Favorite jazz recordings of 2022

‘Tis the season for the outpouring of Top 10 lists, and their many variations, for jazz, world events, etc. The jazz lists have a lot of variation depending on the individual reviewer's personal tastes, as well as what they listened to during the year. Bottom line, all are extremely subjective.

My favorite choices below (aside from the favorite new songs of the year) are being submitted to the Jazz Journalists Association and the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll 2022 compilations. The latter is the 17th annual Francis Davis-founded and Tom Hull-produced poll, which has been published by the Boston-based online arts journal The Arts Fuse since 2021. It previously was published by The Village Voice, Rhapsody.com and NPR Music.

As I begin preparing my review of significant events and trends in jazz in 2022 for All About Jazz, I thought I'd share my 2022 favorites lists.

Favorite new jazz releases of 2022

1. Dave Wilson Quartet, Stretching Supreme (self-released)
2. Lynne Arriale, The Lights Are Always On (Challenge) 
3. Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese, esparanza spalding, Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (Candid) 
4. Jo Harrop, The Heart Wants (Lateralize) 
5. Javon Jackson, The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson) 
6. Samara Joy, Linger Awhile (Verve) 
7. Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson, … present Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (Cellar) 
8. 
   Sam Kirmayer, In This Moment (Cellar Music) 
9. Ricky Ford, Paul's Scene (Whaling City) 
10. Chris Cortez, Live at Blue Bamboo (Blue Bamboo)
    

Favorite 2022 vocal recordings  

1. Jo Harrop, The Heart Wants (Lateralize)
2. Samara Joy, Linger Awhile (Verve) 
3. Tierney Sutton, Paris Sessions 2 (BFM Jazz) 
4. Mark Winkler, Late Bloomin' Jazzman (Café Pacific) 
5. Carol Sloane, Live at Birdland (Club 44) 
6. 
   San Gabriel 7 featuring Sinne Eeg, Under the Stars (JRL-SGS) 
7. Catherine Russell, Send For Me (Dot Time) 
8. Kim Nalley Band, I Want a Little Boy (self-released) 
9. Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola, Live in Marciac (5Passion) 
10. Xiomara Torres, La Voz Del Mar (Patois)
    

Favorite historical/reissues of 2022 (includes any recordings made over 10 years ago, whether newly released or reissued):

1. Bill Evans, Morning Glory (Resonance)
2. 
   Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse1965-1966 (Jazz Detective) 
3. Dave Brubeck Trio, Live From Vienna 1967 (Derry Music) 
4. Charles Mingus, Mingus: The Los Album From Ronnie Scott's (Resonance) 
5. Ella Fitzgerald, Ella at the Hollywood Bowl: The Irving Berlin Songbook (Verve) 
6. Elvin Jones, Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub (Blue Note) 
7. Chet Baker Trio, Live in Paris (Elemental) 
8. Clark Terry, Big Bad Band, Live in Holland 1979 (Storyville) 
9. Frank Kimbrough, 2003-2006 (Palmetto)
10. Peck Allmond Quartet, Live at Yoshi's 1994 (Eastlawn)
    

Favorite 2022 debut recording
     Timothy Norton, Visions of Phaedrus (Truth Revolution Recording Collective)

Favorite 2022 Latin/Brazilian jazz recordings:

1. Oscar Hernández & Alma Libre, Visión (Ovation)
2. Miguel Zenón, Música de las Américas (Miel)
3. Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Aymée Nuviola, Live in Marciac (5Passion)
4. Xiomara Torres, La Voz Del Mar (Patois)
5. Juan Carlos Quintero, Table for Five (Moondo)

Favorite new compositions from CDs released in 2022, listed alphabetically by composers:

• Lynne Arriale, ”Sounds Like America” from The Lights Are Always On (Challenge)
• Bob Bowman, “Yae San”” from Josh Nelson/Bob Bowman Collective, Tomorrow is Not Promised (Steel Bird)
• Yelena Eckemoff, “Like Rain Upon the Mown Grass” from I Am a Stranger in This World (L&H)
• Yosef Gutman and Gilad Ronen, “Joshua” from Yosef Gutman, Upside Down Mountain (independent)
• Jo Harrop, Natalie Williams, James McCredie, Hannah Vasanth, “Weather the Storm” from Jo Harrop, The Heart Wants (Lateralize)
• Timothy Norton, “King's Inn” from Visions of Phaedrus (Truth Revolution Recording Collective)
• Rick Roe, “Agent 88” from Roe Bickley Kramer, Lucid Dream (RNR Unknown)
• Jamieson Trotter and Mark Winkler, “Old Enough” from Mark Winkler, Late Bloomin' Jazzman (Café Pacific)
• Walt Weiskopf, “Other Jewels” from Walt Weiskopf European Quartet, Diamonds and Other Jewels (AMM)
• Miguel Zenón, “Imperios” from Música de las Américas (Miel)