AccuJazz AccuBlog

Best of 2012

2013-01-25T13:40:00.001-06:00

Another new year, another chance to reflect on all of the music, good or bad, that was released in the past 12 months. Though this ritual has become clockwork for Internet-savvy music fans like myself, I must admit that I still get excited when poring over the many best-of lists that clog up my RSS feed in December and January.

Of course, the excitement of reading about so much great music is quickly met by an urge to hear what all that vaunted music actually sounds like. That's where AccuJazz comes in. We've created an entire "Best Jazz of 2012" channel playing nothing but the most critically-acclaimed jazz from last year.

To make the BEST "Best of" channel, we had to find the best critics' list to help craft our playlist. The list to end all lists is Francis Davis' critics poll, originally printed in the Village Voice and now hosted by Rhapsody.com. This year, Davis asked 119 jazz critics from around the world to rank their top albums from 2012. He then aggregated the results into one huge list that reflects the closest thing to a critical consensus on 2012 jazz.

As he did in 2009, the unstoppable Vijay Iyer topped this year's list. The winning album, Accelerando, is his trio's follow-up to 2009's Historicity, and like its predecessor, Accelerando searches for the Platonic ideal of jazz that is simultaneously modern and traditional, mainstream and avant-garde. Along with typically knotty Iyer originals, the album includes covers of songs by avant-garde jazz titans Henry Threadgill and Herbie Nichols and also includes left-field song choices from Flying Lotus, Michael Jackson and '70s disco group Heatwave. Iyer's trio has developed a synergistic playing style that is completely their own (and which I was fortunate enough to have witnessed live in October -- it was amazing).

Filling out the rest of the top 3 are excellent albums by avant-garde veterans -- Sam Rivers and Wadada Leo Smith, respectively. Further on down the list things get much more diverse, with Robert Glasper’s zeitgeist-defining jazz/R&B hybrid, “Black Radio,” Chick Corea and Gary Burton's shimmering standards and some decades-old, newly unearthed live recordings from Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans.

Head on over to AccuJazz.com to listen to these albums and many, many more, on our "Best Jazz of 2012" channel. As with all AccuJazz channels, it's free and available 24/7. Happy listening!

Let the Festival Season Begin! (In New Orleans)

2012-04-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

The onset of warmer weather can mean only one thing: music festival season is nigh! There may be other joys that Summer brings, but for me it's all about savoring great music in the great outdoors. AccuJazz has a tradition of creating channels dedicated to the jazz festivals we're most excited about, from Montréal to Monterey, and we're getting ready to offer up updated playlists based on all of this year's big fests, too.

The first of the main jazz events to happen each year is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, taking place this April 27 through May 6. Naturally, that's also the first festival channel we're launching on AccuJazz. (How about you launch the channel now before going on?)

If you visit the festival's official website, you'll see pictures of big-name headliners like the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Cee Lo Green. But if you check out the full line-up, you'll notice there is indeed a wealth of exceptional jazz scheduled to take place at this year's event. Our channel (you just launched it, right?) leaves out the Eagles and the Boss in favor of a diverse mix of jazz artists, from Grammy-winning "It" girl Esperanza Spalding to the legendary Herbie Hancock. Of course, there's always a slew of exceptional local New Orleans talent including Ellis Marsalis, Trombone Shorty and the usual line-up of stellar brass bands (Dirty Dozen, Rebirth, and Soul Rebels, for starters).

Whether you're actually planning on attending Jazz Fest or just wish you were, AccuJazz's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2012 channel makes for a great listen. Be sure to look out for more channels as the festival season really gets under way in the next few months.

My Favorite Jazz of 2011

2012-02-15T13:00:00.000-06:00

Coming in a mere 2.5 months later than your average jazz critic, I'm presenting my very own list of favorite 2011 jazz albums. The list has already been available in channel form for a few days, on my Staff Picks channel (listen now), but now I'm finally presenting it in numerated list form.

When looking for themes in my picks, I'm slightly (but only slightly) embarrassed to see that the top-10 is heavy on long-established personal favorites: Ben Allison [pictured], The Claudia Quintet, Dave King, Roy Haynes. This might suggest that I was biased to like these albums before I ever listened to them. What's more likely is that these bands and musicians are consistently excellent and didn't fail in 2011. Also, my 2nd favorite album of the year is by a little-known DC-based musician of whom I had no previous knowledge. So maybe I did give everyone a fair shake.

I just want to take one moment to highlight that album, Secret Handshake by Brian Settles. I was hooked from the first few seconds of the lead-off track, and it has remained in steady rotation on my iPod, computer and car stereo ever since. It's a seemingly low-budget, humble affair that nonetheless creates a very distinct and disciplined sound-world unlike anything I've heard in a long time. I didn't even receive a press release about the CD; it managed to make its way to the forefront of my listening habits with zero hype or back-story preceding it. That's unfortunately not as common as you'd think. But still, the much more hyped and more expensive-sounding Action-Refraction by Ben Allison did eke out a close 1st place finish in my list.

Below, I've listed all 30 albums that are playing on the Staff Picks channel: an ordered top 20 plus 10 honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy listening to the channel and discover a new favorite album or two for yourself.

Top 20

1. Ben Allison - Action Refraction
2. Brian Settles and Central Union - Secret Handshake
3. Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening
4. Miguel Zenón - Alma Adentro: the Puerto Rican Songbook
5. Claudia Quintet - What Is the Beautiful?
6. Dave King Trucking Company - Good Old Light
7. Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland - James Farm
8. Mike Reed's My Silence - It Only Happens at Night
9. Roy Haynes - Roy-Alty
10. Rez Abassi - Suno Suno
11. Starlicker - Double Demon
12. Chris Speed's Endangered Blood - Endangered Blood
13. JD Allen Trio - Victory!
14. Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found
15. Gerald Cleaver, William Parker and Craig Taborn - Out of This World's Distortions
16. Amir ElSaffar - Inana
17. Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo - Songs of Mirth and Melancholy
18. Benny Green - Source
19. Darius Jones Trio - Big Gurl (Smell My Dream)
20. The Four Bags - Forth

Honorable Mentions:

Led Bib - Bring Your Own
Jason Adasiewicz - Spacer
Chris Dingman - Waking Dreams
Steve Coleman - The Mancy of Sound
Brad Mehldau, Kevin Hays and Patrick Zimmerli - Modern Music
Carlo De Rosa's Cross Fade - Brain Dance
Josh Nelson - Discoveries
Deep Blue Organ Trio - Wonderful!
Colorlist - The Fastest Way to Become the Ocean
Noah Preminger - Before the Rain

Listen to the Staff Picks channel now!

The Best Jazz of 2011, According to the Critics

2012-02-09T14:00:00.002-06:00

Click here for our Best Jazz of 2011 Channel.

The best jazz album of 2011, according to the 122 people who participated in this year's Rhapsody Jazz Critics' Poll (formerly the Village Voice Jazz Critics' Poll), was made by an artist who first came to prominence in the 1950s. Road Shows, Vol. 2, by Sonny Rollins, won in a landslide. Rollins also received recognition from much higher powers than jazz critics, receiving the Kennedy Center honors from the president. Interestingly, the Rhapsody poll's No. 2 spot belongs to one of the youngest musicians on the list, 29-year-old trumpet phenom Ambrose Akinmusire. Akinmusire's exhilarating Blue Note Records debut, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, seemed to appeal to more traditional- and progressive-minded voters alike.

The rest of the list is typically diverse, ranging from quintessential New York free improvisation (David S. Ware's Planetary Unknown) to R&B-inflected modern jazz (Terri Lyne Carrington's Mosaic Project) and many well-conceived experiments in fusing jazz with ethnic musics from around the globe (Amir ElSaffar's Inana Suite, Vijay Iyer's Tirtha and Miguel Zenon's Alma Adentro). There are also an eye-opening six-and-a-half solo piano discs (the half being one disc of Matthew Shipp's double-disc Art of the Improviser).

To bring you, the listener, the best of what jazz had to offer in 2011, we're continuing in our annual tradition of creating a channel based on this definitive crtitics' list. Just click here to start listening. Our channel is playing 42 out of the 60 albums on the list, with programming weighed more heavily towards the highest-ranking albums. Therefore, you'll hear more Sonny and Ambrose than Starlicker (a great Chicago trio that came in 58th place).

As for my personal favorites, you can listen to my Staff Picks channel to hear my top 30 albums. I'll be posting a blog soon about the selections.

What were your favorite albums released in 2011? Do you agree with the critics? Do you think important albums got snubbed? Leave your opinions in the comments, or talk to me on Twitter.

Again, click here to start listening to the Best of 2011 Channel.

R.I.P. Sam Rivers

2012-01-16T13:13:00.000-06:00

The great multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Sam Rivers died Monday, December 26 at the age of 88. Rivers' death makes for the third important jazz figure to pass in the final months of 2011, along with drummer Paul Motian and trombonist/composer Bob Brookmeyer.

To celebrate Rivers' legacy, we are featuring him on the AccuJazz Saxophone channel. Along with the usual lineup of hundreds of jazz saxophonists of every style and era, you'll hear an extra large dose of Rivers' playing. We've included his well-loved 1960s Blue Note output as well as his adventurous big band work and albums where Rivers appears as a sideman with artists like Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson and Dave Holland.

Whether playing swinging post-bop with organist Larry Young or grand-scale avant-garde jazz with his own Studio Rivbea Orchestra, Rivers always played the saxophone (or flute, or piano, or whatever else was in his hands) with strikingly clear articulation and sonic focus. His music reflected a rigorous and uncompromisingly unique vision, whether creating stirring improvisations seemingly out of thin air or constructing intricate soundscapes for other musicians to interpret. His idiosyncratic composition style, which fused complex written material with free improvisation, influenced generations of adventurous jazz musicians including Steve Coleman and Jason Moran.

