LWayne

This is absolutely crushing. I am beyond sad. He was a very good friend of mine and we just exchanged email greetings yesterday on the event of my birthday. Fortunate to have seen him play many times and to have attended many shows with him as well (note my Avatar). He was tremendously warm and witty. Had a dry sense of humor and was a keen observer of irony. This REALLY hurts. Love you Frank! LWayne

As the year winds to a close, I wanted to start a "best of" thread. Despite the pandemic, this was a wonderful year for new releases. More depth of recordings than previous years. Of my top ten, the first six never left my CD player: 1 Carla Bley Life Goes On ECM 2 Bill Frisell Valentine Blue Note Records 3 Maria Schneider Orchestra Data Lords ArtistShare 4 Thumbscrew The Braxton Project Cuneiform 5 Liberty Ellman Last Desert Pi Recordings 6 James Brandon Lewis Quartet Molecular Intakt Records 7 Immanuel Wilkins Omega Blue Note Records 8 Micah Thomas Tide Self-Released 9 Matthew Shipp Trio The Unidentifiable ESP Disk 10 Charles Tolliver Quartet Connect Gearbox Records If this list was expanded to top twenty, there would also be Nels Cline Singers "Share the Wealth" and Charles Lloyd "Live at the Lobrero" included. Surprisingly, this would make Blue Note my choice for top label as I have pretty much passed by many of its releases in recent years. Three reissues/previously unissued gems to mention as well: Sonny Rollins "Live in Holland", Charles Tolliver "All Stars", and Bill Evans "Live at Ronnie Scott's" Although the pandemic relegated much of my listening to livetsteam broadcasts, I was fortunate to catch several great concerts in person at the beginning of the year: 1. Charles Tolliver Quintet. An Die Musik. Baltimore MD. Feb 29, 2020. Wonderful to hear the maestro along with Buster Williams and Lenny White play some of my favorite Strata East songs. 2. Ethnic Heritage Ensemble "Raise Your Spirits" Tour. First Unitarian Church, Pittsburgh PA. Feb 24 2020. Is there a more charismatic performer than Kahil El Zabar? 3. Joshua Redman "Still Dreaming" Quartet. August Wilson AACC. Pittsburgh, PA. Feb 15, 2020. Tight quartet paying tribute to the Old and New Dreams repertoire. So many great livestreams to consider, but some of my favorites were: 1. In Order to Survive, Vision Festival-Healing Soul- William Parker always amazes. James Brandon Lewis and Rob Brown were a formidable duo of saxophones. 2. Thumbscrew, Roulette-Playing music from the new CD as well as previewing the forthcoming 2021 album. One of the best trios around. 3. Miles Okazaki and Trickster-The Jazz Gallery. Tight group at its peak. Both sets were amazing. His "Trickster Live" recording via Bandcamp was also a highlight. 4. Tom Harrell Trio, Village Vanguard-although some streaming problems during the broadcast, his lyrical compositions and thoughtful playing were amazing. 5. Mike Reed's Loose Assembly, Constellation-Group contained all of Chicago's finest playing some challenging, but rewarding, music. Would love this to be a recording. Happy Holidays! LWayne

William Parker

Very sad news. Passing of another Jazz legend. Enjoyed both The Clayton Brothers and Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra. LWayne

Horrible news. What a wonderful soul. One of my absolute favorites. Will be sorely missed! LWayne

Justin 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Code Girl "Artlessly Falling" Craig Taborn Junk Magic "Compass Confusion"

Playing the Tolliver LP myself tonight. The record is more vibrant than the CD. LWayne Also playing some Miles tonight.

Not to come across as uninformed, but what was the "Black Fire" fiasco? LWayne

On my wishlist is getting a new box for the Andrew Hill set. This set was made at a time when Mosaic taped the hinge between top lid and bottom. Then they printed the name of the set on the back of the tape. After repeated use, and countless openings and closings, the tape has splintered and the box top looks awful. LWayne

Enjoy his playing on "Voices" and "Eastward" LWayne

Great session from a great group. All players at their peak! LWayne

I have not missed any of her releases either, This set is likely the best yet. Worth every penny! LWayne

Heard the preview on Facebook as well. Gorgeous music! Question: any additional tracks on LP vs. CD. Any reason as to why two vinyl records instead of one? Running time? LWayne

A fair review ! I would agree with ranking of "go to" recordings as well. But I will enjoy "Connect" nonetheless. LWayne

Alas, I was at the Saturday gig. Got to spend some quality time with Charles Tolliver though. Nice guy! LWayne

Agree with this review. Tolliver is solid throughout and I really enjoy the version of "Emperor March". Saw this group play in An Die Musik in Baltimore at the end of February and this new CD is very evocative of that set. Highly recommended! LWayne

Happy Birthday Kenny Burrell and best wishes for good health! LWayne

Also LOVE Kahil El Zabar. Have seen him perform in many different groups. Never disappoints. Hard to categorize his style, but certainly enjoyable! LWayne

Looking forward for this to drop on this Friday. No legal snafus like Monk's "Palo Allto", so hopefully not delayed... LWayne

Yes. Looking for something a little less expensive. Thanks, LWayne

Looking for a nice copy of Mile Reed "Flesh & Bone" on 482 Music. Released 2017. Seems to be hard-to-find. Hoping a fellow board member might be willing to sell/ trade at a reasonable price. Thanks, LWayne

To me, a VERY major figure. Not to say I like everything he does, but I celebrate his style. Very idiosyncratic. Instantly recognizable from the beginning that it is Jamal playing. LWayne

I don't understand why these major labels delay the releases. Given that there is not a lot on the market now due to the Pandemic, why not release it now rather than August? LWayne

Saw an interesting posting for upcoming CD on Hat Hut LWayne