Jazz Notes Best of .... for 2016
Once again I go through this exercise. Can't say it's my favourite thing to do, but still better than getting your eyes poked out with a stick. That being said, what is the criteria? Well, there is some loose criteria. I had to like the album. The album has to have come to my attention this year and has to have been released in late 2015 or 2016. The number of times I play and artist on Jazz Notes is not necessarily significant as other criteria, such as CanCon and playlist requirements can skew this number. If I can't decide between 2 albums, as to their ranking, I will look at number of plays as kind of a tiebreaker. The two artists I played the most on Jazz Notes this year were Louis Armstrong and local/Vancouver musician Anita Eccleston. Speaking of CanCon, three Canadian releases are in my top 10 instrumental and three Canadian releases are in my top 5 vocal. To musicians out there. You can't be on my or any other show host's Best of ... list at CFBX-FM if you don't send us your music. Info to do that at thex.ca.
My Top albums of the year
Jim Dupuis of Jazz Notes on CFBX-FM Best 10 of 2016 Jazz
Mainly Instrumental
1. Joe Lovano Quartet
-- Classic! Live at Newport -- (Blue
Note)
Sax player Lovano
recorded this performance in 2005 at the Newport
Jazz Festival and finally put it out this year. It includes the late Hank Jones, then in his eighties, who still
had his chops. Veteran bassist George
Mraz and Lewish Nash on drums round
out a superb quartet. Every track is a gem and Lovano and Jones make
magic together on Oliver Nelson’s“Six
and Four.” Mraz struts his stuff on the Parkerish “Bird’s Eye View” and Nash keeps a steady beat throughout.
Maybe you aren’t supposed to anoint your own album ‘classic” but when it’s the
truth, that’s okay by me.
http://www.joelovano.com/
2. John Stowell
Michael Zilber Quartet -- Basement Blues – (Origin)
Stowell and Zilber play together fairly often and
it shows. Here they combine to give us a dreamy, bluesy collarboration of
mostly original tunes. The bluesist tracks are Basement blues and Violin
Memory. Their covers of Jerome Kern’s
“Nobody Else But Me” and Bill Evans’
“Very Early” are exquisite. The rhythm section of John Shifflett on bass and Jason
Lewis on drums are tasked with keeping up with these two and succeed
admirably.
http://johnstowell.com/
3. Alexis Baro &
the Pueblo Nueve Jazz Project -- Sugar
Rush -- G-Three Music
Cuban born Toronto based Baro has the Afro-Cuban jazz fusion down to a science. He shows his
versatility with the trumpet and flugelhorn by playing a variety of tempos on
the title track and in a few others. He shows off his ballad work with the
flugelhorn on “Please Believe Me.” Great percussions, great horn section and an
inspired leader make this the best Latin CD I heard this year.
4. Renee Rosnes -- Written In The Rocks -- Smoke Sessions
Rosnes combines
her interest in earth sciences with her musical passions. The interplay between
her piano, Steve Nelson’s vibes and Steve Wilson’s reeds makes for a
delightful geology lesson and the rhythm section of Peter Washington on bass and Bill
Stewart on drums goes beyond backing and provides some volcanic eruptions
to set it all off.
http://reneerosnes.com/
5. Cuong Vu Trio &
Pat Metheny -- Cuong Vu Trio Meets
Pat Metheny – Nonesuch
Usually it’s Metheny
doing the hiring. In this case trumpet player Vu includes his old boss. Vu
shows off his chops in his foray into the fusion world of electric Miles as in “Acid Kiss.” Metheny shows his dexterity with some
fast playing in “Not Crazy“ and demonstrates his ballad work in“Seeds of
Doubt.”
Pat
Metheny (@PatMetheny) | Twitter
6. Threes Company -- We'll Be Together Again – (Chesky
Records)
The great bassist Ron
Carter teams ups with veteran sax player Javon Jackson and drummer Billy
Drummond on this outing. Lots of classic bop here as in “My Man Hubbard”
and a Monk cover, but their version
of the Jimmy Van Heusen ballad “But
Beautiful” steals the show.
Ron Carter (@FTRNFoundation) | Twitter
7. Andy Brown Quartet
-- Direct call (Appel direct) – Delmark
Lots of good guitar albums this year, but I keep coming back
to Brown. The Chicago area guitarist
gives us fast swing, covers of Joe Pass,
Jobim and the title track, a cover from Grappelli and Reinhardt. Throw in some Ellington and Hank Mobley
and you have a fine display of guitar work.