For a musician often affixed with the "avant-garde" label, Rivers was quite versatile: he played with bebop pianist/composer Tadd Dameron early in his career, played briefly in Miles Davis' renowned 1960s quintet, and even toured in Dizzy Gillespie's band. There is also a broad stylistic palette among music recorded under his own name. Consider the gorgeous melodicism of 1964's "Beatrice" (Rivers' most famous composition) and the frenetic energy of "Capricorn Rising," a 1975 album co-led by Rivers and pianist Don Pullen.

While many octogenarian jazz musicians find their skills steadily waning, Rivers was arguably still playing at his peak up until his death. He spent the last two decades of his life in Orlando, where he led a version of his famed Rivbea Orchestra. This video of a 2010 performance by that group displays not only Rivers' vital sax playing, but his continued compositional ingenuity and playful rapport with his band. Isn't it just great to see an old guy so happy doing what he does?

Enjoy our Sam Rivers feature on the Saxophone channel and look below for further reading:

-Nate Chinen's obituary in the New York Times
-Peter Hum's blog post, with some great videos
-Hank Shteamer's post, with recommended listening

Here's the list of albums featuring Sam Rivers to listen for on the Saxophone channel:

As a leader

-Fuchsia Swing Song
-Countours
-Dimensions and Extensions
-Crystals
-Culmination
-Celebration
-Violet Violets

As a sideman

-Miles Davis: Miles in Tokyo
-Larry Young: Into Somethin'
-Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue
-Tony Williams: Spring
-Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds
-Don Pullen: Capricorn Rising

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

2011-12-23T15:28:00.003-06:00

I'm definitely no stranger to last-minute Christmas shopping, and apparently that also goes for Christmas channel-creating. Just in time for Christmas Eve-Eve, we're introducing two new, and very different, Christmas jazz channels: Mellow Christmas Jazz and Non-Standard Christmas Jazz.

Our Mellow Jazz channel is one of AccuJazz's most popular, so I figured our listeners would be interested in sampling a holiday flavor of it. You'll hear plenty of versions of both "The Christmas Song" and "Christmas Time Is Here" as well as newer, original songs that also set a soothing and cheerful mood.

Speaking of new and original Christmas music, that's what the Non-Standard Christmas Jazz channel is all about. This channel is for listeners who love Christmas music but are tired of hearing the same 10 or 15 songs over and over again. Highlights include Jimmy Rushing singing "Good Morning Blues" with an early incarnation of the Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald belting out the novelty tune "Christmas Island," and Geri Allen's brand new "Journey to Bethlehem."

Of course, you can also listen to one of our four other Christmas Jazz channels: Swingin' Christmas, Christmas Instrumentals, Christmas Vocals and New Christmas Jazz. Here's wishing you and yours a very happy and jazzy holiday!

R.I.P. Paul Motian

2011-11-29T12:07:00.008-06:00

The great drummer/bandleader/composer Paul Motian passed away last Tuesday at the age of 80 (file this blog post in the better-late-than-never department). While Motian was most famous as the drummer in the revolutionary Bill Evans trio with bassist Scott LaFaro, he had a long career defined by his commitment to a personal and singular musical vision. He was an integral member of bands led by other legends like Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden, but he also led and co-led some of the most important jazz groups of the last 30 years.

Motian possessed one of the most distinct musical personalities of any drummer in jazz history. Like his sometime employer Thelonious Monk, Motian bypassed displays of polished technique in favor of an individual sound stripped of pretense. His approach was eloquently described by New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff as "spare and never facile, as natural as breathing."

Personally, I first became a fan of Motian in high school, when I first started getting serious about becoming a jazz drummer. A bassist friend gave me a compilation of the famous Bill Evans Trio's 1961 Village Vanguard recordings (with selections from both Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard), and told me it was the most "interactive" piano trio ever. It took me a few listens to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. I probably listened to Sunday at the Village Vanguard (and the track "Solar" in particular) more than anything else my senior year of high school.

To honor the musical legacy of Paul Motian, we are featuring his music on our Give the Drummers Some channel. The channel is playing an extra dose of Motian, as heard on albums by Evans, Jarrett, Haden and Paul Bley as well as on many under his own name.

Unsurprisingly, there has been an outpouring of love and appreciation for Motian in the days since his death. Here's a round-up of some of the highlights:

-The official New York Times obituary by Ben Ratliff
-A personal remembrance by Time Out New York jazz critic Hank Shteamer
-Ethan Iverson also has a personal take
-Peter Hum has been interviewing musicians who knew Motian
-Young pianist Dan Tepfer shares some stories
-As does photographer John Rogers

Now Playing on AccuJazz - 10/28/11

2011-10-28T15:50:00.007-05:00

What's that? A new Now Playing post only a month after the last one? I'm trying to be a little more on top of new music additions, folks. Hopefully that means I'll finally get around to regularly updating the Staff Picks channel, too. Not yet, but soon.

This most recent crop of music has a couple of promising new releases by uber-creative drummer/composers: Oblique I by Tyshawn Sorey and What Is the Beautiful? by John Hollenbeck's long-running Claudia Quintet. There's also a big band album by everyone's first-call bass player, Christian McBride, and a disproportionately large batch of CDs coming from the under-30 crowd (what is it with all these CDs by youngsters lately?)

Most all of these titles are playing on the Main Channel and New Releases channel on AccuJazz.com; I've also listed the other AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear each CD. Album titles are links to purchase on Amazon.

Poncho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard - Chano y Dizzy (Concord)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet, Drummers, Composers: Bird and Diz

Trombone Shorty - For True (Verve Forecast)
New School, Emerging Voices, New Orleans, Trumpet, Trombone, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Christian McBride Big Band - The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Big Band, Bassists

Claudia Quintet +1 Featuring Kurt Elling and Theo Bleckmann - What Is the Beautiful? (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Tyshawn Sorey - Oblique I (Pi Recordings)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Drummers

Alan Pasqua - Twin Bill: The Two Piano Music of Bill Evans (BFM Jazz)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Stanley Jordan - Friends (Mack Avenue)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, Modern Mainstream

Mike LeDonne - Keep the Faith (Savant)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Pop Composers

George Benson - Guitar Man (Concord)
Guitar, Pop Composers, Groove Jazz

Sophie Milman - In the Moonlight (Entertainment One)
Vocals, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Freddy Cole - Talk to Me (HighNote)
Vocals, Pop Composers

Grace Kelly - Grace (Pazz)
Saxophone, Emerging Voices, Spiritual, Women of Jazz

Josh Nelson - Discoveries (Steel Bird Music)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

Brent Canter - Urgency of Now (Posi-Tone)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Organ

Cinque - Catch a Corner (Alma)
Modern Mainstream, Organ, Groove Jazz

Aaron Staebell - Bending and Breaking (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Drummers

Patrick Cornelius - Maybe Steps (Posi-Tone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Kevin Crabb - Waltz for Dylan (CrabbClaw)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Drummers

Nick Hempton - The Business (Posi-Tone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream

Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece - Duotone (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Vibes

Sean Nowell - Stockholm Swingin' (Posi-Tone)

Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz

The Headhunters - Platinum (Owl Studios)
Saxophone, New School, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Jason Kao Hwang Edge - Crossroads Unseen (Eunymus Records)
Avant-Garde

Jason Kao Hwang Spontaneous River - Symphony of Souls (Mulatta Records)
Cutting Edge, Avant-Garde, Third Stream

Jazz Links Ensemble - The Drive (JICSAR)
Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Chicago

Oscar Perez Nuevo Comienzo - Afropean Affair (Chandra Records)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Rubinho Antunes - De Viterbo (Tratore)
Latin, Brazilian, Modern Mainstream

Now Playing on AccuJazz - 9/29/11

2011-09-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

To celebrate (or mourn?) the beginning of Fall, I present you with the bounty of new music now playing on the many channels of AccuJazz. In case you want to catch up, here's the last Now Playing post, from July. This edition features some really great music, including Miguel Zenon's 2nd post-genius-grant album, a fascinating piano duo album by Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays that straddles the worlds of jazz and classical, and my new favorite Brooklyn indie [jazz] band, The Four Bags. But those are just the beginning. Check 'em all out below!

Most all releases are playing on the main channel and new releases channel on AccuJazz.com; I've also listed the other AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear each CD. Album titles are links to purchase on Amazon.

