The Best Jazz of 2014

[Tom 1960]

Reading all the selections mentioned demonstrates that my taste is extremely different from a large number of those here.

I purchase a significant number of jazz CDs, yet with the exception of a Duke Ellington recording mentioned by one person, I do not own nor have heard any of the others from any of the lists.

As a lover of bebop, mainstream, and some traditional jazz, and some blues, it is highly doubtful that I would have much, if any, interest in the recordings listed thus far.

I would be interested in your favorite recordings since we share similar tastes. I know of a few posters here that would agree with my thoughts.

[Brad]

The Powell set is awesome musically. The sonics and pitch correction are very good considering the source material -- though I haven't heard earlier CD versions so I can't say the degree to which the latest set is better or worse that previous ones and whether it's worth an upgrade depending what you may already have.

Thanks. Might be a good Xmas present

Reading all the selections mentioned demonstrates that my taste is extremely different from a large number of those here.

I purchase a significant number of jazz CDs, yet with the exception of a Duke Ellington recording mentioned by one person, I do not own nor have heard any of the others from any of the lists.

As a lover of bebop, mainstream, and some traditional jazz, and some blues, it is highly doubtful that I would have much, if any, interest in the recordings listed thus far.

That may be true for me too but there do appear to be a few in that category on people's lists though.

[Peter Friedman]

My favorites include a few that were probably released in 2013.

Listed in alphabetical order.

Frank Basile Sextet - Modern Inventions - FBM

Peter Bernstein with the Tilden Webb Trio - Cellar Live

The Miles Black Trio with Grant Stewart - Cellar Live

George Cables - Icons & Influences - High Note

Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry III - Steeplechase

Phil Dwyer & Don Thompson - Look For The Silver Lining - Triplet

Steve Fishwick / Osian Roberts / Frank Basile / Albert Sanz / Dave Whitford / Matt Fishwick - When Night Falls - Hard Bop

Benny Green Trio - Magic Beans - Sunntside

Dexter Gordon - Candlelight Lady - Steeplechase

Scott Hamilton - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Tardo Hammer Trio - Simple Pleasure - Cellar Live

David Hazeltine Quartet with Seamus Blake - For All We Know - Smoke Sessions

Joe Magnarelli Quartet with Mulgrew Miller - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Eric Reed - The Adventurous Monk - Savant

Rossano Sportiello / Harry Allen / Joel Forbes - I Walk With Music : The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook - Harry Allen

Lester Young - Boston 1950 - Uptown

Peter Zak Trio - The Eternal Triangle - Steeplechase

[BillF]

Reading all the selections mentioned demonstrates that my taste is extremely different from a large number of those here.

I purchase a significant number of jazz CDs, yet with the exception of a Duke Ellington recording mentioned by one person, I do not own nor have heard any of the others from any of the lists.

As a lover of bebop, mainstream, and some traditional jazz, and some blues, it is highly doubtful that I would have much, if any, interest in the recordings listed thus far.

I would be interested in your favorite recordings since we share similar tastes. I know of a few posters here that would agree with my thoughts.

[BillF]

My favorites include a few that were probably released in 2013.

Listed in alphabetical order.

Frank Basile Sextet - Modern Inventions - FBM

Peter Bernstein with the Tilden Webb Trio - Cellar Live

The Miles Black Trio with Grant Stewart - Cellar Live

George Cables - Icons & Influences - High Note

Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry III - Steeplechase

Phil Dwyer & Don Thompson - Look For The Silver Lining - Triplet

Steve Fishwick / Osian Roberts / Frank Basile / Albert Sanz / Dave Whitford / Matt Fishwick - When Night Falls - Hard Bop

Benny Green Trio - Magic Beans - Sunntside

Dexter Gordon - Candlelight Lady - Steeplechase

Scott Hamilton - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Tardo Hammer Trio - Simple Pleasure - Cellar Live

David Hazeltine Quartet with Seamus Blake - For All We Know - Smoke Sessions

Joe Magnarelli Quartet with Mulgrew Miller - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Eric Reed - The Adventurous Monk - Savant

Rossano Sportiello / Harry Allen / Joel Forbes - I Walk With Music : The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook - Harry Allen

Lester Young - Boston 1950 - Uptown

Peter Zak Trio - The Eternal Triangle - Steeplechase

Some I know and like; some to be investigated.