8. Metalwood – Twenty -- Cellar Live
They only do a CD once every 20 years, so it has to be
good—and it is. This fusion packed delight gives equal prominence to all the
talented band members. Some standouts are Brad
Turner’s Milesy trumpet on “Gargentua” and Chris Tarry’s bass in many places including “Extra Salty.” Mike Murley on reeds and Ian Froman on drums round out this
stellar group. Let’s have the third CD a little sooner, please.
http://www.coastaljazz.ca/brad_turner_quartet
9. Tim Davies Big
Band -- The Expensive Train Set – Origin
Band leader, composer, arranger, and drummer Tim Davies from Australia, has 4 tracks
from his Australian band and 4 tracks from his L.A. band. He has them together
on one track. This contemporary big band CD has lots of fireworks. “Minor
Incidents” could fit into a movie or television sound track and most of the
rest showcases the ample talents of the band members. Yes, the big band is
alive and well!
http://www.timdaviesbigband.com/
10. Yair Loewenson
Trio and Mark Turner -- Old Bottles
New Wine – Independent
The much-travelled multi-instrumentalist Loewenson adds the sax of
Mark Turner to his trio. While
bop is the main course (“Parkeritis” and “Davka”) with Turner leading other tracks such as “Four on Six” and “Strings”
show off Loewenson’s talents. A nice
surprise from an independent production.
https://markturnerjazz.com/
Jim Dupuis of Jazz Notes on CFBX-FM Best 10 of 2016 Jazz
Mainly Vocal
1. Gregory Porter -- Take Me to the Alley – (Universal Music)
The behatted one has emerged as the best jazz vocalist of
his generation. Here he includes jazz, gospel, R&B, hip hop and pop. He’s
good enough that he could get away with all of them in one CD. He also includes
a couple of duets. My favourites are the piano ballad “In Fashion” and the
gospely, organ infused “Don’t Lose Your Steam.”
http://www.gregoryporter.com/
Gregory Porter (@GregoryPorter)
2. Norah Jones -- Day Breaks – (Blue Note)
Jones has
explored a variety of genres since her breakthrough CD Come Away With Me. She has returned to this formula and recruits
heavyweights such as Wayne Shorter,
Brian Blade, John Patitucci and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Highlights include a
cover of Horace Silver’s
“Peace” and her smoky voice prevails on
the opening track “Burn.” Day Breaks
also includes covers from Ellington,
and Neil Young.
Norah Jones (@NorahJones) | Twitter
3. Susie Arioli – Spring – (Universal Music)
Arioli is
consistently good and this CD is no exception. This time she teams up with some
of Canada’s elite musicians including Don
Thompson, vibes and piano and trumpeter Kevin Turcotte. While jazz classics such as “Loverboy” and
“Travelin’ Light” shine through, she summons her inner Patsy Cline for “Can’t Say No” to great effect. This is a very enjoyable
CD.
http://susiearioli.com/en/
4. Bria Skonberg – Bria – Okeh
The young Canadian is wowing them in New York and elsewhere.
This CD could be classified in either category as she is a good trumpet player
and a good vocalist. She is now signed to Okeh
Records (a division of Sony), which means she now gets to have Stefon Harris, Aaron Diehl and others
on her CD, although happily she includes fellow Canadian reed master Evan Arntzen. There is plenty of
variety on this CD. Her roots are in traditional jazz and she includes the Sidney Bechet composition “Egyptian
Fantasy” She is always full of fun in performance and her vocals shine through
on “I Was a Little Too Lonely (And You Were a Little Too Late).”
http://www.briaskonberg.com/
Bria Skonberg (@briaskonberg) · Twitter
5. Kinga -- Guess Who I Saw Today – (Independent)
Formerly, one of Bill
King’s “Divas,” Kinga has
assembled a program of jazz classics and R&Bish songs that show off her
wonderful voice. Highlights include the title track, “What a Difference a Day
Made and the Bill Withers classic
“Ain’t No Sunshine.” Some of Toronto’s best appear and Bill King’s piano and gorgeous arrangements are as always, superb.
https://www.facebook.com/kingajazz/
Best local release
Anita Eccleston –
More Trumpet – (Independent)
It has been a great year for trumpet player/vocalist Eccleston. From Kamloops, she now lives
in Vancouver and plays at venues around the city with her duo and in other
combinations. For her most recent CD she has dropped the pop covers and
concentrated on classic jazz. This is generally a trio album with her musical
partner guitarist Andrew Smith and
bassist Graham Clark on bass. She
adds the cello of Doug Gorkoff for
three tracks. Smith provides vocals
on one track. Her journey through the Great
American Songboook includes “Fly Me to the Moon,” “All of Me” and ends with
triumphantly with her trumpet and voice with a song that was kind to Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful
World.” This very talented woman is really coming into her own. She brought a
larger band to the Vancouver
International Jazz Festival on Canada Day. She had a large audience dancing
and cheering throughout her performance. A fall mini-tour of the BC interior
added more exposure and similar acclaim. Finally, a musician that had, well
deserved good things happen in 2016.
Anita Eccleston (@AnitaEccleston) | Twitter