Roy Haynes - Roy-Alty (Dreyfus)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Drummers

Miguel Zenon - Alma Adentro (Marsalis Music)
Saxophone, Latin Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton - Play the Blues Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center (Warner Bros)
Guitar, Trumpet, Old School, Live Jazz, Nothin' But the Blues

Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays - Modern Music (Nonesuch)
Piano, New School, Third Stream

Kyle Eastwood - Songs From the Chateau (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Deep Blue Organ Trio - Wonderful! (Origin)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago, Organ, Pop Composers

Steve Coleman - The Mancy of Sound (Pi Recordings)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Harris Eisenstadt - Canada Day II (Songlines)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes, Drummers

Phil Woods and Bill Mays - Phil and Bill (Palmetto)
Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Mellow

Giacomo Gates - The Revolution Will Be Jazz (Savant)
Vocal Jazz

Claudio Roditi - Bons Amigos (Resonance)
Latin, Brazilian Jazz, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet

Tierney Sutton - American Road (BFM Jazz)
Vocal Jazz, Modern West Coast, Women of Jazz

Terri Lynne Carrington - The Mosaic Project (Concord Jazz)
Vocal Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Drummers, Women of Jazz

Dominick Farinacci - Dawn of Goodbye (E1)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Trumpet

Al Di Meola - Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (Telarc)
Guitar, New School, World Fusion, Fusion

Warren Wolf - Warren Wolf (Mack Avenue)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Good Vibes

The Four Bags - Forth (NCM East)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Wadada Leo Smith - Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Avant-Garde, Trumpet, Fusion

Starlicker - Double Demon (Delmark)
New School, Cutting Edge, Chicago, Avant-Garde, Trumpet, Good Vibes

Tim Mayer - Resilience (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream

Brad Shepik - Across the Way (Songlines)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Gerald Clayton - Bond: the Paris Sessions (Emarcy)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Orrin Evans - Freedom (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

David Gibson - End of the Tunnel (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Trombone, Groove Jazz

H2 Big Band - You're It! (Jazzed Media)
Big Band, Trumpet

Art Hirahara - Noble Path (Posi-Tone)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Jim Snidero - Interface (Savant)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Amina Alaoui - Arco Iris (ECM)
Vocal Jazz, European Jazz, World Fusion, Women of Jazz

Dave Valentin - Pure Imagination (HighNote)
Latin Jazz, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Charlie Apicella - The Business (CArlo Music)
Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Groove Jazz

Travis Sullivan - New Directions (Posi-Tone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Marc Pompe - Everyone But Me (Self-Released)
Vocal Jazz, Chicago

Shawn Maxwell - Urban Vigilante (Chicago Sessions)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago

David S. Ware, Cooper-Moore, William Parker and Muhammad Ali - Planetary Unknown (AUM Fidelity)
New School, Avant-Garde

Snehashish Mozumder - Jazz and North Indian Styles (Random Chance Records)
World Fusion, Fusion

Tim Collins - Castles and Hilltops (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes

Chris Dingman - Waking Dreams (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes

The Great Barrier Reefs - Finding Time (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, World Fusion, Fusion

Jeff McLaughlin - Blocks (Owl Studios)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Garage a Trois - Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Meretrio - Meretrio (Self-Released)
Brazilian Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Richard Underhill - Kensington Suite (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream

Skip Wilkins - After (Dreambox Media)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

Katrina Wreede - Add Viola and Stir (Self-Released)
Modern West Coast, Third Stream, Women of Jazz

A Festival of Festival Channels

2011-08-17T10:38:00.009-05:00

The summer may be inching ever closer to its inevitable and regrettable end, but some might say the best is yet to come. Three of North America's most celebrated jazz festivals are still ahead of us, and we're shining a spotlight on them at AccuJazz.com.

So far this year we've had channels dedicated to SF Jazz, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the Montreal and Newport jazz festivals. Still to come are the Chicago, Detroit and Monterey jazz festivals.

The Monterey Jazz Festival, happening September 16-18 this year, is in a class with Newport as a long-standing fest with a much-celebrated history. In fact, Concord Music Group even created a whole separate label, Monterey Jazz Festival Records, to share some of the fest's greatest recorded moments with jazz fans everywhere. Big-name headliners this year include Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard and, ahem, these guys. Some notable acts on smaller stages include Robert Glasper, Donny McCaslin and Steve Coleman. The AccuJazz channel is playing music by most all of the musicians playing, so whether you're planning for a trip to the fest or just wish you could be there, check it out.

For the past few decades, Labor Day weekend has traditionally seen two great Midwestern cities host free, open-to-the-public jazz fests in their downtowns, and this year is no different. The Chicago and Detroit Jazz Festivals are persisting in their populist ideal of bringing world-class jazz to the people at zero cost, and we've got all the artists playing on our channels.

The Chicago Jazz Festival channel features this year's artist-in-residence Orbert Davis (pictured) and his Chicago Jazz Philharmonic as well as a great lineup of local and international artists including Randy Weston, Cassandra Wilson, the Deep Blue Organ Trio, Roy Hargrove, and many more.

The Detroit Jazz Festival channel features their artist-in-residence, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, as well as Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano and many more.

Are you planning on attending any of these festivals? Who are you most excited to see? If you're not going, who do you wish you could go to see?

Check out all of our festival channels at AccuJazz.com.

Now Playing - 7/29/11

2011-07-29T15:42:00.000-05:00

As usual, it's been a while since the last Now Playing post. And as usual, there is SO MUCH MUSIC to let you know about. I didn't even bother counting up just how many new releases we've added in the last few months, but you can have a look-see at every last one of them below. The album titles are links to buy, and the AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear them are listed below. Most all new adds are also playing on the Main Channel and New Releases. Why don't you fire one of those up to listen while you peruse?

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Here We Go Again (Blue Note)
Straight Ahead, Vocals, Live Jazz, Trumpet, Pop Composers, Blue Note

Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found (Obliqsound)
Vocals, New School, Emerging Voices, New York

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White - Forever (Concord)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Fusion

Pat Metheny - What's It All About (Nonesuch)
Guitar, New School, Pop Composers

Eric Alexander - Don't Follow the Crowd (HighNote)
Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, New York

Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Modern West Coast, Trumpet, Blue Note

Monty Alexander - Uplift (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz

Ben Allison - Action-Refraction (Palmetto)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion, Pop Composers

Karrin Allyson - 'Round Midnight (Concord)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Terrell Stafford - This Side of Strayhorn (Max Jazz Records)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet, Composers: Ellington

Freddie Hubbard - Pinnacle: Live and Unreleased From the Keystone Korner (Resonance)
New School, Live Jazz, Trumpet, 80s

Ben Williams - State of Art (Concord)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Bassists, Groove Jazz

Gerald Wilson - Legacy (Mack Avenue)
Big Band

Yellowjackets - Timeline (Mack Avenue)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Fred Hersch - Alone at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
Piano

Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland - James Farm (Nonesuch)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, New York

Captain Black Big Band - Captain Black Big Band (Positone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Big Band

Charlie Haden Quartet West - Sophisticated Ladies (Emarcy)
Saxophone, Vocals, Mellow

Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo - Songs of Mirth and Melancholy (Marsalis Music)
Piano, Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Mellow Jazz, Third Stream

Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Christian Scott - Ninety Miles (Concord Picante)
Saxophone, Trumpet, Good Vibes, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Vinicius Cantuária & Bill Frisell - Lagrimas Mexicanas (Ent. One Music)
Guitar, Vocals, Latin, Brazilian Jazz

Kenny Werner - Balloons (Half Note)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, New York

Gary Burton - Common Ground (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Good Vibes

Eliane Elias - Light My Fire (Concord Picante)
Vocals, Latin, Brazilian Jazz, Women of Jazz

Brian Lynch - Unsung Heroes (Hollistic MusicWorks)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet

Sachal Vasandani - Hi-Fly (Mack Avenue)
Vocals, Emerging Voices

Benny Green - Source (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Piano

Randy Brecker With the DR Big Band - The Jazz Ballad Song Book (Halfnote Records)
Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Trumpet

Klang - Other Doors (Allos Documents)
New School, Chicago, Avant-Garde, Good Vibes

BANN - As You Like (Jazz Eyes)
New School, Modern Mainstream

Etienne Charles - Kaiso (Culture Shock Music)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Trumpet

Noah Haidu - Slipstream (Positone)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Sean Jones - No Need for Words (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Larry Gray Trio - Three Equals One (Chicago Sessions)
Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Chicago, Bass

Tom Harrell - The Time of the Sun (HighNote)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Hiromi - Voice (Telarc)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Fusion, Women of Jazz

Marika Hughes - Afterlife Music Radio (DD Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Women of Jazz

Jambalaya Brass Band - It's a Jungle Out There (890 West Music)
New School, New York, Groove Jazz

Dave Juarez - Round Red Light (Positone)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Darren Lyons - Evil Genius (Self-Released)
Fusion

Mike Reed's My Silence - It Only Happens at Night (482 Music)
Cutting Edge, Chicago, Avant-Garde, AACM

Andrew McCormack and Jason Yarde - My Duo (Joy and Ears)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Europe

Jessica Pavone - Army of Strangers (Porter)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices

Alex Skolnick Trio - Veritas (Palmetto)
Guitar, New School, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Slumgum - Quardboard Flavored Fiber (Accretions)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast

Odean Pope - Universal Sounds (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Sonic Liberation Front - Sonic Liberation Front Meets Sunny Murray (High Two)
New School, Avant-Garde

Don Stiernberg - Swing 220 (Blue Night Records)
Guitar, Old School

Larry Goldings - In My Room (BFM Jazz)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Mellow

Roseanna Vitro - The Music of Randy Newman (Motema)
Vocals, Pop Composers, Women of Jazz

Judy Wexler - Under a Painted Sky (Jazzed Media)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Bryan Carter - Enchantment (Imaginate Records)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Chicago, Drummers

Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran - Cuban Rhapsody (Alma Records)
Piano, Saxophone, Latin, Modern Mainstream, Women of Jazz

Gerald Clayton - Bond: The Paris Sessions (Emarcy)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Modern West Coast

Les Doigts de L'Homme - 1910 (Alma Records)
Guitar, Old School

Blue Cranes - Observatories (Meester Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

Diane Schuur - The Gathering (Vanguard Records)
Vocals, Pop Composers

Dr. Michael White - Adventures in New Orleans Jazz: Part 1 (Basin Street)
New Orleans

Marquis Hill - New Gospel (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Trumpet

Steve Khan - Parting Shot (Tone Center)
Guitar, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Drummers, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Jared Gold - All Wrapped Up (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Groove Jazz

