Here are twenty recommended tracks featured on my radio shows, Jazz In the New Millennium (syndicated nationally through the African American Public Radio Consortium) and KBOO-FM in Portland, Oregon. The first ten are from my top albums ballot, though not necessarily in this order. Obviously, no one can listen to everything; what I heard was in part dictated by what came my way.
Top Ten Albums and Tracks
Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, "Ramblin'" (Tone Poem, Blue Note)
Dr. Lonnie Smith, "Why Can't We Live Together," (Breathe, Blue Note)
Lauren Henderson, "I Concentrate on You," (Musa, Brontosaurus)
Kenny Garrett, "Sounds from the Ancestors" (Sounds from the Ancestors, Mack Avenue)
Pat Metheny, "Time Line" (Side Eye NYC V1.1V, Metheny Group)
Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios, "Tango for Terry" (Songs From My Father, Whaling City Sound)
Vijay Iyer, "Drummer's Song" (Uneasy, ECM)
Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas, "The Transcendentalists" (Other Worlds, Greenleaf)
Arturo O'Farrill The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, "Del Mar" (Dreaming In Lions..., Blue Note)
Johnathan Blake, "Steppin' Out" (Homeward Bound, Blue Note)
Ten More for the Radio
Joe Chambers, "Samba de Maracatu" (Samba de Maracatu, Blue Note)
Leon Lee Dorsey, "Freedom Jazz Dance" (Freedom Jazz Dance, Jazz Avenue)
Julian Lage, "Saint Rose" (Squint, Blue Note)
Kurt Elling, "Manic Panic Epiphanic" (SuperBlue, Edition)
John Patitucci/Vinnie Colaiuta/Bill Cunliffe, "Ana Maria" (Trio, Le Coq)
Terence Blanchard feat. the E! Collective and Turtle Island Quartet, "Diana" (Absence, Blue Note)
Noah Haidu, "Chambers of Tain" (Doctone, Sunnyside)
Brandee Younger, "Love & Struggle" (Somewhere Different, Impulse)
James Francies, "My Favorite Things" (Purest Form, Blue Note)
Makaya McCraven, "Wail Bait" (Deciphering the Message, Blue Note)
Three Very Cool Reissues
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost Recordings (Blue Note): Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Jymie Merritt, Art Blakey. We now have proof. On January 14, 1961, this was the greatest band in the world.
Sheila Jordan, Comes Love: Lost Session 1960 (Capri): She can't remember who was in the band but they sound great. She does, too.
Oscar Peterson Quartet, A Time for Love (Mack Avenue): Oscar is Oscar, Joe Pass is shredding...
Three Very Cool Non-Jazz Albums
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, Raise the Roof (Rounder)
Allison Russell, Outside Child (Fantasy)
Charley Crockett, The Valley (Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers)
