2021 Favorites

Book: Mary Lou Williams : Music for the Soul by Deanna Witkowski (Liturgical Press).

Releases:

Greg Abate “Magic Dance: the Music of Kenny Barron” (Whaling City Sound).

Ruben Blades & Robert Delgado & Orchestra “Salswing!” (Ruben Blades Productions).

Ruben Blades & RGO "Swing!" (RBP).

Ruben Blades & RGO “Salsa Plus!” (RBP).

Brian Charette “Power from the Air” (Steeplechase Records).

Alice Coltrane “Kirtan : Turiya Sings” (Impulse).

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra “Promises” (Luaka Bop).

Gene Perla & Various “3 Trios” (PM Records).

Sharp 5 “Shine a Bright Light” (Valley Jazz Records).

Deanna Witkowski “Force of Nature : the Music of Mary Lou Williams” (MCG Jazz).

Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo  “El Arte del Bolero” (Miel Music).

Reissues and Historical Releases:

Roseanna Vitro: Listen Here: self-produced 1982

Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller: In Harmony: 2006 & 2007 Resonance Records

Wolfgang Lackerschmidt and Chet Baker: Quintet Sessions 1979 Dot Time Records

Harvie S Trio w Mike Stern and Alan Dawson: Going For It: 1985  Savant Records

Best New Releases: In no Specific Order

Jakob Bro w Arve Hendriksen and Jorge Rossy: Uma Elmo: ECM Records

Chick Corea Akoustic Band: Chick Corea Akoustic Band Live w John Patitucci and Dave Weckl: Concord Records

Steve Gadd: Steve Gadd Band Live at Blue Note Tokyo: BFM Jazz 

Lyle Mays: Eberhard: OIM Records

Chris Potter Circuits Trio: Sunrise Reprise: Self-produced

Alex Sipiagin: Upstream: Posi Tone Records

Lorne Lofsky: This Song is New: Modica Music

Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas Soundprints: Other Worlds: Greenleaf Music

Dave Holland Trio w Kevin Eubanks and Obed Calvaire: Another World: Edition Records

Pharoah Sanders w Sam Shepherd and the London Symphony Orchestra: Floating Points: 

Kirk Lightsey: I'll Never Stop Loving You: Jo Jo Records

Nnenna Freelon : Time Traveler: Origin Records

Marc Johnson: Overpass: ECM Records

John Daversa Jazz Orchestra featuring Justin Morell: All Without Words

Gonzala Rubalcaba w Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette: Skyline: 5 Passion records

Sinne Eeg and Thomas Fonnesbaek: Staying in Touch: Stunt Records

Carlos Henriquez: The South Bronx Story: self produced

Kate McGarry +Keith Ganz Ensemble feat Ron Miles and Gary Versace: What to Wear in the Dark: self-produced

Mike LeDonne Grover Quartet + Big Band : It's All You Fault: Savant Records

Dave Zinno and Unisphere: Fetish: Whaling City Sound 

Rachel Eckroth: The Garden: Rainy Day Records

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios: Songs From My Father: Whaling City Sound

The Baylor Project: Generations: Be A Light Records

Roberto Magris and Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories: J Mood Records

Ross Hammond: It's Been Here All Along: self-produced

David Kikoski w Boris Kozlov: Sure Thing: High Note Records

Gabor Lesko: Earthway: self-produced

Slowly Rolling Camera: Where The Streets Lead: Edition Records

Michael Wolff: Michael Wolff Live at Vitellos: Sunnyside Records

Jim Snidero: Jim Snidero Live at the Deer Head Inn: Savant Records

Steve Reeves Quintet: The Alchemist: Origin Records

Chuck Owens and the Jazz Surge: Within Us: Mama Records

•  1. Charles Lloyd   Tone Poem    Blue Note
•  
• 2.      Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony   Floating Point  Luaka Bop     
  
• 
  
• 3 East Axis    Cool with That   ESP

•  
• 4.      Tim Bernes/Chris Speed/Reid Anderson/Dave King.    Broken Shadows        Intakt
• 
  
• 5.      Michael Wollny, Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre, Christian Lillinger     XXXX   Act
•  
• 6.      Chick Corea Akoustic Band  Live   Concord
•  
• 7.      Julian Lage    Squint   Blue Note
•  
• 8.      Eivind Aarset      Phantasmagoria or A Different Kind of Journey       Jazzland
•  
• 9.      Jihye Lee     Daring Mind    Matema
•  
• 10.   Joao Lencastre    Unlimited Dreams   Clean Feed

 Vocal

Veronica Swift   This Bitter Earth   Mack Ave.

 Reissue or Historical

• 1.      Louis Armstrong    The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia & RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946 – 66      Mosaic
• 2.       Hasaan Ibn Ali     Metaphysics      Omnivore
• 3.      Neil Ardley    Kaleidoscope of Rainbows      Jazz in Britain

Latin

Arturo O’Farrill     … Dreaming in Lions     Blue Note

 

• Charles Lloyd   Tone Poem    Blue Note
  
• Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony  
  
• Floating Point  Luaka Bop 3.     
  
