OK, here's mine. It's always a draft, as I'm sure there are things I've loved but can't remember right now. I'm not a list-maker by nature, and I'm not systematic about my enthusiasms (except for brief periods of obsession), and above all there is just so much I haven't heard yet. But these are some of the highlights of my jazz listening year:
Mark Turner, Lathe of Heaven. Turner has been working on this quartet (with Avishai Cohen, trumpet; Joe Martin, bass; Marcus Gilmore, drums) and its music for two or three years and it pays off with an exceptional recording.
Tom Harrell, Trip. Same instrumentation as the above, also featuring Turner, plus Ugonna Okegwo, bass, and Adam Cruz, drums. Completely different feel, as Harrell's music is more explicitly bop-derived, but equally fantastic music. Turner is a very active sideman and has learned to really put himself at the service of the music he's given. Unmistakably himself but really focused on the specifics of the material. Harrell's writing and playing is fabulous.
Kenny Barron/Dave Holland, The Art of Conversation. Perfection.
Chick Corea, Trilogy. A 3-CD set with Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Sparkling, energetic, virtuoso piano trio music. 2 CDs might have been enough, but it's thrilling to hear Blade and Corea swinging together.
Joshua Redman, Trios Live. With Greg Hutchinson on drums and either Reuben Rogers or Matt Penman on bass. Redman's recordings don't always communicate the excitement he can generate live, but this one does. He is a superb musician and these are inventive, high-octane performances. Hutchinson is definitely one of the best jazz drummers out there.
Frank Kimbrough, Quartet. With Steve Wilson, alto sax; Jay Anderson, bass; Lewis Nash, drums. Eloquent playing, beautiful melodies, often bittersweet. Rooted in bebop and Keith Jarrett's quartet music.
Michael Blake, Tiddy Boom. With Frank Kimbrough, piano; Ben Allison, bass; and Rudy Royston, drums. Blake's project here is to focus on Hawkins and Young, whereas he often strays much further from the mainstream. But he's confident and authoritative and this is not a pious rehash by any means. Biting, bracing, swinging, sometimes raucous playing.
Stanton Moore, Conversations. Moore, drums; David Torkanowsky, piano; James Singleton, bass. Moore is a major New Orleans drummer, usually heard in N.O. funk bands. He plays jazz here, always with that infectious second-line pulse somewhere in the mix. Drum aficionados shouldn't miss this.
Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, The 21st Century Trad Band. Marsalis, vibes; Austin Johnson, piano; Will Goble, bass; David Potter, drums. I didn't know what to expect from this. Marsalis is an impeccable drummer with chops galore, mostly heard backing Marcus Roberts, and then he added vibes to his repertoire. This is a delightful record, not what you might expect from a Marsalis. Swinging, to be sure, but not in a reverential, polish-your-shoes-this-is-jazz kind of way. Rather, you get the full sense of his idiosyncratic universe. Lots of fun.
