My Best of Jazz 2012

Every year it is a right of passage that  reviewers compile their "best of" picks from the previous year's crop of offerings  Some reviewers amazingly are able to review hundreds of cds in a year! The pool from which they pick their best of lists are admittedly more extensive than mine, but nonetheless I have heard some fantastic performances both "live" and on cd this year and the ones I have found exceptional certainly deserve recognition, even if its only from me. So in no particular order here is my top picks from 2012
with some links to listen to selections from each album where available. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

 Jack DeJohnette's: Sound Travels                                              
 Check out "Dirty ground"

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Kenny Garrett's : Seeds from the Underground
Check Out "Wiggins"

        Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts : An Attitude for Gratitude                                                                         
         Listen to  "The Cruise Blues" 

  Gary Smulyan's : Smul's Paradise
  Listen here to Gary's version of "Sunny"

 Ralph Peterson's: The Duality Perspective
  Listen to "Bamboo Bends in a Storm"

 Vjay Iyer's : Accelerando
 Listen to "Optimism"

       Tom Harrell's : Number 5        
        listen to the beautiful
        "Journey to the Stars"

     John Abercrombie's Quartet : 
     Within a Son
     John and Joe Lovano on "Wise One"

              Scott Robinson's Docette : 
              Bronze Nemesis
              listen here to the eerie "Mad Eyes"

 Carmen Intorre Jr. : For the Soul

      Marc Johnson/Eliane Elias
      Swept Away
      "One Thousand and One Nights"

  Ryan Trusedell's; Centennial : Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans
"The Maids of Cadiz"

     Kathy Kosins: To the Ladies of Cool
     A montage from the album "here"

         Markus Burger Trio: 
         Accidental Tourists                                                                           
         The L.A. Sessions
         "Grolnicks"

       Amhad Jamal : Blue Moon

                                                                                        The hypnotic "Invitation"
                                                                                       

Michael Campagna: Moments
"Dear John"

        Chad Wackerman: Dreams, Nightmares and Improvisations
         "Monsieur Vintage"

 Jonathan Blake : The Eleventh Hour
 "Time to Kill"

                             Sabrina Lastman: 
                             The Candombe Jazz Sessions

  Tec Nash: The Creep
   Listen to Ted live on "The Creep"

      Torben Waldorff : Wah Wah
       listen to   "You Here"

      Sam Rivers, Dave Holland & Barry Altschul 
      Reunion: Live in New York

                   Bill Evans Trio:
                   Live at the Top of the Gate
                   Promo video "here"

   Chick Corea: Further Explorations
   " Peri's Scope"

                           Wes Montgomery : Echoes of Indiana Avenue
                            Promo video "here"

    Denise Donatelli : Soul Shadows
    Her live version of  "Another Day"










Maybe I am, in the Christmas spirit already but I just listened to two newly received releases that I really enjoyed so let's add these two to the mix:

Jeff Babko : CRUX
"The International Client"

Barry Romberg's Rndom Access : Crab People 
"Epilogue"