• East Axis    Cool with That   ESP
• Tim Bernes/Chris Speed/Reid Anderson/Dave King.    Broken Shadows     Intakt
• Michael Wollny, Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre, Christian Lillinger     XXXX   Act
• Chick Corea Akoustic Band  Live   Concord
• Julian Lage    Squint   Blue Note
• Eivind Aarset      Phantasmagoria or A Different Kind of Journey  Jazzland
• Jihye Lee     Daring Mind    Matema
•  Joao Lencastre    Unlimited Dreams   Clean Feed

 Vocal

Veronica Swift   This Bitter Earth   Mack Ave.

Historical

• Louis Armstrong    The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia & RCA Victor            Studio Sessions 1946 – 66      Mosaic
• Hasaan Ibn Ali     Metaphysics      Omnivore
• Neil Ardley    Kaleidoscope of Rainbows      Jazz in Britain

 Latin

Arturo O’Farrill     … Dreaming in Lions     Blue Note

2021's finest dozen

John Coltrane A LOVE SUPREME LIVE IN SEATTLE (Impulse)

Miles Davis LOST CONCERT 1991 (Sleepy Night)

Chet Doxas YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Whirlwind)

Harold Land WESTWARD BOUND (Reel to Real)

Chris Laurence KEN WHEELER: SOME GNU ONES (Jazz in Britain)

Jeff Lederer/Sunwatch EIGHTFOLD PATH (Little Music)

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels TONE POEM (Blue Note)

Charles Mingus AT CARNEGIE HALL deluxe edition (Rhino)

Wes Montgomery NDR HAMBURG STUDIO RECORDINGS (Jazzline/NDR)

Lee Morgan COMPLETE LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE (Blue Note)

Oregon 1974 (Moosicus)

Eberhard Weber ONCE UPON A TIME (ECM)

Best Debut album

East Axis: Cool with That (ESP Disk)

Reissues or Historical albums

Billy Bang: Lucky Man (BBE Records)

Eberhard Weber: Once Upon a Time - Live in Avignon (ECM)

Roberto Miranda: Live at the Bing Theater; Los Angeles, 1985 (Dark Tree Records)

Hasaan Ibn Ali: Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album (Omnivore Recordings)

Best New Releases

Ches Smith/We All Break: Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic Records)

Allen Lowe: A Love Supine: Ascension into the Maelstrom (ESP Disk)

Ill Considered: Liminal Space (New Soil)

Matthew Shipp: Codebreaker (Tao Forms)

Johan Lindström Septett: On the Asylum (Moserobie)

Marc Johnson: Overpass (ECM)

Jeff Pearring/Pearring Sound: Socially Distanced Duos (Self-Produced)

Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet (TUM)

PLS.trio: Cosmonauts (Dot Time Records)

MMBC Terma: MMBC Terma (Self-Produced)

Becca Stevens / Elan Mehler: Pallet On Your Floor (Newvelle Records)

Satoko Fujii: Piano Music (Libra)

Fred Lonberg-Holm, Abdul Moimême & Carlos Santos: Transition Zone (Self-Produced)

Adam Berenson, Scott Barnum & Bob Moses: Assemblages (Dream Play Records)

Nik Bärtsch: Entendre (ECM Records)

The Underflow - Instant Opaque Evening (Blue Chopsticks)

Nigel Price 'Wes Re-imagined (Ubunto)

Binker Golding, John Edwards, Steve Noble - Moon Dog ( Byrd Out)

Even Parker Quartet - All Knavery and Collusion ( Cadillac records)

Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley - Polarity ( Burning Ambulance)

Rachel Musson - Dreamsing ( 577)

Matt Shipp and William Parker - Re-Union ( Rogue Art)

Sons of Kemet - Black To The Future ( Impulse)

Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent 'Quiet Is The Star' (Roomspin Records)

Polyorchard - An Excess of Primary Forms ( Out and Gone records)

Archie The Goldfish - Water and Light ( Funkiwala)

Fabulous Red Diesel - The Queensbury Sessions

1) Jazzmeia Horn - Dear Love

2) Damon Locks - Now

3) Irreversible Entanglements - Open the Gates

4) Ledisi - Sings Nina Simone

5) William Parker - Mayan Space Station

6) Anthony Braxton - Quartet Standards 2020

7) Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette - Skyline

8) Code Quartet - Genealogy

9) Jihye Lee - Daring Mind

10) Veronica Swift - This Bitter Earth

Top Ten Albums of 2021
1. Irreversible Entanglements- Open the Gates (International Anthem)
2. Mathias Eick- When We Leave (ECM)
3. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills- Notes With Attachments (New Deal/Impulse!)
4. Nala Sinephro- Space 1.8 (Warp)
5. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future (Impulse!)
6. Evan Parker Quartet- All Knavery and Collusion (Cadillac)
7. Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble- Now (International Anthem)
8. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Searching for the Disappeared Hour (Pyroclastic)
9. Artifacts- …And Then There’s This (Astral Spirits)
10. Angel Bat Dawid- Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1: Doxology (International Anthem)

Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders - Promises

Weedie Braimah - The Hands of Time 

Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future 

Nubya Garcia - Source # We Move 

Fave gig - Joel Ross live at Mr. Musichead Gallery, L.A.  Sept. 17