The 10 best new jazz releases of 2021

1. Yoko Miwa, Songs of Joy (Ubuntu)

2. Greg Abate, Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron (Whaling City Sound)

3. Pasquale Grasso, Pasquale Plays Duke (Sony Music Masterworks)

4. Paxton/Spangler Septet, Anthem for the New Nation (Eastlawn)

5. Dave Stryker, Baker’s Circle (Strikezone)

6. Graham Dechter, Major Influence (Capri)

7. Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Skyline (Passion)

8. Diego Rivera, Indigenous (Posi-Tone)

9. Dan Wilson, Vessels of Wood and Earth (Brother Mister)

10. Out To Dinner, Play On (Posi-Tone)

2021’s best vocal recordings:

1. Veronica Swift, This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue)

2. Samara Joy, Samara Joy (Whirlwind)

3. Roderick Harper, Evolving (RHM Entertainment)

4. Anaïs Reno, Lovesome Thing (Harbinger)

5. Roxana Amed, Ontology (Sony Latin)

The best historical/reissues of 2021 (includes any recordings made over 10 years ago, whether newly released or reissued):

1. Lee Morgan, The Complete Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note, 1970)

2. Roy Hargrove & Mulgrew Miller, In Harmony (Resonance, 2006-7)

3. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle (Impulse!, 1965)

4. Oscar Peterson, A Time For Love ((Two Lions/Mack Avenue, 1987)

5. Bill Evans, Behind the Dikes: The 1969 Netherlands Recordings (Elemental, 1969)

6. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings (Blue Note, 1961)

7. Miles Davis, Merci Miles! Live at Vienne (Rhino, 1991)

8. Roy Brooks, Understanding (Reel to Real, 1970)

9. Sheila Jordan, Comes Love: Lost Session 1960 (Capri, 1960)

10. Juan Carlos Quintero, Caminando [originally The Way Home] (Moondo, 1997)

2021’s top debut recording:

Emma-Jean Thackray, Yellow(Movementt/Warp)

2021’s best Latin/Brazilian jazz recordings:

1. Carlos Henriquez, The South Bronx Story (Tiger Turn)

2. Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo, El Arte Del Bolero (Miel Music)

3. Antonio Adolfo, Jobim Forever (AAM Music)

4. Lunar Octet, Convergence (Summit)

5. Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Social Distancing (Saponegro)

6. Iván Melon Lewis, Voyager (Cezanne Producciones)

7. Roxana Amed, Ontology (Sony Latin)

8. Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Johannes Tonio Kreusch, Manisero (Zoho)

9. Mauricio J. Rodriguez, Luz (self-produced)

10. Various arists, CHANGÜÍ - The Sound of Guantánamo (Petaluma)

The 10 best new compositions from CDs released in 2021, listed alphabetically:\

• Gabriel Alegria, “The New Normal” from Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Social Distancing (Saponegro)

• Rahsaan Barber, “Quarantine Queens” from Mosaic (Jazz Music City)

• Ollie Dudek, “Children of the Sun” from The Scenic Route Trio, Flight of Life (Crosscurrent Jazz)

• Giveton Gelin, “Armageddon” from Out To Dinner, Play On (Posi-Tone)

• Cameron Graves, “Seven” from Seven (Mack Avenue)

• Lisa Hilton, “So This Is Love” from More Than Another Day (Ruby Slippers)

• Aron Kaufman, “Norm’s Nambo” from Lunar Octet, Convergence (Summit)

• Chuck Owen, “American Noir” from Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge, Within Us (Summit)

• Lukasz Pawlik, “Indian Garden” from Long-Distance Connections (Summit)

• Diego Rivera, “Sombras Del Pasado” from Indigenous (Posi-Tone)

21 for '21 -- the albums that topped my jazz pile this year
(in alphabetical order)