Tiempo Libre - My Secret Radio (Sony)
Latin

Ernest Dawkins - The Prairie Prophet (Delmark)
New School, Chicago

Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe Morris and Sara Schoenbeck - Next (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Club D'Elf - Electric Moroccoland (Face Pelt Records)
World Fusion, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Tara Davidson - View (Self-Released)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Benjamin Drazen - Inner Flights (Positone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Alex Pinto - Inner State (Pursuance Records)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

John Vanore and Abstract Truth - Contagious Words (Acoustical Concepts)
Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Trumpet

Blue Cranes - Cantus Firmus (Self-Released)
Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Pop Composers

Seabrook Power Plant - Seabrook Power Plant II (Loyal Label)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde

T.K. Blue - Latinbird (Motema)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, New York, Composers: Bird and Diz

Come Sunday - Crosscurrents (Self-Released)
Chicago, Vocals, Spiritual

Luis Conte - En Casa De Luis (BFM Jazz)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, World Fusion

Carlo de Rosa's Cross Fade - Brain Dance (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Bassists

Larry Coryell - Larry Coryell With the Wide Hive Players (Wide Hive)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Matt Haimovitz and Uccello - Meeting of the Spirits (Oxingale Records)
New School, Third Stream

Khan Jamal - Cool (Porter)
Avant-Garde, Good Vibes

Irvin Mayfield - A Love Letter to New Orleans (Basin Street)
New Orleans, Trumpet, Groove Jazz

Michael J. Miles - Col-lage (Right Turn on Red Music)
New School, Third Stream

Darius Jones and Matthew Shipp - Cosmic Lieder (AUM Fidelity)
New School, New York, Avant-Garde

Dado Moroni - Live in Beverly Hills (Resonance)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Europe

Jason Parker Quartet - Five Leaves Left: A Tribute to Nick Drake (Broken Time Records)
Vocals, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Trumpet, Pop Composers

Profound Sound Trio - Opus De Life (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Rebirth Brass Band - Rebirth of New Orleans (Basin Street)
New School, New Orleans, Groove Jazz

The Nightcrawlers - Down In the Bottom (Cellar Live)
Straight Ahead, Big Band, Organ, Groove Jazz

Matthew Shipp - Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear)
New School, New York, Avant-Garde

Sinistrio - Ride the Dragon (Chronograph)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Organ, Groove Jazz

Nate Wooley, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Jason Roebke - Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Renee Yoxon and Rene Gely - Let's Call It a Day (Self-Released)
Vocals, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson and Peter Evans - Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear)
Emerging Voices, Avant-Garde

Ralph Bowen - Power Play (Positone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Colorlist - The Fastest Way to Become the Ocean (Serein)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Chicago

Led Bib - Bring Your Own (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Europe, Fusion

Louie Belogenis Trio - Tiresias (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Older Releases Just Added:

Air - Live (1977) (Black Saint)
Chicago, Avant-Garde, AACM

Kurt Rosenwinkel - Our Secret World (2010) (Word of Mouth Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

David Sanchez - Cultural Survival (2008) (Concord)
Saxophone, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream

Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman and Ravi Coltrane - Saxophone Summit: Seraphic Light (2008) (Telarc)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Spiritual

Bill Carrothers Trio - Joy Spring (2010) (Pirouet)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream

R.I.P. Frank Foster

2011-07-27T11:13:00.005-05:00

Frank Foster, a veteran saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader, died in his sleep Tuesday morning. He will primarily be remembered as a pillar of the Count Basie band during its celebrated "New Testament" period from 1953 to 1964, but Foster maintained a busy schedule of recording and touring as both a leader and sideman throughout his life. Besides his work with Basie, Foster worked with a who's who of jazz legends including Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson and Sarah Vaughan.

Foster's great contributions to the Count Basie Orchestra in the '50s and '60s led to his taking over as the band's leader after Basie's death two decades later. Foster also led his own ensemble called the Loud Minority Big Band which was something of a labor of love throughout his career. On his motivation for starting a big band, Foster said, "I have to make a statement with a big band, or there ain't going to be no statement."

A handful Foster's compositions, notably "Shiny Stockings," "Simone," and "Blues in Hoss Flat," have become well-loved and oft-played jazz standards, especially among high school and college big bands.

News of Foster's death comes a year after some good news for the Foster family: after nearly 5 decades of missing out on collecting royalties for "Shiny Stockings," his most famous composition, he won back the rights to the song. Now, Frank Foster's family will continue to benefit from his legacy by collecting royalties after his death.

The jazz press and blogosphere has already produced a number of worthy obits and tributes to Foster. Click on the links below:

-The New York Times
-NPR's A Blog Supreme
-Some great YouTube selections from Jim Macnie
-A personal remembrance from Doug Ramsey

New Channels Round-Up

2011-07-11T12:39:00.011-05:00

If you haven't been to AccuJazz.com in a while, you'll notice a handful of recently-added channels now being offered for your listening pleasure. In the past month or so, we've added five channels to the already possibly overwhelming array of AccuJazz listening options. But, somehow, not one of the channels was commemorated in a blog post. It's due time to put an end to this negligence and give a little coverage to our deserving new channels.

AACM

The AACM is the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and if you don't know what that is, there's an award-winning, 690-page book that can fill you in. If you don't have the time for that, however, let me give you the short version: in 1965 a group of experimentally-inclined, Chicago-based jazz musicians founded the organization to promote and present their distinctly un-commercial music to the Chicago and the world. Founders and early members included such avant-garde jazz legends as Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Jack DeJohnette, Wadada Leo Smith and the Art Ensemble of Chicago (pictured).

Over the decades, the influence of the AACM has grown far beyond what the founders likely imagined and dozens more musicians have been admitted as official members. Our channel is playing hundreds of tracks by AACM-affiliated musicians, ranging from classic Art Ensemble recordings to brand new music by AACM Vice Chairperson Mike Reed. If your ears are in need of a trip away from the ordinary, hop on this channel.

Montreal Jazz Festival 2011

MJF 2011 is the newest member of our festival channel category, and the one that probably should have been created first; MJF is the world's biggest jazz festival. It attracts millions (yup, you read that right) of fans every summer to see concerts by the biggest names in jazz as well as plenty of rock, pop and R&B acts. With so many artists performing at the fest, it wasn't hard for me to hand-pick a pretty great mix of music for the channel, from cutting-edge young musicians like Darcy James Argue to Gen-X stars like Brian Blade to all-time legends like Dave Brubeck.

Unfortunately, the fest already happened, so you're out of luck if the great mix on our channel triggers an impulse to hop on a plane to Montreal for this year's fest. But you'll be able to keep listening to the channel, which is almost as good... right?

World Fusion

Mixing jazz with music from around the world is nothing new, but in the last few decades, there has been an increasingly greater output of music that references different "world" music and jazz at the same time. Foreign elements in the music might be as small as adding an unusual ethnic instrument like an Oud to an otherwise conventional improv setting or as considerable as basing the whole piece on ancient Indian beat cycles.

I found a great deal of music in the AccuJazz collection that fit squarely into the "world fusion" category: not mainstream jazz, not jazz-rock fusion, but definitely jazz of some sort. You'll hear examples of this beautifully unique music by artists like Vijay Iyer, Fareed Haque, Miguel Zenon and many others.

Spiritual Jazz

It's no mystery that many great musicians, in jazz and virtually every other style, grew up playing in church (including yours truly). For a lot of those musicians, their music never quite left the church. There's a long tradition of jazz musicians re-interpreting hymns and spirituals like "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "Amazing Grace," and "Wade in the Water." Our channel features great versions of this timeless music from musicians like Charles Lloyd, Cyrus Chestnut, John Scofield and Hank Jones. But there are also some original, faith-centric, compositions by musicians like Terence Blanchard, Brian Blade and Deanna Witkowski.

A few minutes with this channel and you will be convinced that jazz is most definitely not the devil's music. Rev. Ronald V. Myers even found a Bible verse that establishes a precedent for Christian jazz: Amos 6:5.

Composers: Wayne Shorter

I get requests for new artist-based channels pretty often, but it's a rare musician who has composed enough timeless music that the legions of cover versions, in addition the the originals, can make up an entire listenable channel. Wayne Shorter, in addition to the other five jazz composers already honored with their own channels, is one such musician. Generally regarded as jazz music's greatest living composer, Shorter has been producing his distinctive brand of post-bop jazz for five decades. He is still making exciting, urgent new music with his excellent quartet, proving an exception to the rule that septuagenarian jazz masters often become little more than pale imitations of their younger selves.

The channel features over 60 different artists digging in to Shorter's material, including plenty of recordings under Wayne's own name. He is also heard as a sideman with groups like Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the Miles Davis Quintet and Weather Report. Listeners will hear plenty of takes on "Footprints," Wayne's most oft-covered tune, but keep listening for lesser-played but equally-genius compositions like "Black Nile," "Night Dreamer," "Juju," and "Fall" (one that shows up surprisingly often).

Now Playing on AccuJazz - 3/3/11

2011-03-03T14:07:00.008-06:00

As usual, it's been a little while since the last Now Playing post. Also as usual, there is a great deal of great new music playing on AccuJazz's channels to let you know about. This most recent batch includes lots of random stuff that has been sent my way as well as music specifically acquired for the Best of 2010 channel. Album titles are links to purchase, and I've listed the AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear each album. Most all new releases are also playing on the Main Channel and the New Releases channel. Why not go ahead and launch the New Releases channel right now as your soundtrack to perusing the blog post?

