Top CDs for 2006

[robmid]

Isn't it about time we started seeing some favorite lists for 2006? I liked the "New to You" thread, but I'd like to submit my list of new releases I liked this past year. When I scanned eveything I'd bought, I was very happy with the overall quality of what came out this year.

In no particular order:

Best of 2006

Mark Egan w/ John Abercrombie - As We Speak
Steve Turre - Keep Searchin'
House on Hill - Brad Mehldau
Copperopolis - Charlie Hunter
Zep Tepi - Rany Weston
Kenny Wheeler – It Takes Two!
Meaning and Mystery - Dave Douglas
Live at Tonic - Christian McBride
12 songs - Jenny Sheinman
Underground - Chris Potter
Critical Mass - Dave Holland
Cowboy Justice - Ben Allison
Michael Blake & Blake Tartare - More Like Us
Play - Frank Kimbrough
In the Loop - Ted Nash
Focus - Marc Cary
Sangam - Charles Lloyd
Streams of Expression - Joe Lovano
Kenny Garrett - Beyond the Wall
African Tarantella - Stefon Harris
Raw Materials - Vijay Iyer & Rudresh Mahanthappa
Billly's Theme - Jessica Willliams
Metalix - Mathias Lupri Group
Sound Grammar - Ornette Coleman
Andrew Hill - Time Lines
Sudades - Trio Beyond
Garden of Eden - Paul Motian
San Francisco Jazz Collective - SFJC 2

And ones I want but haven't picked up yet (I'm adding to this list as I read the picks below):

Steve Kahn - The Green Field √
Tomasz Stanko - Lontano √
John Abercrombie - Structures √
Mysterious Shorter - Nicholas Payton
Metheny / Mehldau
Myra Melford - The Image of Your Body √
Larry Goldings - Quartet
Billy Hart - Quartet √
Donny McCaslin - Soar √
David Binney - Cities and Desire
David Binney - Out of Airplances √
Nels Cline - New Monastery
Omer Avital - Asking No Permission √
Bobby Previte - The Coallition of the Willing
Kidd Jordan - Palm of Soul
Gianluca Petrella - Indigo4 √
Kenny Wheeler - It Takes Two √
Jon Madof Rashanim - Shalosh
Martin Speake - Change Of Heart √
Scott Colley - Architect of teh silent Moment √
Atomic - Happy New Ears √


What did you really like in 2006?

Cheers,

[the magnificent goldberg]

This is just to remind myself to join in later

MG

[Bev Stapleton]

I think these were my favourites:

Jazz
Atomic - Happy New Ears
Barnes Alan - Blessing in Disguise
Binney David -Cities and Desire
Bollani Stefano - I Visionari
Brahem Anouar -Le Voyage de Sahar
Browne Alan - Five Bells and Other Inspirations
McLaughlin John -Industrial Zen
Melford Myra -The Image of Your Body
Oriole - Migration
Peters Finn -Su-Ling
Saluzzi Dino - Juan Condori
Stanko Tomasz - Lotano
Towner Ralph - Timeline
Tracey Stan - For All We Know…
Winstone Norma - It's Later Than You Think

Other
Bellowhead - Burlesque
Lunasa - Se
McSherry/O'Connor - Tripswitch
Various - Masters of the Irish Guitar
Toure Ali Farke - Savane
Diabate Toumani - Boulevard De L'Independence
Ranarim - Morgonstjarna
Jackie Oates - Jackie Oates
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan - Strands of Gold

[NewJazz4Mike]

I'm probably leaving a few out, but these are all memorably good:

Charles Lloyd - Sangam
Donny McCaslin - Soar
Michael Blake - Blake Tartare
Wycliffe Gordon - Cone's Coup
Branford Marsalis - Braggtown
Frank Kimbrough - Play
Edsel Gomez - Cubist Music
John McLaughlin - Industrial Zen
Ted Nash - In The Loop
Matthias Lupri - Metalix
Dave Holland - Critical Mass
Ron Horton - Everything in a Dream
Brian Lynch / Eddie Palmieri Project - Simpatico
Joe Lovano - Streams of Expression
Luis Perdomo - Awareness

[WorldB3]

1. Andrew Hill – Time Lines
2. Nik Bartsch Ronin – STOA
3. Trio Beyond – Saudades
4. Brad Mehldau – House On Hill
5. Charles Lloyd – Sangam
6. Frank Kimbrough – Play
7. Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood – Out Louder
8. John Abercrombie – Structures
9. Paul Motian – Garden Of Eden
10. Chirs Potter – Underground
11. Metheney / Mehldau – S/T

Other notables: Avashi Cohen (Bass) – Continuo, Dave Holland – Critical Mass. I am sure I left somethig out as well.

