As the year winds down, I'll be preparing my Year-in-Jazz retrospective. In advance of that, here's a rundown of my favorites among 2010's new releases and historic recordings.
Always keep in mind that top 10 listings of this sort reflect what the reviewer gets a chance to hear during the year.. as well as musical taste at the moment he/she does the evaluations. They only carry significant weight when the same recordings show up on many such lists.
If you haven't done so already, these are projects I recommend you check out.
The 10 best new jazz releases of 2010, listed alphabetically:
Always keep in mind that top 10 listings of this sort reflect what the reviewer gets a chance to hear during the year.. as well as musical taste at the moment he/she does the evaluations. They only carry significant weight when the same recordings show up on many such lists.
If you haven't done so already, these are projects I recommend you check out.
The 10 best new jazz releases of 2010, listed alphabetically:
- Dave Bass Quartet, Gone (Dave Bass Music)
- Lisa Engelken, Caravan (Little Angel)
- Tamir Hendelman, Destinations (Resonance)
- Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare2)
- Christine Jensen, treelines (Justin Time)
- Pat Metheny, Orchestrion (Nonesuch)
- Jean-Michel Pilc, True Story (Dreyfus)
- Ellen Rowe Quartet, Wishing Well (PKO Records)
- Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband, Ceremony (Otá)
- Jacky Terrasson, Push (Concord Jazz)
The 10 best new songs of the year, listed alphabetically:
- John Britton, Anticipation" from The Britton Brothers Band, Uncertain Living (Record Craft)
- Gerald Cleaver, From a Life of the Same Name" from Jeremy Pelt, Men of Honor (HighNote)
- Loren Daniels, Point A to Point A," title track, Reggie Pittman-Loren Daniels Quartet (self-produced)
- Tamir Hendelman, Babushka" from Destinations (Resonance)
- Pat Metheny, Spirit of the Air," from Orchestrion (Nonesuch)
- Chris Potter, Sea of Mamara" from Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare2)
- Jean-Michel Pilc, PBH Factor," from True Story, (Dreyfus)
- Aldo Romano, Gamelan" from Origine, Dreyfus Jazz)
- Ellen Rowe, For That Which Was Living, Lost" from Wishing Well (PKO Records)
- Luciano Troja, Earl and Bill" from At Home With Zindars (self-produced)
The five best historical/reissues of 2010, listed alphabetically:
- Miles Davis, Bitches Brew (Sony/Legacy)
- Stan Getz/Kenny Barron, People Time: The Complete Recordings (Sunnyside)
- Vince Guaraldi, Peanuts Portraits (Concord Music)
- Freddie Hubbard, Red Clay (CTI)
- Art Pepper, Unreleased Art, Vol. V: Stuttgart (Widow's Taste)