Various Artists - Everybody Wants to Be a Cat: Disney Jazz, Vol. 1 (Disney)
Modern Mainstream, Straight Ahead

Russell Malone - Triple Play (MaxJazz)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Groove Jazz

Jason Moran - Ten (Blue Note)
Piano, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Best of 2010, Blue Note

Kurt Elling - The Gate (Concord)
Vocals, Chicago, Pop Composers, Mellow Jazz

Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte Carlo (Concord)
New School, Live Jazz, Bass, Third Stream

Jeremy Pelt - The Talented Mr. Pelt (HighNote)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Trumpet

Donny McCaslin - Perpetual Motion (Greenleaf)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion

Trio of Oz - Trio of Oz (OZmosis)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Pop Composers

Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 2 (Pi Recordings)
New School, Avant-Garde, Best of 2010

Noah Preminger - Before the Rain (Palmetto)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Mellow Jazz

Eric Reed - The Dancing Monk (Savant)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Composers: Monk

Jerry Bergonzi - Convergence (Savant)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream

Vijay Iyer with Prasanna and Nitin Mitta - Tirtha (ACT)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge

Grace Kelly and Phil Woods - The Man With the Hat (Pazz)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Jonathan Kreisberg - Shadowless (NFN Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Chantale Gagne - Wisdom of the Water (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Vibes, Women of Jazz

Wayne Wallace - To Hear From There (Patois)
Latin, Modern West Coast, Trombone

Steve Gadd and Friends - Live at Voce (BFM Jazz)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Organ, Drummers, Groove Jazz

Paquito D'Rivera - Panamericana Suite (MCG Jazz)
Latin, New School, Live Jazz, Best of 2010

Peter Hum - A Boy's Journey (Self-Released)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

The Microscopic Septet - Friday the 13th: The Micros Play Monk (Cuneiform)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Best of 2010, Composers: Monk

Marc Ribot - Silent Movies (Pi Recordings)
Guitar, Best of 2010, SFJazz

Hristo Vitchev - Perperikon Suite (First Orbit Sounds Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Doug Webb - Renovations (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth - Deluxe (Clean Feed)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Bassists

Nancy Marano - Magic (Laughing Face Productions)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Chris Speed's Endangered Blood - Endangered Blood (Skirl)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Scott Amendola Trio - Lift (Sazi)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Drummers

Matt Nelson - Nostalgiamaniac (Chicago Sessions)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Chicago

Ehud Asherie - Organic (Posi-tone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Organ

Bizingas - Bizingas (NCM East)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Avant-Garde

James Moody - Moody 4B (IPO)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Best of 2010

Jane Ira Bloom - Wingwalker (Outline)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Women of Jazz

David Cook - Pathway (Brooklyn Jazz Underground)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Joseph Daley Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins (JoDa)
New School, Big Band, Third Stream

Mike DiRubbo - Chronos (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ

Kermit Driscoll - Reveille (Nineteen Eight)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Bassists

Kellylee Evans - Nina (Plus Loin)
Vocals, Mellow Jazz, Women of Jazz

John Geggie - Across the Sky (Plunge)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists

Gutbucket - Flock (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion

Kelly Harland - Long Ago and Far Away (Origin)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Peter Paulsen - Goes Without Saying (SquarePegWorks)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists

Dana Lauren - It's You or No One (Self-Released)
Vocals, Emerging Voices

Robert Hurst - Bob Ya Head (Bebop Music)
Fusion, Bassists

Robert Hurst - Unrehurst, Vol. 2 (Bebop Music)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Bassists

Leslie Pintchik - We're Here to Listen (Pintch Hard)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Women of Jazz

Steven Lugerner - These Are the Words / Narratives (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde

Eric Person - The Grand Illusion (Distinction)
Saxophone, New School, Fusion

Plunge - Tin Fish Tango (Immersion)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New Orleans, Trombone

Craig Pilo - Just Play (Rue De La Harpe)
Modern West Coast, Drummers, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Nelson Riveros - Camino al Barrio (Nelsongo Music)
Guitar, Latin, Brazilian, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Kermit Ruffins - Happy Talk (Basin Street)
Vocals, New Orleans, Trumpet

Matt Savage - Welcome Home (Savage Records)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Undivided - The Passion (W. Zimpel)
European Jazz, Avant-Garde

Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore - Three Kinds of Happiness (Not Two)
New School, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Avant-Garde

Josh Lawrence - Roots (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Trumpet, Groove Jazz

Ben Syversen - Cracked Vessel (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde Jazz

Mostly Other People Do the Killing - Forty Fort (Hot Cup)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Avant-Garde, Best of 2010

Randy Weston - The Storyteller (Motema)
Piano, Latin, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Best of 2010

Dee Dee Bridgewater - Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): to Billie with Love from Dee Dee (Emarcy)
Vocals, Best of 2010, Women of Jazz

Lorraine Feather - Ages (Jazzed Media)
Vocals

Helio Alves - Musica (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Piano, Latin, Brazilian, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Pablo Aslan - Tango Grill (Zoho)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, Bassists, Third Stream

John Beasley - Positootly! (Resonance)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Stanley Clarke - The Stanley Clarke Band (Heads Up)
Bassists, Fusion

Jeff Lorber - Now Is the Time (Heads Up)
Fusion, Groove Jazz

Magnetic Ear - Aliens of Extraordinary Ability (Self-Released)
New School, New Orleans, Trombone

Hector Martignon - Second Chance (Zoho)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream

John McLaughlin - To the One (Abstract Logix)
Guitar, New School, Fusion

John Scofield and the Metropole Orchestra - 54 (Heads Up)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

Mingus Big Band - Live at Jazz Standard (Jazz Workshop)
Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, New York, Big Band

Chucho Valdes - Chucho's Steps (Four Quarters Entertainment)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Best of 2010, Groove Jazz

Sam Trapchak's Put Together Funny - Lollipopocalypse (Raw Toast Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York

Dan Rufolo Trio - Novelty (Self-Released)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Tal Babitzky - Moments (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, European Jazz

The Either Orchestra - Mood Music for Time Travelers (Accurate)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Best of 2010, Groove Jazz

Phil Hawkins - The Sugarcane Suite (P. Note Music)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Mario Pavone - Arc Suite t/pi t/po (Playscape)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Sube Azul (World Village)
Vocals, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Mike Pride's From Bacteria to Boys - Betweenwhile (AUM Fidelity)
New School, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Drummers

Scanner with the Post-Modern Jazz Quartet - Blink of an Eye (Thirsty Ear)
Cutting Edge, New York, Avant-Garde, Fusion

James Falzone - Lamentations (Allos Documents)
New School, Cutting Edge, Chicago

Jordan Young Group - Jordan Young Group (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Drummers

Arthur Lipner & Nanny Assis - Brazilian Vibes (MalletWorks)
Latin, Brazilian, Vibes

No BS! Brass - No BS! (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Trumpet, Trombone, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Mike Reed's Loose Assembly - Empathetic Parts (482 Music)
Avant-Garde, Chicago

Alison Ruble - Ashland (Origin)
Vocals, Chicago, Pop Composers

Wide Hive Players - Players II Guitar (Wide Hive)
Guitar, New School, West Coast, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Patrick Williams - Aurora (ArtistShare)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Big Band

Mosaik - Metrization (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Vibes, Chicago

Top Ten - Finally

2011-01-25T10:58:00.003-06:00

I know I'm about 2 months late, but I thought I'd go ahead and give myself a little bit of closure and finally publish a Top-10 list. I know most people are beyond caring about this sort of thing, but I started thinking back about how I wished that I had made lists in 2008 and 2009, and didn't want to feel the same way a year from now. So, for myself more than anyone else, here I provide with you a list of my 10 favorite jazz CDs of 2010:

1) The Claudia Quintet - Royal Toast

2) The Bad Plus - Never Stop

3) Stephan Crump Rosetta Trio - Reclamation

4) Guillermo Klein - Domador de Huellas

5) Mary Halvorson - Saturn Sings

6) Dan Weiss Trio - Timshel

7) Mike Reed's People, Places and Things - Stories and Negotiations

8) Paul Motian - Lost in a Dream

9) Avishai Cohen - Introducing Triveni

10) Polar Bear - Peepers

When I look at this list, I feel a little embarrassed that there are no Latin, straight-ahead, or free jazz albums to be found. Well, the Guillermo Klein album is technically a Latin jazz album, but it's far removed from the traditional grooves that define the genre. The Mary Halvorson and Mike Reed discs have their free-ish moments, but the compositions steer the ship more than the improv on these recordings. A good portion of the Avishai Cohen swings, but it's nowhere near a proper straight-ahead album.

I can only conclude that my tastes, right now, tend towards music that doesn't fit neatly into any box. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's a bad thing, probably it's a little of both. It's telling that my overall number 1 album of the year, hands-down, was not anything by a jazz musician, but The Age of Adz by indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. Parts electronica, classical, folk, avant-garde noise and rock and roll, the music is a genre unto itself. I guess, at this point, that's what my ears are most looking for. Maybe that'll change soon, but for now, the harder to describe, the better.

What's So Great About 2010?

2011-01-18T12:24:00.003-06:00

By now, all of the critics and bloggers have spoken, and something close to a consensus has been reached about what was the best jazz released in 2010. If you're like most jazz fans, you probably bought a few new CDs in 2010 but still feel in the dark about most of the music being praised. Also, if you're like most jazz fans, you're probably curious to hear all that stuff you didn't have the time or money to acquire. That's where AccuJazz comes in and saves the day.