[LWayne]

I will launch into an annual "best of" post with my personal picks for best new releases, reissues, and concerts of this past year. Same caution as always, except for the first few selections of each category, remaining picks are not in any descending order as far as designating favorites:

Artist Title Label
1 Andrew Hill Time Lines Blue Note
2 Frank Kimbrough Play Palmetto
3 Paul Motian Band Garden of Eden ECM
4 Chris Potter Underground Sunnyside
5 Randy Weston Zep Teppi Random Choice
6 Ben Allison Cowboy Justice Palmetto
7 Tomasz Stanko Quartet Lontano ECM
8 Raw Materials Raw Materials Savoy
9 Paul Motian On Broadway, Volume 4 Winter & Winter
10 Dave Holland Quartet Critical Mass Dare 2 Records
11 Ornette Coleman Sound Grammar Sound Grammar
12 Bill Frisell Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian Nonesuch
13 David Binney Cities and Desire Criss Cross
14 Ted Nash and Still Evolved In The Loop Palmetto
15 Louis Hayes & Cannonball Legacy Band Maximum Firepower Savant
16 Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers Golden Beams

Overall a better year for new releases than last year IMHO. The depth of my list evidences that it was a good year for new and intriguing music. The top three: Andrew Hill, Frank Kimbrough, and Paul Motian would top a "best of" list any year as all three releases should stand the test of time.

It seems that I purchased a lot of Palmetto, ECM , and Blue Note releases this last year. My musician of the year must be Paul Motian, as he participated in no less than four of the selections on my list as well as being part of two of my favorite concerts of the year.

Reissues

Artist Title Label
1 Red Garland Trio At The Prelude Prestige
2 Dizzy Gillespie Verve/Phillips Small Group Sessions Mosaic
3 Gil Evans The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions Blue Note
4 Lou Blackburn The Complete Imperial Sessions Blue Note
5 Bill Evans with Lee Konitz Play the Arrangements of Jimmy Giuffre Lonehill Jazz
6 Yusef Lateef Eastern Sounds Prestige
7 Herbie Nichols Trio Complete Studio Master Takes Lonehill Jazz
8 McCoy Tyner Sahara Mobile Fidelity

Not as strong as a year in reissues as compared to the recent past IMHO. Last year, with the releases of "undiscovered" recordings by Monk/Coltrane, Coltrane, and Parker/Gillespie certainly helped make 2005 a particularly strong reissue year. We really need more depth of field in Blue Note Connoisseurs for 2007.

Shows/ Concerts:

1. Paul Motian/ Joe Lovano/ Bill Frisell @ The Village Vanguard NYC 09/13/06
2. Frank Kimbrough/ Paul Motian/Jay Anderson @ The Jazz Standard NYC 07/13/06
3. Raw Materials (Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa) @ An Die Musik Baltimore 10/21/06
4. Henry Threadgill's Zooid @ The International House, Philadelphia 03/17/06
5. Chris Potter 's Underground Quartet @ Jazz Showcase, Chicago 02/02/06
6. Maria Schneider Orchestra @ Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh 04/08/06
7. Randy Weston's African Rhythms & Gnawa Masters @ Tri-C Jazz Fest, Cleveland 04/27/06
8. Tomasz Stanko Quartet @ An Die Musik, Baltimore 10/24/06
9. Dave Holland Quintet @ Birdland NYC 01/19/06
10. Jack DeJohnette/ Bill Frisell/ Jerome Harris @ Boulder Theater, Denver 10/08/06

Tremendous year for live music. I was very fortunate to attend many shows and create some great memories that I will treasure.