[niels]

Still some 2014 albums on the way (Tyshawn Sorey's Alloy, Ollie Brice and Waclaw Zimels To Tu Orchestra), so these can possibly bed added later, but for now the list is:

(In no particular order)

Farmers by Nature - Love and Ghosts (AUM Fidelity)

Tony Malaby's Tamarindo - Somos Agua (Clean Feed)

Rodrigo Amado Trio + Peter Evans - The Freedom Principle (NoBusiness)

Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections - The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson (Rogue Art)

Eric Revis Quartet - In Memory of Things Yet Seen (Clean Feed)

Agusti Fernandez, Barry Guy & Ramon Lopez - A Moment's Liberty (Maya)

Jemeel Moondoc - The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch)

Matthew Ship Trio - The Root of Things (Relative Pitch)

[John Tapscott]

My favorites include a few that were probably released in 2013.

Listed in alphabetical order.

Frank Basile Sextet - Modern Inventions - FBM

Peter Bernstein with the Tilden Webb Trio - Cellar Live

The Miles Black Trio with Grant Stewart - Cellar Live

George Cables - Icons & Influences - High Note

Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry III - Steeplechase

Phil Dwyer & Don Thompson - Look For The Silver Lining - Triplet

Steve Fishwick / Osian Roberts / Frank Basile / Albert Sanz / Dave Whitford / Matt Fishwick - When Night Falls - Hard Bop

Benny Green Trio - Magic Beans - Sunntside

Dexter Gordon - Candlelight Lady - Steeplechase

Scott Hamilton - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Tardo Hammer Trio - Simple Pleasure - Cellar Live

David Hazeltine Quartet with Seamus Blake - For All We Know - Smoke Sessions

Joe Magnarelli Quartet with Mulgrew Miller - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Eric Reed - The Adventurous Monk - Savant

Rossano Sportiello / Harry Allen / Joel Forbes - I Walk With Music : The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook - Harry Allen

Lester Young - Boston 1950 - Uptown

Peter Zak Trio - The Eternal Triangle - Steeplechase

Some I know and like; some to be investigated.

Agreed. I've heard and like all 3 you posted in # 12 above. Here's three more I like from 2014.

A wonderful straight ahead player. My "discovery" of the year.

(Woodville)

This one has way more "fire in the belly" than most JJ/Kai recordings which I generally find over arranged and too gentlemanly. This one makes you sit up and take notice.

Sharp Nine

David Hazeltine playing his piano idol's compositions plus "Over the Rainbow". An inspired date.

[Tom 1960]

Like the Hazeltine date as well.

[sonnyhill]

Farmers by Nature - Love and Ghosts (AUM Fidelity)

Matthew Shipp Trio - Root of Things (Relative Pitch)

Anthony Braxton - Trio (New Haven) 2013 (New Braxton House)

Mark Turner Quartet - Lathe of Heaven (ECM) - Great record, but the ECM production values suffocated the music on this recording, especially the contributions of the drummer Marcus Gilmore and bassist Joe Martin. I hope they can do another recording where the music is allowed to breathe.

Sean Jones - im.pro.vise Never Before Seen (Mack Avenue) - This was too long at 70 mins. 50 mins. would have been perfect.

Jason Adasiewicz's Sun Rooms - From the Region (Delmark) - I have to get the rest of the Sun Rooms catalog.

Eric Revis Quartet - In Memory of Things Yet Seen (Clean Feed)

Jimmy Giuffre 3 & 4 - New York Concerts (Elemental Music) - The Coltrane at Temple got all of the press, but this was head and shoulders better.

Wadada Leo Smith - Great Lakes Suite (TUM)

Tyshawn Sorey - Alloy (Pi)

Marc Ribot - Live at the Village Vanguard (Pi)

Jemeel Moondoc - Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch) - Favorite cover of the year. If Moondoc does another Kickstarter, I will pony up.

*** I still plan to purchase, but have not heard Steve Lehman's Mise en Abime, Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue, and Tomas Fujiwara's Variable Bets ***

Best performance of the Year:

Nate Wooley's performance of Seven Storey Mountain at 2014 Winter Jazzfest NYC. It's on You Tube here in four parts.

Edited December 13, 2014 by sonnyhill

[soulpope]

New Yorker article on the best jazz reissues of 2014.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/2014-best-jazz-reissues

this red garland trio keystone corner recording from 1977 looks tasty indeed.....

Edited December 16, 2014 by soulpope

[BillF]

My favorites include a few that were probably released in 2013.

Listed in alphabetical order.