We've created a channel called, simply, "Best Jazz of 2010," for all of you curious listeners. The channel's programming is based on the Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll, regarded by many as the most definitive poll of its kind. VV critic Francis Davis asked 120 of his critic friends to make Top-10 lists. Each critic's number one pick received 10 points, their number two got nine points, and so on. When all of the points were added up, a master list was formed. You can check out the Top 50 here: Village Voice Jazz Poll.

The big winners were Jason Moran (the channel's posterboy on our homepage), Rudresh Mahanthappa and Mary Halvorson. Since they placed highest in the poll, you're likely to hear their music more often than, say, Pat Metheny's Orchestrion album, which placed 50th. Go give the channel a listen and see if you agree with the critics or not. What CDs were your favorites of 2010? Which ones did you think should have made the list but didn't?

You can also listen to my personal Best of 2010 channel, Staff Picks: 2010 Faves, which, to be honest, isn't all that different from the Village Voice-programmed channel. Still, there are plenty of CDs I loved that didn't make the VV list, and, likewise, CDs on the VV list that I couldn't get into.

There's also the 2011 Jazz Grammy Nominations Channel, which is a startlingly different playlist from my channel or the Village Voice-inspired channel.

So, whose taste do you identify with most? The critics, me, or the NARAS? Head over to AccuJazz.com to find out.

2010 Round-Up

2011-01-03T11:27:00.012-06:00

It's a widely-practiced ritual among the jazz cognoscenti to take stock of the past year's jazz output before toasting to the New Year. By now, dozens and dozens of bloggers have posted their own Top-10 lists, a few engaged in a digital round-table discussion, and one critic compiled 120 of his friends' opinions to form something close to a definitive list.

I didn't quite make the pre-New Year's deadline, but this post is my own humble reflection on jazz in 2010. First, I bring news of new AccuJazz channels that have a year-end round-up nature to them: the 2011 Jazz Grammy Nominations Channel and Staff Picks: 2010 Faves, both now featured on the AccuJazz homepage.

The Grammy Channel is playing music from most all of the albums nominated in the jazz categories for the 2011 Grammy Awards. See a complete list of nominees here. After the awards are presented on February 13, I'll change up the programming a little bit so you'll hear the winners slightly more often than the other nominees.

What's the fun in running a jazz radio site if I don't throw in some editorialized programming now and then? Hence, my own Best of 2010 channel. Instead of limiting myself to a set number of albums or songs, I just went through all the music we had from 2010, added everything that I really dug, and ended up with 36 CDs. I think that's a good number, right? Not too big or too small. I'll present a proper Top-10 list in an upcoming separate blog post. Here's the complete 36-album list, in alphabetical order:

Jason Adasiewicz - Sun Rooms
The Bad Plus - Never Stop
Jeb Bishop Trio - 2009
Regina Carter - Reverse Thread
The Claudia Quintet - Royal Toast
The Nels Cline Singers - Initiate
Avishai Cohen - Introducing Triveni
Colorlist - A Square White Lie
Stephan Crump with Rosetta Trio - Reclamation
Dave Douglas - Spark of Being Vol. 2: Expand
Amir ElSaffar and Hafez Modirzadeh - Radif Suite
Exploding Star Orchestra - Stars Have Shapes
Larry Goldings and Harry Allen - When Larry Met Harry
Tord Gustavsen - Restored, Returned
Mary Halvorson - Saturn Sings
Fred Hersch Trio - Whirl
Ideal Bread - Transmit Vol 2 of the Music of Steve Lacy
Vijay Iyer - Solo
Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden - Jasmine
Guillermo Klein - Domador de Huellas
Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth - Deluxe
Charles Lloyd - Mirror
Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green - Apex
Brad Mehldau - Highway Rider
Myra Melford's Be Bread - The Whole Tree Gone
Mostly Other People Do the Killing - Forty Fort
Jason Moran - Ten
Paul Motian - Lost in a Dream
Danilo Perez - Providencia
Polar Bear - Peepers
Julian Waterfall Pollack - Infinite Playground
Mike Reed's People, Places and Things - Stories and Negotiations
Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Jeremy Siskind - Simple Songs for When the World Seems Strange
Greg Ward's Fitted Shards - South Side Story
Dan Weiss Trio - Timshel

I hope you enjoy listening to my 36 favorite jazz albums from 2010. Please share your favorites in the comments section, won't you?

Also, look out for another best of 2010 channel in the next week or so. This one will be based solely on the definitive Village Voice Jazz Poll. Listen for whose taste you like better: 120 critics, or... me.

To finish up this 2010 Round-Up, I'll share two more lists I posted on Twitter last week, because you can never have enough lists.

Favorite live shows of 2010

I try to see music pretty frequently. I probably averaged around 2.3 shows a week throughout 2010, and I'm pretty sure I can say that every single one of them was worth the time and money, but when I thought back over the year, there were exactly 9 shows that stuck out as having been particularly mind-blowing for me. Here they are, in chronological order:

Ben Allison at the Green Mill, 2/13
Tuneful, focused, alternately playful and serious. Amazing violin solos by Jenny Scheinman.

Matt Wilson Quartet at the Green Mill, 4/2
The perfect combination of musicianship and showmanship. Using a beer glass as a percussion instrument, earnestly covering a Beyonce tune without fancy re-harmonizations or rhythmic trickery, the whole band chanting a Carl Sandburg poem, these are but a few of the pleasures in store when you attend an MWQ show.

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International at Schubas, 4/17
Tight, fun, loud, danceable African pop. Smiles and booty-shaking all around.

Tyshawn Sorey, Ingrid Laubrock and Kris Davis at the Chicago Cultural Center, 5/14
Patient, meditative, focused and eye-opening. One utterly engrossing 70ish-minute-long piece.

Greg Ward's Fitted Shards at the Velvet Lounge, 9/17
Mindful long-form fusion-flavored post-bop delivered with passion.

Jeff Parker Organ Quartet at the Green Mill, 9/21
Full-throttle soul-jazz from everyone's favorite jazz chameleon.

Wadada Leo Smith and Gunter "Baby" Sommer at the Hungry Brain, 11/7
Two masters freely improvise a joyous, engaging, constantly surprising set of music.

Daniel Lanois' Black Dub at Lincoln Hall, 11/23
Roots rock? Reggae? Jazz? Whatever it is, it's one incredible band. Brian Blade really, really knows how to play those drums.

The Bad Plus at the Jazz Showcase, 12/16
TBP's completely realized individual style fuses jazz, rock, contemporary classical and Fisher Price toys into something that I just can't get enough of. First set was a little tentative; second was everything one could hope for at a TBP show.

And now, for one more list:

Favorite Jazz cover art of 2010

Because I do care what a CD looks like. Listed in alphabetical order:

Nels Cline - Initiate

Avishai Cohen - Introducing Triveni

Colorlist - A Square White Lie

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden - Jasmine

Dave King - Indelicate

Little Women - Throat

Polar Bear - Peepers

And thus concludes my 2010 Round-Up. Here's to an even better 2011!

Happy Holidays! Have Some Christmas Jazz!

2010-12-14T12:01:00.009-06:00

Judging from the ads in my newspaper, the big retailers thought the Holidays started sometime in September. If you're like me, you're just now starting to get into the Holiday spirit. Also, if you're like me, you're a little wary of the term "Christmas music." Perhaps it conjures up the sounds of overproduced fluff by the likes of Celine Dion and Michael Bolton, or maybe you're just getting tired of the the oldies-but-goodies that come back every year.

Well, I come with good news of great joy to all jazz fans: AccuJazz.com is now featuring not one but four channels of quality Christmas jazz! There's the flagship channel, Swingin' Christmas, plus Christmas Vocals, Christmas Instrumentals and New Christmas Jazz. Unless you're a major Christmas jazz collector, you will be surprised by the amount of high-quality Christmas jazz out there, from classic albums by legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Ramsey Lewis, Jimmy Smith and Kenny Burrell to newer releases by artists as diverse as Wynton Marsalis and Carla Bley. There's even a version of "White Christmas" by Charlie Parker himself!

Our New Christmas Jazz channel is featuring my pick for Holiday CD of 2010, Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, a fun and, at times, irreverent collection of Christmas tunes from one of the most infectiously joyous musicians working today. There's also plenty of other fresh new music from Al Jarreau, Harry Allen, the Hot Club of Detroit and many more.

Whether you're already in the Holiday spirit, or struggling to get into it, our Christmas jazz channels are probably just what you need. Consider them our Christmas gift to you.

Listen now at AccuJazz.com

Help Jazz! With HelpJazz.com

2010-11-29T12:36:00.003-06:00

Big challenges require big action. That's why the young fellows at Search and Restore, a New York jazz community website and concert promotion operation, are trying to raise $75,000.

The big challenge, in this case, is expanding the audience for current, vital, creative jazz. The big action they're proposing is an epic video documentation of the jazz scene in New York and the expansion of their website as a hub of the jazz community.

If anyone is able to pull off something like this, it's the folks at Search and Restore. A small team of idealistic 20-somethings, they've staged countless cutting edge jazz concerts in New York and their website is the source for info on the NYC jazz scene. Their grand plan involves filming 4 concerts a week for an entire year(!) Read all about it on their fundraising website, HelpJazz.com. Or you could watch the founder's appeal right here:

I, along with hundreds of others, donated some money to their cause, but they're still a long way from their $75,000 goal, with only a week left. These Kickstarter fundraising campaigns are all-or-nothing affairs: if they don't reach their goal by next Monday, the 6th, then all the donors get their money back and the project is unfunded.