LWayne

[SteelyTom]

Hmm, already lots of consensus choices (justly so-- Stanko, Hill, Ornette et al.).

So I'll just add the heretofore-omitted:

Enrico Pieranunzi, 'Ballads'
Susanne Abbuehl, 'Compass'
Kekele, 'Kinavana'
Pedro Luis Ferrer, 'Natural'
various, 'Lagos All Routes'

[WorldB3]

Originally Posted by LWayne

5 Bill Evans with Lee Konitz Play the Arrangements of Jimmy Giuffre Lonehill Jazz
7 Herbie Nichols Trio Complete Studio Master Takes Lonehill Jazz


Not as strong as a year in reissues as compared to the recent past IMHO. Last year, with the releases of "undiscovered" recordings by Monk/Coltrane, Coltrane, and Parker/Gillespie certainly helped make 2005 a particularly strong reissue year. We really need more depth of field in Blue Note Connoisseurs for 2007.

Nice best of list and post.

How did I miss the Bill Evans w/Lee Konitz and Herbie Nichols releases???

While it may have been a disapointing year for you as far as Blue Note Re-issues went I was very happy to a get a new live Grant Green and the RVG's of Bobby Hutcherson's Happenings and Lee Morgan's - City Lights which have been OOP for many years.

[BolivarBaLues]

New release:

Andrew Hill - Time Lines
Dave Douglas - Meaning and Mystery
Joe Lovano - Streams of Expression
Kenny Garrett - Beyond The Wall
Nels Cline - New Monastery: A View Into The Music of Andrew Hill
Odean Pope Saxophone Choir - Locked and Loaded: Live At The Blue Note

Reissue/box set:

Jackie McLean - It's Time, Demon's Dance
Andrew Hill - Pax
Charles Mingus - At UCLA 1965
Jelly Roll Morton - The Complete Library of Congress Recordings
John Coltrane - Fearless Leader
Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins (RVG)

Non-jazz:

Built To Spill - You In Reverse
Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Loose Fur - Born Again In The U.S.A.
Paul Simon - Surprise
Bert Jansch - The Black Swan


Wishlist:

Trio Beyond - Saudades
Gram Parsons - The Complete Reprise Sessions

[paulmock]

"Sinatra:Vegas"

end of story!!!

[jamdanaur]

i notice bennie maupin's "penumbra" has yet to be mentioned.
it is truly a gem...one for the ages.
i would, and do, highly recommend it.
enjoy

[Jakeweiser]

i really dug

Abercrombie - Structures
Trio Beyond - Saudaes
Bill Frisel/Ron Carter/Paul Motion
Metheny/Mehldau
Chris Potter's underground

[David D. Gitin]

Originally Posted by jamdanaur

i notice bennie maupin's "penumbra" has yet to be mentioned.
it is truly a gem...one for the ages.
i would, and do, highly recommend it.
enjoy

I'll 'second' this one, recommended.

[robmid]

Originally Posted by Bev Stapleton

I think these were my favourites:

Jazz
Atomic - Happy New Ears
Barnes Alan - Blessing in Disguise
Binney David -Cities and Desire
Bollani Stefano - I Visionari
Brahem Anouar -Le Voyage de Sahar
Browne Alan - Five Bells and Other Inspirations
McLaughlin John -Industrial Zen
Melford Myra -The Image of Your Body
Oriole - Migration
Peters Finn -Su-Ling
Saluzzi Dino - Juan Condori
Stanko Tomasz - Lotano
Towner Ralph - Timeline
Tracey Stan - For All We Know…
Winstone Norma - It's Later Than You Think

Hi Bev,

How come 90% of your favorites I've never even heard of? Are they mostly European artists? I think I've have the market cornered and then there's all this other stuff. Arrgghh! I'll never catch up!

Cheers,

[Bev Stapleton]

Hi Rob,

Yes, a fair few European and specifically British discs. Though there's an Australian, an Argentinian and (I think!) an Algerian in there.

My perspective has a British slant simply because when it comes to live performance you're more likely to see British performers. The mainland Europeans are by no means household names - but I've actively focussed on that area in recent years as a result of recommendations, festival appearances and wrte-ups in the UK jazz press.