2022: The Year in Jazz

All About Jazz has published my comprehensive look back at happenings in the jazz world during 2022. At more than 14,000 words, it's not for the faint of heart.

Here's the summary lead:

Current events impacted the jazz world in significant ways throughout 2022. In its third year, the coronavirus pandemic continued to lurk in some settings, while others recovered in robust fashion. Russia's war on Ukraine was felt by musicians and triggered an outpouring of support for its victims. Initiatives to ensure greater equity in jazz advanced. 

The 11^th annual International Jazz Day blended in-person and livestreamed events around the globe. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new NEA Jazz Masters and bid farewell to three others who were among the hundreds of industry-associated musicians and figures passing away during the year.

You can read it here at the AAJ website.

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) 

A look back at 2021's jazz happenings

All About Jazz has published my annual comprehensive compilation of trends, challenges and noteworthy happenings in the global jazz world. Sad to say, the year's jazz-related list of musicians and industry figures who passed away during 2021 comprise nearly 25 percent of the material.

Here's the intro:

The jazz world continued grappling and adjusting in year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Jazz Day again went virtual for the most part. Singer Tony Bennett put the final stamp on his touring – and likely recording – career after his Alzheimer's disclosure. Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield was headed to federal prison. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new NEA Jazz Masters and said farewell to seven others who were among the many industry-associated musicians and figures passing away during the year.

You can read all of it, 2021: The Year in Jazz, here.

2020: The Year in Jazz

All About Jazz has just posted my comprehensive annual look back at the past year in the jazz world.  

In short: The COVID-19 pandemic put the jazz world in a tailspin, just like the world at large, in 2020. And there is plenty of uncertainty going into the new year about what “new normal: might emerge from the darkness. International Jazz Day, like so many other things, became a online virtual event this time around.

Pianist Keith Jarrett disclosed that he might never perform in public again because of lingering health issues. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new NEA Jazz Masters and said farewell to nine others who were among the many industry-associated musicians and figures passing away during the year.

But there was much, much more, in a year like we've never seen before. 

With some 20/20 hindsight, there's a lot more to learn about or refresh your memory right here.

Looking back at 2019

AllAboutJazz has published my annual comprehensive review of goings on in the jazz world in 2019, things great, things odd, things interesting - and sometimes tragic. 

International Jazz Day brought its biggest stage to Australia. An important but long-dormant jazz mecca was revived in a coast-to-coast move. ECM Records celebrated a golden year. The music and its makers figured prominently on the big screen. 

The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new NEA Jazz Masters. The jazz world said farewell to one other, who was among the many industry-associated musicians and figures who passed away during the year, some under tragic circumstances.

You can read it all here. 

Best wishes for the new year.

The Year in Jazz

All About Jazz has just posted the newest edition of my annual comprehensive compilation of goings on in jazz.

The year 2018 was a busy one for the jazz world.

The genre's version of the #MeToo movement resulted in a new Code of Conduct and other efforts to make the music workplace more equitable. International Jazz Day brought its biggest stage to St. Petersburg, Russia. The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which ran a high-profile performance competition for more than 30 years and co-produces International Jazz Day, announced a significant name change.

The New Orleans financial scandal focusing on trumpeter Irvin Mayfield saw its indictments expanded twice. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new New Jazz Masters and the jazz world said farewell to five others who were among the many musicians and industry-associated figures who passed away during the year.

You can dig into all of it here.

2018's best jazz recordings

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

These choices below (aside from top 10 new songs of the year) were submitted to the Jazz Journalists’ Association and NPR Music 2018 compilations. (The latter is the annual Francis Davis-produced poll that previously was published by The Village Voice and Rhapsody.com).

As I begin preparing my review of significant events and trends in jazz in 2018 for All About Jazz, I thought I'd share my "best of 2018" lists. *Always keep in mind the above caveats.

The 10 best new jazz releases of 2018

1. Jeff Hamilton Trio, Live from San Pedro (Capri)
   
2. Benjamin Boone and Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)
3. Lynne Arriale Trio, Give Us These Days (Challenge)
4. Eric Alexander, Song of No Regrets (HighNote)
5. Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs, Essiet Okon Essiet Passion Reverence Transcendence (Whaling City Sound)
6. Fred Hersch Trio, Live in Europe (Palmetto)
7. Yelena Eckemoff, Desert (L&H)
8. Mica Bethea Big Band, Suite Theory (self-produced)
9. Roxy Coss, The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone)
10. Dongfeng Liu, China Carib (Zoho)

2018’s best vocal recording:

Amy Cervini, No One Ever Tells You (Anzic)

The best historical/reissues of 2018 (includes any recordings made over 10 years ago, whether newly released or reissued):

1.     John Coltrane, Both Directions at Once: The Lost Sessions (Verve)

2.     Esbjorn Svensson Trio, E.S.T. Live in London (ACT)

3.     Fred Hersch Trio, '97 @ The Village Vanguard (self-produced)

2018’s best Latin/Brazilian jazz recordings:

1.     Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Back to the Sunset (Dafnison)

2.     Bobby Sanabria, West Side Story Revimagined (JazzHeads)

3.     Antonio Adolfo, Encontros - Orquestra Atlantica (AAM)

4.     Akira Tana, JAZZaNOVA (Vega)

5.     Eddie Daniels, Heart of Brazil (Resonance)

The 10 best new compositions from CDs released in 2018, listed alphabetically:

• Lynne Arriale, “Appassionata” from Give Us These Days (Challenge)
• Benjamin Boone, The Unknowable (Homage to Sonny Rollins)” from Benjamin Boone and Philip Levine, The Poetry of Jazz (Origin)
• Roxy Coss, “Females are Strong as Hell” from The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone)
• Yelena Eckemoff, “Bedouins” from Desert (L&H)
• Thomas Fonnesbæk, “Panic Attack” from Fonnesbæk and Kauflin, Synesthesia (Storyville)
• Ken Fowser, “Coming Up Shorter” from Don’t Look Down (Posi-Tone)
• Benito Gonzalez, “Brazilian Girls” from Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs, Essiet Okon Essiet Passion Reverence Transcendence (Whaling City Sound)
• Fred Hersch, “Newklypso” from Fred Hersch Trio, Live in Europe (Palmetto)
• Monika Herzig, “Nancy Wilson Portrait” from Sheroes (Whaling City Sound)
• Dongfeng Liu, “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon” from China Carib (Zoho)

2017: The Year in Jazz

Allaboutjazz.com has published my look back at the past year in the jazz world at-large.In brief summation, 2017 was a year of great achievements, challenges to gender inequality, scandal and losses.

In wading through the many occurrences,  there was much to consider, enjoy and recall. Dig in as you wish - and take it a section or two at a time, if needed. 

This edition tops out at more than 8,000 words. Whew.