In another characteristically big move, Search and Restore is putting on a benefit concert tonight unlike any other. It will be a series of duets featuring such A-list musicians as Don Byron, Christian McBride, Ben Allison, Matt Wilson, Avishai Cohen, Theo Bleckmann, Henry Grimes and others. I'm sure they'll get a big turnout at the event, and I hope it results in some strong donations. If you're not in New York (and not at this gig in Chicago), then you can watch the all-star jazz duet madness via live streaming webcast at http://www.watchitoo.com/searchandrestore.

Donate! Now! at HelpJazz.com

Now Playing on AccuJazz - 11/19/10

2010-11-09T10:47:00.010-06:00

These Now Playing posts always seem to start with the sentence, "it has been waaay too long since I did a Now Playing post." Well, it's as apt now as ever. The last one was in July and we've added a massive amount of music to the many channels of AccuJazz since then. Not only have we added a massive amount of music, but we've added a massive amount of really good music. New discs by Charles Lloyd, Vijay Iyer, The Bad Plus, Mary Halvorson, Danilo Perez, Rudresh Mahanthappa, I could go on, but, well, I will go on: it's all listed below.

As always, the title of each album is a link to purchase, and I've listed the channels on which you're most likely to hear the disc. Most all of the releases are playing on the Main channel and the New Releases channel in addition to the listed subchannels.

Please post any comments or questions you have about the new releases. Why don't you launch the New Releases channel as your soundtrack to reading the post? Or, pick from over 50 other channels at AccuJazz.com.

Charles Lloyd Quartet - Mirror (ECM)

Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream

Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society (Heads Up)
Vocal, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Bass, Third Stream, Women of Jazz

Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock (Half Note)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, New York, Trombone, Groove Jazz

Mary Halvorson - Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde

The Bad Plus - Never Stop (E1)
Piano, New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Clayton Brothers - The New Song and Dance (ArtistShare)
Saxophone, Bass, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Vijay Iyer - Solo (ACT)

Piano, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Taylor Eigsti - Daylight at Midnight (Concord)
Piano, Vocal, New School, Emerging Voices, New York

The Marsalis Family - Music Redeems (Marsalis Music)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Live, New Orleans, Trumpet, Trombone, Vibes

Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green - Apex (Pi Recordings)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, New York

Danilo Perez - Providencia (Mack Avenue)
Piano, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream

Freddy Cole - Sings Mr. B (HighNote)
Vocal, Mellow Jazz

Larry Goldings and Harry Allen - When Larry Met Harry (Palmetto)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream

Guillermo Klein - Domador De Huellas (Sunnyside)
Latin, New School, Cutting Edge

Houston Person - Moment to Moment (HighNote)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Mellow

Dave Douglas - Spark of Being (Greenleaf)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Trumpet, Fusion

Jim Rotondi - 1000 Rainbows (Posi-Tone)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Journeys (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, New York

Jane Monheit - Home (Emarcy)

Vocal

Denise Donatelli - When Lights are Low (Savant)
Vocal, Women of Jazz

Dmitry Baevsky - Down With It (Sharp 9)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Bebop, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Europe

Avishai Cohen - Introducing Triveni (Anzic)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Ryan Cohan - Another Look (Motema)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago

Spanish Harlem Orchestra - Viva La Tradicion (Concord)
Latin, New York

Greg Ward's Fitted Shards - South Side Story (19/8)

Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Fusion

Grant Stewart - Around the Corner (Sharp 9)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Bebop, Modern Mainstream, New York

Soulive - Rubber Soulive (Royal Family)
New School, Organ, Fusion, Beatles, Pop Composers, Groove Jazz

Isaac Delgado - L-O-V-E (Sony Classical)
Vocal, Latin

Tamir Hendelman - Destinations (Resonance)
Straight Ahead, Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Bobby Watson - Gates BBQ Suite (Self-Released)
Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela - Hands (Dare2)
Guitar, New School, Europe, Bass

Jeb Bishop - 2009 (Better Animal)

New School, Chicago, Avant-Garde, Trombone

Doug Beavers 9 - Two Shades of Nude (Origin)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Big Band, Trombone

Jason Adasiewicz - Sun Rooms (Delmark)
New School, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Vibes

The Cookers - Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Owen Howard - Drum Lore (BJU)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Drummers

Ches Smith and These Arches - Finally Out of My Hands (Skirl)
New School, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Drummers

Mason Brothers - Two Sides One Story (Archival)

New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet, Trombone

Ted Rosenthal Trio - Impromptu (Playscape)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, Third Stream

David S. Ware - Onecept (AUM Fidelity)
New School, New York, Avant-Garde

Gabriel Alegria - Pucusana (Saponegro)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet

Rufus Reid - Out Front (Motema)
Modern Mainstream, Bass

Roland Vazquez Band - The Visitor (RVCD)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

William Parker - I Plan to Stay a Believer: the Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield (AUM Fidelity)

Live Jazz, Pop Composers

Christian Howes and Robben Ford - Out of the Blue (Resonance)
Straight Ahead, New School, Modern Mainstream

Jeremy Siskind - Simple Songs: For When the World Seems Strange (BJU)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Tia Fuller - Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Dave Bass - Gone (Self-Released)
Piano, Latin, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Mike LeDonne - The Groover (Savant)
Straight Ahead, Organ

Exploding Star Orchestra - Stars Have Shapes (Delmark)

New School, Chicago, Avant-Garde

Chris Colangelo - Elaine's Song (C-Note Records)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Bass

Myron Walden - Countryfied (Demi Sound)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Kneebody - Kneebody (Greenleaf Music)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast, Fusion

Brad Goode - Tight Like This (Delmark)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago, Trumpet

Dan Marschak - Likewise (Press Rewind Productions)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

Ayako Shirasaki - Falling Leaves: Live in Hamburg (Jan Matthies)

Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Women of Jazz

Peter Schwebs - Stories From Sugar Hill (Laika Records)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Europe, Bass

Chris Donnelly - Solo (ALMA)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Marc Cary Focus Trio - Live 2009 (Motema)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz

Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble - Blueprints (Chicago Sessions)
Latin, New School, Chicago, Big Band

Michael Dease - Grace (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Trombone

Sarah Wilson - Trapeze Project (Brass Tonic)

New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Trumpet, Women of Jazz

Tomas Fujiwara and the Hook-Up - Actionspeak (482 Music)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Drummers

University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band - Lab 2010 (North Texas Jazz)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Big Band

Vox Arcana - Aerial Age (Allos Documents)
New School, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Avant-Garde

Tomas Janzon - Experiences (Changes Music)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Jacam Manricks - Trigonometry (Posi-Tone)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Garrison Fewell - Sound Particle 47 (Creative Nation Music)

Avant-Garde

Kenny Werner - No Beginning No End (Half Note)
New School, Third Stream

Hot Club of Hulaville - Django Would Go! (Hulaville)
Guitar

Sheryl Bailey - A New Promise (MCG)
Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Women of Jazz

Dave Liebman - Live at MCG (MCG)
Live Jazz, Fusion

Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece - Little Echo (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Vibes

Amina Figarova - Sketches (Munich)

Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Europe, Women of Jazz

Janis Mann - Blow Away (Pancake)
Vocal, Mellow Jazz, Women of Jazz

Kurt Schweitz Drexel Project - Multivalent (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Bassists

Phronesis - Alive (Edition)
Piano, New School, Cutting Edge, Live, Emerging Voices, Europe, Bassists

Milton Suggs - Things to Come (Skiptone)
Vocal, Emerging Voices, Chicago

21st Century Swing Band - Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy (MCG Jazz)
Straight Ahead, Bebop, Big Band

The ExPosed Blues Duo - Bare (Greene Avenue Music)

Vocal

Pedro Assad e Meretrio - Na Cozinha (Produzido no Pólo Industrial de Manaus)
Brazilian, New School, Fusion

Oster Welker Jazz Alliance - Detour Ahead (Jazzed Media)
Vocal, Modern West Coast, Big Band

Jacob Melchior - It's About Time (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, Drummers

Ratko Zjaca and Simone Zanchini - The Way We Talk (In and Out)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Europe

Joey DeFrancesco - Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson (HighNote)
Organ, Pop Composers, Groove Jazz

Rodney Richardson Trio - This is the Rodney Richardson Trio (Self-Released)

Straight Ahead, Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Organ

6th Street Quaternion - Summer Nights (Self-Released)
Vocal

The Battle of the Upper-Midwest Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festivals!

2010-09-01T11:33:00.006-05:00

Foreshadowing the Bears vs. Lions season opener on September 12, Chicago and Detroit are staging a Labor Day Weekend battle of the jazz festivals, and we're all over it at AccuJazz. We've created channels devoted to the two fests, and you can listen right now!

Listen now: Chicago Jazz Festival 2010

Listen now: Detroit Jazz Festival 2010

While it's pretty clear who the favorite in the game will be, I'll leave it up to you to decide which jazz fest wins.

Detroit has a slightly larger lineup and possibly more big-name mainstream acts, but Chicago has a lot going for it, too. Chicago's lineup will appeal to the more adventurous listener. The contrast is made clear in the two fests' choices of Artists in Residence. Detroit selected straight-ahead jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller, a veteran of Tony Williams and Art Blakey's groups. Chicago has Nicole Mitchell, a lesser-known (though that's rapidly changing) local flutist and composer known for her rough, edgy sound and long-form conceptual compositions.

Joining Miller in Detroit will be heavy-hitters like Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Maria Schneider, Tia Fuller, Benny Green and Roy Haynes. Less jazz-intensive listeners hoping for something a little more mainstream can catch Tower of Power or the Fabulous Thunderbirds, too. As usual, a nice amount of local talent will also fill the stages throughout the festival's 4 days.

