The year 2020 will go down as a stressful, disappointing, and even a dangerous year for this country. Since March and the outbreak of Covid 19-undoubtedly the worst viral pandemic since the Spanish Flu took the world to its knees back in 1918- society has been endangered, quarantined, and generally stifled from any semblance of normality. It has also been an ugly and trying time. A time where we witnessed a string of racially motivated deaths that created reactive multi-racial protests demanding responsibility. These events stirred up intermittent riots across the country that vented frustration, destroyed property, and conjured up the appearance of a loss of law and order. It was a mess of a year.
Through it all, we have had to adapt to a world that
demanded severely restrained travel and social intercourse. Work has been
relegated to remote digital contact. These restrictions have economically
beggared many previously active and engaged artists. Live concerts have been
veritably obliterated. Many venues that
allowed social connection between musicians, music, and their public have been
stymied. Even the most natural of things for musicians, shedding, collaborating
with peers, or performing for audiences,have become relegated to video
engagements or zoom collaborations. Despite all these formidable physical and
monetary obstacles, artists and musicians have found a way to still create,
record, and share their endeavors with us, enriching our lives and bringing the
light of creativity and passion to all us in these otherwise difficult times.
As the year is rapidly starting to close I am proud to have
had the opportunity to carefully listen to, marvel, and enjoy the works of many
artists, some new to me and others reliable masters who continue to create
amazing work.
Here are my picks, in no particular order, for some of the
best of jazz for 2020 The selections come from diverse categories that include Big
Band and large ensemble jazz works, modern small jazz groups, chamber/theatrical
jazz, Latin/Brazilian jazz, vocal jazz, and notable historical releases for jazz
in 2020. As with any list of favorites, these are purely subjective choices,
and they do not include many fine albums that for one reason or another I have not
personally had the opportunity to listen to in the past year. Where possible, I have included links to sample
music from the albums selected. Check these musicians out, listen, and enjoy.
Best
of Jazz 2020: Big Band Music
John Hollenbeck with Kate McGarry, Theo Bleckmann, Gary Versace and The Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Song You Like A Lot: Flexatonic Records
Maria Schneider and Orchestra: Data Lords: Artists Share
Dave Stryker with Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band: Blue Soul: Strikezone Records
The Ed Palmero Big Band: The Great Un-American Songbook Vol III:
Sky Cat Records
Gregg August: Dialogues on Race Vol 1: Self-Produced
Smaller Jazz Groups 2020:
Jerry Bergonzi with Renato Chicco and Andrea Michelutti: Nearly Blue: Savant Records
Jeff Cosgrove with Jeff Lederer and John Medeski: History Gets Ahead of the Story: Grizzley Music
Wolfgang Musthspiel with Scott Colley and Brian Blade: Angular Blues: ECM
https://www.ecmrecords.com/shop/1578640543/angular-blues-wolfgang-muthspiel
Grégoire Maret with Romain Collin and Bill Frisell: Americana:
Act Music
Brian Landrus: For Now: Blueland Records
Ricardo Grilli: 1962: Tone Rogue Records
John Scofield w Bill
Stewart and Steve Swallow: Swallow Tales:
ECM
https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/1580225075
Aaron Parks Little Big III: Dreams
of A Mechanical Man: Ropeadope Records
Dayna Stephens Trio w Ben Street and Eric Harland: Liberty: Contagious Music
Eric Revis: Slipknots Through a Looking Glass: Pyroclastic Records
Chamber
Jazz/ Jazz Opera 2020:
Ryan Keberle, Frank Woeste, Vincent Courtois: Reverso The Melodic Line: Outhere Music
Juliet Kurtzman and Pete Malinverni: Candlelight Love in the Time of Cholera: Self-Produced
John Ellis and Andy Bragen: The Ice Siren: Parade Light Records
Best
Debut Jazz Album 2020:
Raphael Pannier Quartet: Faune: French Paradox
Best
Jazz Vocal Album 2020:
Somi w John Beasley and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Holy Room Live at Alte Oper:
Best
Latin Jazz Alum 2020:
Best
Historical Albums Released in 2020:
Thelonious Monk Quartet: Monk: Palo Alto Live from 1968: Impulse Records
Bill Evans with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette: Bill Evans Live at Ronnie Scott’s July 1968: Resonance Records
Nat King Cole: Hittin’ the Ramp, The Early Years 1936-1945: Resonance records
Further worthy recordings your consideration from 2020:
Aaron Diehl w Paul Skivie and Gregory Hutchinson: The Vagabond: Mack Avenue Records
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Hero Trio: Whirlwind Records
Chick Corea w Christian McBride and Brian Blade: Trilogy 2:Concord Records
Edgar Djangirov: Rhapsodize:
Twelve Tone Resonance
Steve Cardenas: Blue Has a Range:
Sunnyside Records
Amina Figarova Edition 113: Persistence:
AmFi Records
Kenny Barron, Dave Holland Trio w Jonathan Balke: Without Deception: Dare 2 Records
Marvin Stamm and Mike Holober: Live
@ Maureen’s Jazz Cellar: Big Miles Music
Denny Zeitlin
Trio: Denny Zeitlin Live at Mezzrow: Sunnyside
Records
Martin Wind, Philip Catherine & Ack Van
Rooyen: White Noise: Laika Records
Rez Abbasi w Neil Alexander and Michael Sarin: Django Shift: Whirlwind records
Chris Dingman: Embrace:
Inner Arts Initiative
Jason Palmer: The Concert: 12 Musings for
Isabella: Giant Step Arts
John DiMartino: Passion Flower: The Music
of Billy Strayhorn: Sunnyside Records
Thana Alexa: Ona:
Self-Produced
Sirkis/Bialis IQ: Our New World: MoonJune records
Dave Douglas: Dizzy Atmosphere Dizzy at Zero Gravity: Greenleaf Music
Marcin Wasilewski Trio w Joe Lovano: Artic
Riff: ECM
Keb’ Mo’: Oklahoma: Concord
Records (Blues)
Craig Taborn: Junk Magic- Compass Confusion : Pyroclastic Records
Jeff Hamilton Trio: Catch Me if You Can: Capri
Guiseppe Paradiso Meridian 71: Metropolitan Sketches: Self-Produced