{"id":664,"date":"2011-12-12T17:20:47","date_gmt":"2011-12-12T22:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/?p=664"},"modified":"2011-12-12T17:20:47","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T22:20:47","slug":"favorite-recordings-2011-many-more-than-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2011\/12\/favorite-recordings-2011-many-more-than-10.html","title":{"rendered":"Favorite recordings, 2011 — many more than 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lists of top projects of the year are expected from arts journalism – my apologies for being so late this year, but I needed to re-visit many of the the 1200 cds and dvds I received as promotional samples from Thanksgiving 2010 – TG 2011. \u00c2\u00a0Here are some favorites — top 10 I’ve liked best, and more (even at 30 more, far from exhaustive) —<\/p>\n

Favorite New Releases, # 1 – 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>1) Sonny Rollins<\/strong>, Road Shows vol. 2<\/em>– <\/a>The grand master American saxophone improviser turned 80 with an inspired New York City concert, benefitting from support from drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Christian McBride, collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and a paradigm-shifting duet with surprise guest Ornette Coleman playing alto saxophone. A benchmark of excitement of the century old lineage of jazz leads to, circa 2011.<\/p>\n

2) Nicole Mitchell,<\/strong> Awakening<\/em> <\/a>– A dazzling flutist keeps coming up with\u00c2\u00a0\"\"<\/a>tuneful ideas, backed\u00c2\u00a0by an economical, bluesy but open-minded Chicago guitar-bass-drums band.<\/p>\n

3) Gonzalo Rubalcaba<\/strong>, F\u00c3\u00a9\/Faith<\/em><\/a> – The Cuban pianist reigns in mighty chops to muse out loud and solo about the \"\"<\/a>most personal and evanescent themes. Beautiful touch in a sonic hush.<\/p>\n

4) Jamaadaldeen Tacuma<\/a><\/strong>, For the Love of Ornette<\/em><\/a> — Ornette Coleman is heard on sax throughout much of this self-produced album by one of his greatest proteges, an irrepressibly rhythmic electric bassist. But most gratifying is that Jamaaladeen’s entire ensemble does Ornette’s harmolodic concept \"\"<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0proud, so there’s a lot going on simultaneously and all of it’s funky.<\/p>\n

5) Joseph Daley<\/strong>, The<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0Seven Deadly Sins<\/em> <\/a>– Discover a rich orchestral album by a lesser known veteran: Daley’s respected profile as a low brass (tuba) specialist should
\n\"\"<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0now shine all the brighter due to the beauty of his large-scheme composition.<\/p>\n

6) Tyshawn Sorey<\/strong>, Oblique \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 1<\/em> <\/a>– Sorey is a gifted drummer, challenging composer and accomplished conceptualist\/bandleader (he also performs on piano, but not here). He keeps the contributions of \u00c2\u00a0alto saxophonist Loren Stillman, guitarist Todd Neufeld, pianist John Escreet and bassist Chris Tordini moving. but not in obvious ways and not loudly. Listen to hear them come together, flow apart, wander off, return or \"\"<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0arrive where they intend to.<\/p>\n

7) Roscoe Mitchell<\/a><\/strong>, Before There Was Sound<\/em><\/a> – The first recorded example of music coming from Chicago’s 1960s AACM has been released after 40+ years. \u00c2\u00a0Sax virtuoso Mitchell was at the start of his career; his small ensemble \"\"<\/a>walks the line from progressive originality to something else. Not as rad now as then, yet good, fresh listening.<\/p>\n

8)\u00c2\u00a0Nguyen Le<\/strong>, Songs of Freedom<\/em><\/a> – Le, an unusual electric guitarist also using computers, and a core band (vibes, electric bass and drums) plus special guests address rock classics — “Eleanor Rigby,” “Mercedes Benz”, “Whole Lotta Love” among others. They are recast completely, with imagination, \"\"<\/a>admiration and respect. Vocals on some songs as part of the ensemble, not singer way out front.<\/p>\n

9) Trio M<\/strong>, The Guest House<\/em><\/a> – Pianist Myra Melford, bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson have a \"\"<\/a>vigorous and happily balanced threesome, like the famous ’60s Bill Evans trio rejiggering the instrumental hierarchy for music’s sake.<\/p>\n

10) Adam Rudolph Go: Organic Orchestra<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Can you Imagine The Sound of a Dream?<\/em><\/a> – Rudolph conducts improvisationally a large coterie of New York City’s most accomplished musicians from across jazz and world music scenes, arriving at some unique harmonies and compelling episodes from what \"\"<\/a>could be a model for a contemporary symphony.<\/p>\n

Best reissues<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Miles Davis Quintet<\/strong> in Europe, 1967<\/em><\/p>\n

2) Frank Sinatra\/Count Basie:<\/strong> The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings<\/em><\/p>\n