While Nicole Mitchell is playing five performances at the Chicago Jazz Fest, she still left room for a few other artists to perform. The Jazz Institute of Chicago, who programs the festival, leans slightly left-of-center and very much towards Chicago. The final lineup, however, includes a little something for everyone. Headliners include broad-appeal vocalists Kurt Elling and Rene Marie, as well as big-name legends like Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis. Modern jazz stars Brian Blade and Brad Mehldau are also showing up on Sunday, and avant-garde master (and former Chicagoan) Henry Threadgill is playing the main stage Sunday night.

Detroit has a rich history of incubating some of the greatest talents jazz has ever known, turning out the famous Jones Brothers, Paul Chambers, Milt Jackson and Tommy Flanagan. But from what I can tell, Chicago has the more vital scene circa 2010 (though I might be biased, considering myself a small part of that scene). If they show up early enough in the day, Chicago Jazz Festival attendees will get a taste of the world-class jazz being created by local players. Highlights of Chicago artists performing at the fest include first-call drummer Dana Hall with special guest Nicholas Payton, avant-garde pianist/composer Paul Giallorenzo, Gen-Y post-afrobeat group NOMO, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and vocalist Saalik Ziyad.

Elling and pianist Mike LeDonne have the distinction of being the only artists playing both the Detroit and Chicago fests in the same weekend (and Elling's also playing the Tanglewood jazz festival in Massachusetts on Saturday! Somebody's got an ambitious agent). I'd imagine some sidemen might also be trucking between the two fests, but that info's not on the publicly posted schedules.

Whether or not you're going to be attending one of the fests, head over to AccuJazz.com and give the channels a listen. They're full of great music and offer up a lot of variety. And if you are going to the Chicago Fest, hopefully I'll see you there!

Staff Picks: Mikrokolektyw - Revisit

2010-08-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

All week, we'll be posting reviews of 10 new CDs just added to the AccuJazz Staff Picks channel. You can keep tabs on all the reviews as they come out here.

10) Mikrokolektyw - Revisit (Delmark)

Polish avant-jazz duo Mikrokolektyw are the first European jazz group to release an album on Chicago's 57-year-old Delmark Records. One wonders why it took Delmark so long to make the leap across the Atlantic, but it does seem an appropriate fit. I think of Mikrokolektyw as something of a Polish version of the Chicago Underground Duo, a similarly open-minded trumpet-and-drums team with little concern for the boundaries of genre. Members of the Chicago Underground (a collective of musicians who record in a number of contexts, from duo to trio to orchestra) have recorded a handful of CDs for Delmark. Also: Chicago Underground Duo's most recent disc was on the inaugural edition of my Staff Picks channel.

The Mikros are a little less "out" than their Windy City counterparts, rarely engaging in the raw, in-the-moment free improvisation that is the M.O. of the Chicago Underground groups. Instead, trumpeter Artur Majewski and drummer Kuba Suchar craft off-kilter loops using both acoustic and electronic elements and improvising on top of them. Drummer Suchar rarely ventures far from the repeating groove pattern, content to be the foundation upon which all manner of electronic sounds and trumpet solos are built.

The acoustic/electric tunes are studies in patience and effective use of repetition. Oftentimes, as in "Running Without Effort," one bass line (played on what sounds like a balafon) persists for the entirety of the track. Yet Majewski and Suchar manage to hold the listener's attention through subtle layers of percussion, synthesizers, and a long, winding trumpet melody. Not all the tunes on Revisit are as minimalist, but all feature the same sort of churning rhythm and soft, melodic trumpet sound, creating a sound world unique unto itself.

Listen to the Staff Picks channel here

Staff Picks: Julian Waterfall Pollack - Infinite Playground

2010-08-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

All week, we'll be posting reviews of 10 new CDs just added to the AccuJazz Staff Picks channel. You can keep tabs on all the reviews as they come out here.

9) Julian Waterfall Pollack - Infinite Playground (Junebeat)

As a jazz radio program director, I'm on the receiving end of a pretty huge amount of new music. When I get an email from an artist representing him or herself, I'm not always in a big rush to get their CD on the air, as there's already a steady stream of new music coming through. But when I got an email from 22-year-old pianist Julian Pollack, it only took me a few seconds of listening to sell me on getting his music on the air as soon as possible.

Something of a wunderkind, Pollack's bio is bursting at the seams with impressive associations and accomplishments: he appeared on Piano Jazz when he was only 18, his trio opened for Chick Corea at the Blue Note earlier this year, and, well, he just put out an immensely satisfying album called Infinite Playground. Clearly influenced by predecessors Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau, Pollack manages to avoid sounding like an impostor or an overly technical child prodigy. He's a fully-developed jazz pianist with a distinct voice.

Pollack and his trio open the album with a clever arrangement of Gershwin's "Summertime," taking one of the most overplayed tunes of all time and making it sound fresh, from plaintive start to abrupt finish. The 7 against 3 polyrhythm in the second half of the head is like rhythm porn for drum nerds like me. The disc is about half and half covers and originals, and Pollack turns out to be as promising a composer as he is a pianist and arranger. Among the originals, "Lily" is a spacious and gorgeous ballad, infused with just enough blues among the prevailing prettiness. "Blackberry," a funky odd-time groover, is the aesthetic opposite, with an impressionistic piano melody layered over a knotty bass line, and even a little hint of electronica at the very end.

Throughout Infinite Playground, Pollack and his trio mates, bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Evan Hughes, keep things interesting, never engaging in the virtuosity-for-virtuosity's-sake grandstanding that plagues many young and ably-equipped jazz groups. Yes, they play Cherokee, that ultimate test of jam session virility, but they treat it tenderly, starting out in a spacious half-time groove, and never muddying up the time even when they're swinging at full speed. Making Cherokee sound effortless, now that's maturity.

Listen to the Staff Picks channel here

Staff Picks: Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned

2010-08-26T12:45:00.000-05:00

All week, we'll be posting reviews of 10 new CDs just added to the AccuJazz Staff Picks channel. You can keep tabs on all the reviews as they come out here.

8) Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned (ECM)

Restored, Returned is on ECM records, and that's right where it belongs. ECM is known for its spacious, minimalist, Euro-centric jazz-derived music, and pianist Tord Gustavsen's new disc is all of the above. The music on Restored, Returned is unusually spare, sometimes prompting my jam-session-drummer-self to wonder "are you allowed to do that?" And the music answers, "Yes, you are allowed to do that, and while I have your attention, why don't you listen a little closer. Hear those few notes on the sax, that one cymbal swell. Listen to how they resonate in the air, how you hear the overtones of Major 7 #11 chord more clearly than you ever have before. Isn't that beautiful?" "Yeah, sure is. Sure is," I answer, dumbfounded.

Gustavsen's previous three discs for ECM were with his longstanding trio of piano, bass and drums. Restored, Returned is the debut of the "Tord Gustavsen Ensemble," which adds saxophone and vocals to the mix (and switches out the bass player). Saxophonist Tore Brunborg is right in tune with Gustavsen's muted, subtle aesthetic, playing melodic, carefully considered solos that never get louder than mezzo forte.

Vocalist Kristin Asbjornsen is a striking presence, with a voice that is at times dreamy and soothing, at others earthy and gruff. Like the rest of the music on Restored, Returned, Asbjornsen's voice is rich with layers of subtlety. Listening to the symbiosis of Asbjornsen and Gustavsen, I can't help but think of The Bad Plus' addition of rock vocalist Wendy Lewis on their 2009 album For All I Care (one of my favorites from last year -- ah heck, anything by TBP is automatically in my all-time favorites). The music in question couldn't be more different, but it's the same scenario of a longstanding instrumental jazz group adding a female vocalist from outside of the jazz world. It's a risky and outside-the-box move on the jazzers' parts, and the rewards in both instances are many.

Listen to the Staff Picks channel here

Staff Picks: Sarah Manning - Dandelion Clock

2010-08-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

All week, we'll be posting reviews of 10 new CDs just added to the AccuJazz Staff Picks channel. You can keep tabs on all the reviews as they come out here.

7) Sarah Manning - Dandelion Clock (Posi-Tone)

Sarah Manning is part of the ever-growing population of highly-educated young musicians making a go at the jazz life in New York, armed with years of practice, a few big-name mentors, and lots of ambition. Dandelion Clock, Manning's third release and first on the impressive Posi-Tone label, is evidence of the incredibly high level of musicianship coming out of that scene.

Manning the alto saxophonist and Manning the composer are both on display here. As a saxophonist her sound is striking, robust, and immediate. The melodies she writes for herself are memorable and perfectly suited to her distinct voice on the sax. She's also careful to compose thoughtful accompaniment parts for the rhythm section, effectively turning her quartet into a small post-bop orchestra. On "Crossing, Waiting," for instance, the rhythm section careens back and forth between a steady pedal tone and frantic free-bop, mirroring the contour of the saxophone melody.

Manning's band consists of pianist Art Hirahara, drummer Kyle Struve and bassist Linda Oh, whose excellent 2009 album, Entry, made a lot of jazz critics' best-of-'09 lists. It's quite clear from listening that Dandelion Clock wasn't a one-off recording session by musicians who haven't spent much time together. The lines of communication between band members are fluid and open, the rhythm section often subtly changing feels based on what Hirahara or Manning are playing in their solos.

Critics often decry the current generation's lack of passion or originality; with Dandelion Clock, Sarah Manning and her cohorts have proven that technical facility and book smarts can still lead to interesting, risky, and ultimately enjoyable music.

Further reading: A nice AllAboutJazz interview with Manning

Listen to the Staff Picks channel here