (HighNote)
10. Tim Berne-Chris Speed-Reid Anderson-Dave King, "Broken Shadows" (Intakt)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)
1. John Coltrane, "A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle" (1965, Impulse!)
2. Hasaan Ibn Ali, "Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album" (1965, Omnivore)
3. Julius Hemphill, "The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony" (1977-2007, New World)

VOCAL
Samara Joy, "Samara Joy" (Whirlwind)
DEBUT
Kazemde George, "I Insist" (Greenleaf Music)
LATIN
Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)

There's a few in your top 10 that I need to listen to. Glad to see someone else giving love to that Blake album. 

Also not on the lists is Brandee Younger's Somewhere Different, also from 2021 and on Impulse. There's some really great songs there. 

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5 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

That's the Indaba Is comp...yeah, it's mostly good. The only track I skipped was by The Wretched (song lived up to the band's name for sure, but maybe that was the goal

I think that The Wretched are for some reason the marquee act. Personally, I thought the same thing as you. 

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