Jazz Artistry Now – 2018 marks the 17th year I have submitted a “Top Jazz” recordings list for consideration.
PARAMETERS
This is the same list submitted to the Jazz Journalists Association and posted to my long-time “Musings In Cb” blog as well. The list contains links to the recordings or published reviews.
Readers are encouraged to listen and enjoy these records for themselves.
The parameters of this list conclude that all of these recordings are objectively brilliant in artistry and scope.
Therefore I do not rank them – it’s all great work.
Jazz Artistry Now only reviews work that we justly believe to be in the 4.0- to 4.5- out of 5.0-star range.
You will find music by widely-publicized jazz musicians and not-so-well-known alike. That’s cool.
I always include recordings released on our Artists Recording Collective label because we believe the inherent nature of acceptance into the collective ensures the quality of music we release is organically among the best recordings produced each year.
There is also a mixture of “types” of jazz among the music listed here – from melodic and traditional-sounding music to progressive, improvised and abstract experimentations. That’s cool too.
Again, we hope that you explore these particular works along with your normal listening playlists.
Thanks for reading.
~ Christopher Burnett, a JAN editor, writer, and a professional voting member: Jazz Journalists Association
[ JAN ‘Best of Jazz’ 2018 Reviews ]
- Rez Abbasi
- As Is
- Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York
- Sharel Cassity & Evolve
- Teddy Wilson Mosaic Box Set
- Jon Irabagon
- Alchemy Sound Project
- Jeff ‘Siege’ Siegel Quartet
- Charles Pillow
JAN REVIEW SCALE
JAN uses a 5-point scale for reviews. We only review music we think is in the 4.0 to 4.5 out of 5 stars range. So, all of the music reviewed here is the best of the best in our editorial and collectively informed opinions.
Our highest review rating is 4.5 because objective reality remains that nobody is 5 stars. We know that some writers and publications give fives. But, is there really a five-out-of-five recording, though? We say not. So, if we write about yours, or your client’s recording, it is likely among the best music being released by any scale.
When JAN publishes a review, the recording is representative of the best jazz artistry now.
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www.JazzArtistryNow.com
[ ARC Records 2018 Stellar Releases ]
[ Christopher Burnett’s 2018 personal picks ]
- Logan Richardson …state of the art alto saxophonist whose original voice has matured and moved the music forward into this Century.
- Ernest Melton …a young prodigy who is a refreshing throwback to the era when the essence of the music was learned from elders on the bandstand and many hours in the personal woodshed.
- Sean Conly …hey, everybody – modern jazz sounds like this.
- Dan Arcamone …genius is often bandied about in jazz, but in the case of this thoughtful and formidable artist, I say not – he is a ‘genius.’