3) Bill Dixon<\/strong>, Intents and Purposes<\/em><\/p>\n

Best debut CD: \u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>KG Omulo<\/strong>, Ayah Ye! Moving Train<\/em><\/p>\n

Best Latin jazz album: \u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>Arturo O’Farrill Latin Jazz Orchestra<\/strong>, 40 Acres and a Burro<\/em><\/p>\n

Box Sets<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ray Charles<\/strong>, Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles<\/em><\/p>\n

Jazz Icons Series 5<\/strong> (DVDS): Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane (but I’m going to write an entire posting about this . . \u00c2\u00a0next up!)<\/p>\n

Favorite New Releases 11 \u00c2\u00a0– 30 (no specific order)\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Samdhi<\/em><\/p>\n

James Carter\/Robert Sierra, Caribbean Rhapsody\/Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra<\/em><\/p>\n

Roy Haynes, Roy-alty<\/em><\/p>\n

Kip Hanrahan, At Home in Anger, Which Could Also Be called Imperfect, Happily<\/em><\/p>\n

Wadada Leo Smith’s Mbira, Dark Lady of the Sonnets<\/em><\/p>\n

Jason Kao Hwang\/Edge, Crossroads Unseen<\/em><\/p>\n

Jaki Byard, Live at Keystone Korner, Vol. 2<\/em><\/p>\n

Lee Konitz\/Brad Mahldau\/Charlie Haden\/Paul Motian, Live at Birdland<\/em><\/p>\n

Trio 3 + Geri Allen, Celebrating Mary Lou Williams Live at Birdland New York<\/em><\/p>\n

Andrew Cyrille & Hatian Fascination, Route de Freres<\/em><\/p>\n

Ernest Dawkins’ New Horizons Ensemble, The Prairie Prophet<\/em><\/p>\n

Keith Jarrett, Rio<\/em><\/p>\n

Craig Taborn, Avenging Angel<\/em><\/p>\n

Amina Claudine Myers, Augmented Variations<\/em><\/p>\n

Elliott Sharp, The Age of Carbon<\/em><\/p>\n

John Scofield, Moment’s Peace<\/em><\/p>\n

James Carter Organ Trio, At the Crossroads<\/em><\/p>\n

Harris Eisenstadt, Canada Day II<\/em><\/p>\n

Muhal Richard Abrams duets with Fred Anderson, George Lewis, Sound Dance<\/em><\/p>\n

David Murray Cuban Ensemble Plays Nat King Cole En Espanol<\/em><\/p>\n

Bob Belden et al, Miles Espanol<\/em><\/p>\n

Rene Marie, Black Lace Freudian Slip<\/em><\/p>\n

Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson and Peter Evans, Electric Fruit<\/em><\/p>\n

Kitty Brazelton, Ecclisiastes: A Modern Oratoria<\/em> *<\/p>\n

Freddie Hubbard, Pinnacle *<\/em><\/p>\n

* full disclosure: personal ties to the project — but I honestly dig these recordings!<\/p>\n

Good listening to y’all. . .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

howardmandel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Subscribe by Email or RSS<\/a><\/p>\n

All JBJ posts <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lists of top projects of the year are expected from arts journalism – my apologies for being so late this year, but I needed to re-visit many of the the 1200 cds and dvds I received as promotional samples from Thanksgiving 2010 – TG 2011. \u00c2\u00a0Here are some favorites — top 10 I’ve liked best, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-664","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-main","8":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/sonny-rollins-vol-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1i3CL-aI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":417,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2011\/07\/417.html","url_meta":{"origin":664,"position":0},"title":"Beyond music in the waters off the City","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"July 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Take a night-time jazz cruise with saxophonist Avram Fefer, guitarist Joe Cohn and rhythm in New York Harbor on Wednesday nights for respite from NYC - I detail it and other unusual musical staycations for July in my new City Arts New York column. 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At last, after several disastrous attempts, he's justified such a project with River: The Joni Letters -- infusing well-known high art pop songs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":72,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/03\/out_to_lunch_in_the_zone.html","url_meta":{"origin":664,"position":3},"title":"Out To Lunch in the zone","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"March 23, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"A one-time-only revisitation of the late Eric Dolphy's masterpiece at Merkin Concert Hall in NYC fulfilled the promise and hope of jazz repertory concerts, and proved the enduring, enriching quality of jazz-beyond-jazz compositions. When trumpeter Russ Johnson took on the challenge of performing five works recorded by reeds and winds\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/02\/more_from_portland.html","url_meta":{"origin":664,"position":4},"title":"More from Portland","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"February 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Five unusually sunny days and a sumptuous solo performance by Cecil Taylor before at least 2000 absorbed listeners marked the first weekend of the fourth annual Portland Jazz Festival. Deconstructions by musicians and critics of the words \"swing,\" \"jazz,\" \"sound\" and \"music\" demonstrated this was a high ol' time. 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