Favorite Albums and Players of 2010

(8 posts)

No tags yet.

  1. silverwater
    Member

    I figure it's due time for another one of these kinds of threads:

    - What were your favorite new jazz albums of last year?

    - Who's started to establish themselves as a top tier player?

    - What couldn't you stop listening to? (new and old)

    - What were some players that you got turned on to that you didn't know about until recently?

    To me, Tim Miller has really come into his own as a player. To my knowledge he hasn't released any solo stuff since 2007, but I saw him play live 4-5 times last year and his melodicism and story telling abilities on the instrument have become fantastic, in addition to the killer chops and feel everyone knows he has. Also, Gilad Hekselman has became one of my favorites, seeing him play some great stuff with Ari Hoenig's band.

    For albums, I've been digging Kurt's "Our Secret World" (it's quite a feat that a big band album with renditions of combo tunes doesn't sound stiff and stale), all things Kreisberg, (I think Night Songs came out last year, probably the best guitar ballad album I've heard), also I've been enjoying that Greg Osby/Nir Felder NPR broadcast from the Village Vanguard, available for a free download. (Nir's solo on Night and Day is one of the coolest jazz guitar solos I've ever heard)

    I also started to get into Gary Versace's solo stuff last year, "Outside In" is one of my favorites.

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  2. Matt
    Member

    i've been getting into Gilad as well, and Nir is crazy, but mostly i've been digging Mike Moreno. I haven't bought any of his albums, which is a sad thing to admit, but his sets on smallz website kill me.

    i've also been getting to bryan baker a lot. he has crazy rhythmic ideas and sick chops.

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  3. jazznan
    Member

    Aaron Parks, influence as a composer continues showing up all over the place

    Jason Moran has raised his game (not that it wasn't high to begin with)

    Keith and Charlie's album was amazing

    and obviously Kurt has ripped it up...

    I thought Metheny and Sco had a rough year, but Frisell's "Beautiful Dreamers" was great.

    How bout this for 2011: http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/live-in-marciac

    Anybody heard it? I can't wait to listen to it....

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  4. smoke
    Member

    I really dig Sunny Jain's Taboo. Probably my most listened to disc this year. Great writing, sick playing, and interesting concept.

    Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth probably came in 2nd with most spins. Craig Taborn is monstrous on it.

    Alan Ferber's Nonet is really cool too + it features two of my favorite players - Jon Gordon and Ben Monder. The arrangements are really breathtaking.

    Cool shoutout on the NPR recording of Osby w/ Nir. I agree his Night and Day solo is sick. I have part of it transcribed and I'll post it once I transfer it to Finale.

    I discovered Walter Smith III this year but I am not sure if III was released this year or not, but it is crazy good. My take is that he is becoming one of the elite tenor players.

    David Binney had two out last year which were both amazing (as always).

    Some really great music last year, I think.

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  5. Jazzzz
    Member

    Thanks to a review I read on All About Jazz I got turned to a great guitarist from Holland called Marzio Scholten (www.marzioscholten.com). He released a record called World Of Thought, which also has this great trumpet player on it, Ambrose Akinmusire. A great record. Also beautiful was Silent Movies by Marc Ribot.

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  6. mikelorenz
    Member

    Here's what I really enjoyed this year...

    Bill Frisell - Beautiful Dreamers
    Mary Halvorson Quintet - Saturn Sings
    Jason Moran - Ten
    The Bad Plus - Never Stop (although I don't agree that it's their best yet as many people have said)
    Vijay Iyer- solo

    I'm drawing a blank on new stuff I liked. I got Chris Lightcap's record after the new year and really enjoyed it as well as Steve Coleman's new record, Nels Cline Singers new one, Jason Adasiewicz's Sun Room and Rudresh Mahanthappa/Bunky Green's Apex.

    I think Vijay Iyer has really established himself as a top tier level jazz musician in the past two years. It's a hard question to answer though because so many of these people have been great for years!

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  7. Benny
    Member

    Favourite jazz albums of 2010:

    Charles Lloyd - 'Mirror'

    Norma Winstone - 'Stories Yet To Tell'

    Kenny Wheeler - 'Windmill Tilter' (reissue)

    Phronesis - 'Alive'

    Polar Bear - 'Peepers'

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

  8. Quintricacy
    Member

    Although not released in 2010, Miles Okazaki's album Mirror is easily becoming one of my favourite albums of the year. I only found out about him at the Winter Jazz Fest when he played with his own trio and then later on with Steve Coleman's 5 elements. Also John Hollenbeck's Eternal Interlude...which is 2009 I think....is so amazing. Some of the best modern big band writing I've ever heard!

    • Posted 1 year ago
    • #

Reply

You must log in to post.