1) The Pat Metheny Group--- The Way Up. This is a jazz symphony, and probably the best work of fusion jazz ever wrought. It's a masterpiece.
2) Marc Johnson - Shades of Jade. This one came out of nowhere, and is one of the best 'sets a mood' pieces produced in a long time. In this regard it is very much like the ultimate jazz classic and number one jazz seller of all time Kind of Blue.
3) Brian Bromberg - Downright Upright. This involves Brian, a fabulous bass player, choosing some of his favorite jazz tunes and giving them a fresh spin. Its pure fun from start to finish.
4) Christian Scott- Anthem and Terrence Blanchard - A Tale of God's Will (tie). Both of these remarkable works come as a musical response to the disaster that was Katrina and both are by musicians deeply rooted in New Orleans and both are ultra fine trumpet players, with Scott being a wunderkind, and Blanchard being a long time producer of movie scores.
5) Roy Hargrove--Ear Food. Maybe the best CD of any kind that appeared in 2008. Hargrove is yet another remarkable trumpet player and this CD is full of verve and juice and joy.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Witherington's Best 5 Jazz Records of the Last Five Years
Ben Witherington cites his 5 favorite jazz recordings of the last 5 years. He writes:
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3 comments:
Thanks for this post, Zach. It is easy to find lists of the "ten best jazz recordings of all time," but too often, these lists focus largely on music which was made decades ago. It seems more difficult to find out about the best jazz being recorded *today*-- which, actually, might be just as great as some of the "classic jazz." In that light, this list is very helpful.
I'll definitely second "A Tale of God's Will" - haven't heard the other Katrina one. Some of the most beautiful and heartfelt playing I've heard in a long time.
I would propose though that a significant omission is Maria Schneider's Sky Blue. Have you heard it?
Unlike other forms of music, jazz is unique for its great amount of interaction between artists and improvisation.
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