+ The Baylor Project, Generations (Be a Light)
+ Stephen Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra, Community Music, Vol. 1: Tinctures in Time (Royal Potato)
+ The Cookers, Look Out! (Gearbox)
+ Chick Corea Akoustic Band, Live (Concord Jazz)
+ Joey DeFrancesco, More Music (Mack Avenue)
+ Kurt Elling feat. Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue (Edition)
+ Orrin Evans, The Magic of Now (Smoke Sessions)
+ Joe Farnsworth, Time to Swing (Smoke Sessions)
+ Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios, Songs From My Father (Whaling City Sound)
+ Carlos Henriquez, The South Bronx Story (Blue Engine)
+ Vincent Herring, Preaching to the Choir (Smoke Sessions)
+ Dave Holland, Another Land (Edition)
+ Samara Joy, Samara Joy (Whirlwind)
+ Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows, Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)
+ John McLaughlin, Liberation Time (Abstract Logix)
+ Pat Metheny, Side Eye NYC (V1.IV) (Modern)
+ Arturo O’Farrill The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, …dreaming in lions… (Blue Note)
+ Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge Within Us (Summit)
+ Nicholas Payton, Smoke Sessions (Smoke Sessions)
+ Chris Potter There is a Tide (Edition)
+ Nate Smith, Kinfolk 2: See the Birds (Edition)

Andrew Cyrille Quartet - The News

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels - Tone Poem

Kenny Garrett - Sounds of the Ancestors

Todd Cochran TC3 - Then & Again, Here & Now

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Soundprints - Other Worlds

Johnathan Blake - Homeward Bound

Veronica Swift - The Bitter Earth

James Brandon Lews/Red Lily Quintet - Jesup Wagon

Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra - Promises

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

Roy Hargrove & Mulgrew Miller - In Harmony

Roy Brooks - Understanding

Lee Morgan - The Complete Live at the Lighthouse

Terence Blanchard featuring E-Collective & Turtle Island Quartet - Absence

To listen to the Straight No Chaser Podcast "A Few of My Favorite Things 2021' please visit https://straightnochaserjazz.libsyn.com/podcast-870-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-2021

JOHN COLTRANE: "A Love Supreme:1965"

HAROLD MABERN: "Mabern Plays Coltrane"

MICHAEL STEPHENSON MEETS THE ALEXANDER CLAFFY TRIO

TONY BENNETT & LADY GAGA: "Cheek to Cheet"

MARK ZALESKI BAND: "Our Time Reimagining Dave Brubeck"

JAZZMEIA HORN & HER NOBLE FORCE: "Dear Love"

OSCAR PETERSON: "A Time for Love Live in Helsinki 1987

A GIFT TO POPS

PAUL JOST: "While We Were Gone"

JEREMY MONTEIRO & ALBERTO MARSICO: "Jazz Blues Brothers"

NICHOLAS PAYTON, RON CARTER, KARRIEM RIGGINS & GEORGE COLEMAN -"Smoke Sessions"

SHEDRICK MITCHELL: "What Do You Say"

GONZALO RUBALCABA, RON CARTER, JACK DEJOHNETTE: "Skyline"

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ: "The South Bronx Story"

BRANDON GOLDBERG: "In Good Time"

THE TEMPLE UNIV. JAZZ BAND: "Without You No Me honoring legacy of Jimmy Heath"

GERRY GIBBS THRASHER DREAM TRIOS: "Song From My Father"

JOE FARNSWORTH: "City of Sounds"

KIRK LIGHTSEY: "I Will Never Stop Loving You"

LAUFEY & PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRAY

ELLA FITZGERALD: "Sunshine of Your Love"

LADY BLACKBIRD: "Black Acid Soul"

MICHAEL WOLFF: "Live at Vitellos"

JEREMY MONTEIRO & JAY ANDERSON

LEWIS NASH: "Live at No Black Tie"

ARTURO O'FARRILL: "The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Virtual Birdland"

HENRY "SKIPPER" FRANKLIN: "Showers & Blessings"

NOAH HAIDU, BUSTER WILLIAMS, BILLY HART: "Slowly, Song for Keith Jarrett"

WADADA LEO SMITH/MILFORD GRAVES/BILL LASWELL: "Sacred Ceremonies"

BRIAN BROMBERG: "A Little Driving Music"

RALPH PETERSON: "Raise Up Off Me"

ROY HARGROVE & MULGROVE MILLER: "iN hARMONY"

GABRIEL MARK HASSELBACH: "Tongue & Groove"

TANYA DENNIS: "White Sails Blue Skies"

GENERATIONS: "The Baylor Project"

HAROLD LAND: "Westward Bound"

GRAHAM DECHTER: "Major Influence"

KENNY GARRETT: "Sounds From the Ancestor"

ANTONIO ADOLFO: "Jobim Forever"

THE JAZZ ALL STARS - VOL 1.

FREDDIE HUBBARD: "The Hub of Hubbard"

OSCAR PETERSON: "Motions & Emotions"

RENEE ROSNES: "Kinds of Love"

JOEY DEFRANCESCO: "More Music"

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)