Frank Basile Sextet - Modern Inventions - FBM

Peter Bernstein with the Tilden Webb Trio - Cellar Live

The Miles Black Trio with Grant Stewart - Cellar Live

George Cables - Icons & Influences - High Note

Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry III - Steeplechase

Phil Dwyer & Don Thompson - Look For The Silver Lining - Triplet

Steve Fishwick / Osian Roberts / Frank Basile / Albert Sanz / Dave Whitford / Matt Fishwick - When Night Falls - Hard Bop

Benny Green Trio - Magic Beans - Sunntside

Dexter Gordon - Candlelight Lady - Steeplechase

Scott Hamilton - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Tardo Hammer Trio - Simple Pleasure - Cellar Live

David Hazeltine Quartet with Seamus Blake - For All We Know - Smoke Sessions

Joe Magnarelli Quartet with Mulgrew Miller - Live At Smalls - Smalls Live

Eric Reed - The Adventurous Monk - Savant

Rossano Sportiello / Harry Allen / Joel Forbes - I Walk With Music : The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook - Harry Allen

Lester Young - Boston 1950 - Uptown

Peter Zak Trio - The Eternal Triangle - Steeplechase

Some I know and like; some to be investigated.

Agreed. I've heard and like all 3 you posted in # 12 above. Here's three more I like from 2014.

A wonderful straight ahead player. My "discovery" of the year.

(Woodville)

This one has way more "fire in the belly" than most JJ/Kai recordings which I generally find over arranged and too gentlemanly. This one makes you sit up and take notice.

Sharp Nine

David Hazeltine playing his piano idol's compositions plus "Over the Rainbow". An inspired date.

[Larry Kart]

Perhaps I need to get out more, but here are my choices in Frances Davis' poll (in alphabetical order). Some of these albums haven't been mentioned before, I think. The Kadleck is a real sleeper; he's one of NYC's top lead trumpeters and, as it turns out, a brilliant arranger. Gigi Di Gregiro is a quite individual veteran Italian tenor saxophonist, paired here with an Italian bass-drum team, and pianist Harold Danko.

Best New Releases

Bobby Bradford/Frode Gjersted Quartet, Silver Cornet (Nessa)

Gigi Di Gregorio Quartet, Live at JCT (Jazz City)

Mary Halvorson, Thumbscrew (Cuneiform)

Tony Kadleck Big Band, Around the Horn (Tony Kadleck)

Allen Lowe, Mulatto Field Recordings 1-4 (Constant Sorrow)

Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed, In Pursuit of Magic (482 Music)

Dick Oatts/Harold Danko, Sweet Nowhere (Steeplechase)

Jason Roebke, High Red Center (Delmark)

Wadada Leo Smith: The Great Lakes Suite ((TUM)

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Over Time: Music of Bob Brookmeyer (Planet Arts)

Best Reissues/Historical albums

Hal Russell, Generation (Nessa)

Ira Sullivan, Circumstantial (Nessa)

Lennie Tristano, Chicago April 1951 (Uptown)

[Bol]

Hush Point, "Blues & Reds" (Sunnyside)

Another beauty from John McNeil! Hope he keeps on recording in the new year.

[cayetano]

My 2014 favorites:

1. Jemeel Moondoc, The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch)

2. Wadada Leo Smith, The Great Lakes Suites (TUM)

3. Matthew Shipp, I've Been Too Many Places (Thirsty Ear)

4. Jason Adasiewicz, From the Region (Delmark)

5. Trio 3 + Vijay Iyer, Wiring (Intakt)

6. Adam Lane, Live in Ljubljana (Clean Feed)

7. John Hebert, Floodstage (Clean Feed)

8. Cortex, Live (Clean Feed)

9. Dave McDonell, The Dragon and the Griffin (New Atlantis)

10. Variable Density Sound Orchestra, Evolving Strategies (Not Two)

11. Audio One, An International Report (Audiographic)

12. Paul Giallorenzo, Force Majeure (Delmark)

13. Howard Riley, To Be Continued (Slam)

14. Jason Roebke, High Red Center (Delmark)

15. Kris Davis, Waiting for You to Grow (Clean Feed))

Edited December 17, 2014 by cayetano

[CraigP]

My 2014 favorites:

1. Jemeel Moondoc, The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch)

2. Wadada Leo Smith, The Great Lakes Suites (TUM)

3. Matthew Shipp, I've Been Too Many Places (Thirsty Ear)

4. Jason Adasiewicz, From the Region (Delmark)

5. Trio 3 + Vijay Iyer, Wiring (Intakt)

6. Adam Lane, Live in Ljubljana (Clean Feed)

7. John Hebert, Floodstage (Clean Feed)

8. Cortex, Live (Clean Feed)

9. Dave McDonell, The Dragon and the Griffin (New Atlantis)

10. Variable Density Sound Orchestra, Evolving Strategies (Not Two)

11. Audio One, An International Report (Audiographic)

12. Paul Giallorenzo, Force Majeure (Delmark)

13. Howard Riley, To Be Continued (Slam)

14. Jason Roebke, High Red Center (Delmark)

15. Kris Davis, Waiting for You to Grow (Clean Feed))

The Hebert and the Kris Davis releases got lost in the shuffle, as they were released very late in 2013, after that year's "best of" lists had already been published. I don't understand why Clean Feed does their last batch of releases so late every year, for this reason.

