Seeing as it is approaching the end of November, I suppose that it is time to nominate the best jazz CD's of 2014. I think this year has been a terrific year with some cracking albums in all types of styles and probably one of the best for new releases for a good number of years. However, there is one record that has really stood out for me and that is Jason Roebke's " High / red / centre" which pitches his octet in the kind of territory somewhere between Duke Ellington and Eric Dolphy's "Out to lunch." The band includes a number of formidable players including Jason Adasiewicz, josh Berman and the irrepressible Jeb Bishop. For me, this is firmly in the tradition yet is so typical of the non-compromising jazz that is coming out of Chicago at this point in time. Roebke's record is easily the stand out disc in 2014 as far as I am concerned.
I think that Delmark is emerging as the "go to" label for creative jazz. As well as issuing Roebke's record, they also released Paul Giallorenzo's "Force majeure" which again incudes Jeb Bishop as well as the under-appreciated Mars Williams. Based on very simple musical ideas, the results are brilliant. I also love Ari Brown's "Groove awakening" which is modest in it's scope yet manages to be one of the most enjoyable records that I have heard this year. There is no way that anyone won't enjoy Brown's effort. Again, Ari Brown is a Delmark artist.
Otherwise, I though Jeff Ballard's trio record "Times Tales" was fascinating but if his line up of guitar / drums / saxophone wasn't quite of the same stature of Paul Motian's legendary trio, they performed a wide range of material including works by "Queens of the stone age", Bela Bartok and George Gershwin. Still, I felt that Ballard was ambitious in his intensions and Lionel Loueke a maverick wild card who revels in the unexpected.
As far as best big band record is concerned, Steve Owen's "Stand up eight" is a fascinating discovery and recommended to anyone who digs Maria Schneider. I'd not heard of him before but was fortunate enough to meet him this year and to hear him lead a student orchestra through his repertoire. Love this record which also nods towards Gil Evans.
In the SA "European / improv" category I would have to single out the duo "Ortie" that features the clarinet's of Elodie Pasquier and pianist Gregoire Gensse in a selection of well thought out themes with extensive improvisation. The music covers a wide range of moods and themes but the creativity and shear enjoyment of their music-making makes this a record well worth checking out.
It would be interested to hear what the other contributors here nominate......
I think that Delmark is emerging as the "go to" label for creative jazz. As well as issuing Roebke's record, they also released Paul Giallorenzo's "Force majeure" which again incudes Jeb Bishop as well as the under-appreciated Mars Williams. Based on very simple musical ideas, the results are brilliant. I also love Ari Brown's "Groove awakening" which is modest in it's scope yet manages to be one of the most enjoyable records that I have heard this year. There is no way that anyone won't enjoy Brown's effort. Again, Ari Brown is a Delmark artist.
Otherwise, I though Jeff Ballard's trio record "Times Tales" was fascinating but if his line up of guitar / drums / saxophone wasn't quite of the same stature of Paul Motian's legendary trio, they performed a wide range of material including works by "Queens of the stone age", Bela Bartok and George Gershwin. Still, I felt that Ballard was ambitious in his intensions and Lionel Loueke a maverick wild card who revels in the unexpected.
As far as best big band record is concerned, Steve Owen's "Stand up eight" is a fascinating discovery and recommended to anyone who digs Maria Schneider. I'd not heard of him before but was fortunate enough to meet him this year and to hear him lead a student orchestra through his repertoire. Love this record which also nods towards Gil Evans.
In the SA "European / improv" category I would have to single out the duo "Ortie" that features the clarinet's of Elodie Pasquier and pianist Gregoire Gensse in a selection of well thought out themes with extensive improvisation. The music covers a wide range of moods and themes but the creativity and shear enjoyment of their music-making makes this a record well worth checking out.
It would be interested to hear what the other contributors here nominate......
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