[danasgoodstuff]

I "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" to be sure, but these are my picks for 2014:

Best new new - Regina Carter, Southern Comfort (quite possibly the best C&W record of 2014 as well)

Best new/old - Jimmy Giuffre, NY 1965

Best expanded reissue - Miles @ Filmore

Best straight reissue - The Giant is Awakened

Most welcome, best isn't even an issue - Magic Sam, Live @ Avant-Guard and Sonny R, Rd Shows vol.3

and, hopefully, a bunch of stuff I haven't heard yet.

[danasgoodstuff]

I "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" to be sure, but these are my picks for 2014:

Best new new - Regina Carter, Southern Comfort (quite possibly the best C&W record of 2014 as well)

Best new/old - Jimmy Giuffre, NY 1965

Best expanded reissue - Miles @ Filmore

Best straight reissue - The Giant is Awakened

Most welcome, best isn't even an issue - Magic Sam, Live @ Avant-Guard and Sonny R, Rd Shows vol.3

and, hopefully, a bunch of stuff I haven't heard yet.

Forgot to mention I haven't heard Trane @ Temple U, so I don't have an opinion yet.

[uli]

fweiw the results of Francis Davis' critics poll

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/12/19/371282561/the-2014-npr-music-jazz-critics-poll?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprmusic&utm_term=music&utm_content=2045

[xybert]

fweiw the results of Francis Davis' critics poll

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/12/19/371282561/the-2014-npr-music-jazz-critics-poll?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprmusic&utm_term=music&utm_content=2045

Was pleasantly surprised to see Allen Lowe appear on Davis's personal best of list:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/12/19/371577094/an-upset-either-way-steve-lehman-and-wadada-leo-smith-triumph

I haven't been commenting on posts in this thread but i've enjoyed reading them. Always interesting to see what new releases people have been digging.

[7/4]

my list

Notable releases of 2014

[cayetano]

I have expanded my list to 20 albums, these are 16 to 20:

16. Rodrigo Amado, Wire Quartet (Clean Feed)

17. Joe Morris, Balance (Clean Feed)

18. Christine Wodrascka, Linéaire (Mr. Morezon)

19. Wooley-Antunes-Corsano, Malus (NoBusiness)

20. Rich Halley 4, The Wisdom of Rocks (Pine Eagle)

Here on my blog (spanish):

http://oscuraeralanoche.blogspot.com.es/2014/12/mis-favoritos-de-2014-16-20.html

Edited December 22, 2014 by cayetano

[Eric]

Most welcome, best isn't even an issue - Magic Sam, Live @ Avant-Guard

[ArtSalt]

Reading all the selections mentioned demonstrates that my taste is extremely different from a large number of those here.

I purchase a significant number of jazz CDs, yet with the exception of a Duke Ellington recording mentioned by one person, I do not own nor have heard any of the others from any of the lists.

As a lover of bebop, mainstream, and some traditional jazz, and some blues, it is highly doubtful that I would have much, if any, interest in the recordings listed thus far.

I'm pretty much the same - everything I buy is a reissue and I feel at risk of turning into a horn-rimmed and tweedy old fig, so I've decided to purchase more contemporary jazz.

And I started this week:

Michael Wollny Trio - Weltentraum (Act)

Jason Moran - All Rise (Blue Note)

Ambrose Akinmusire - The Imagined Saviour is Far Easier to Imagine (Blue Note)

Mostly Other People Do The Killing - Blue (Hot Cup)

To be honest, I thought the Blue Note's fell into the awful crossover, smooth soul jazz territory, but on third listening, it's clear that in amongst the radio friendly Jazz FM fluff, there are some fine moments.

I was impressed with the recreation of Kind of Blue too. It wasn't pointless after all.

[John Tapscott]

I am a horn-rimmed and tweedy old fig. Oh well. Seriously, no one needs to apologize for one's taste. You like what you like.

Edited December 22, 2014 by John Tapscott

[HutchFan]

I focused largely on classical music this year, but here are a few 2014 jazz releases that I've enjoyed:

- Alexis Cuadrado - A Lorca Soundscape (Sunnyside) - released in late-2013, but I only discovered it this year

- Armen Donelian - Sayat-Nova: Songs of My Ancestors (Sunnyside)

- Charlie Haden/Jim Hall (Impulse)

- Bobby Hutcherson - Enjoy the View (Blue Note)

- Tieney Sutton - Paris Sessions (BFM Sessions)

- Colin Vallon Trio - Le Vent (ECM)

- Mark Weinstein - Latin Jazz Underground (Zoho)

Edited December 22, 2014 by HutchFan