WWOZ's show hosts have begun compiling their lists of the best CDs of 2013. When it's time to shop for your favorite music lovers (or yourself!), let those-in-the-know point you to the latest great New Orleans, Cajun, Jazz or Blues tunes.
A.J. Rodrigue (Boudin Man) | Breaux Bridges | Charles Laborde & Jim Hobbs | David Kunian | Father Ron | Jamie Dell'Apa | Jelly Roll Justice | Missy Bowen | Mockingbird | Murf Reeves | Neil Pellegrin | Old Man River | Russell Shelton | Sondra Bibb | T.R. Johnson
T.R. Johnson Jazz from the French Market with T.R. Johnson
Impossible for me to make a list of the ten best “jazz” records of the year: when I started, I quickly realized that such was this year’s output that I would have to create a top-twenty, but then even that became impossible. So I dispensed with the rule of an arbitrary number and just listed, alphabetically by album-title, the essential recordings of the year (there are a little over thirty in my list). And I've kept the word “jazz” in quotes because, depending on who is using it and how, this word can close as many doors as it can open. So I use the word “jazz” in my own way (but not too idiosyncratically, I hope) to refer to any music that sustains an air of spontaneity, even dissonance, without ever sacrificing its root in the groove. And thus I can call “jazz” everything from the skronky to the slick, bringing in the contemporary RnB stylings of Robert Glasper as well as the exquisite electronica of The Boards of Canada and Beautiful Bells, the indie-rock flavors of the Blue Swans and the Indian-isms of Rudresh Mahathappa, even the most abstract tone studies of Mikrokolektyw. For what it’s worth, if I had to pick one album that came out this year that is mostly likely to stand as a masterpiece for the ages, I would choose the duets by Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran gathered on “Hagar’s Song.” Here is the list of the albums that came out this year that I've loved the most:
“Absent Minded” by Mikrokolectyw
“Aquarius” by Nicole Mitchell’s Ice Crystal
“Big Sur” by Bill Frisell
“Black Radio 2” by Robert Glasper
“Bob A. Palindrome” by Robert Hurst
“Brooklyn Babylon” by Darcy James Argue
“Cicada Music” by Frank Rosaly
“Circuitous” by Pandelis Karayorgis
“Fiction” by Matt Mitchell
“Functional Arrythmia” by Steve Coleman
“Gamak” by Rudresh Mahanthappa
“Hagar’s Song” by Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran
“Impressions of Po Music” by Ken Vandermark’s Topology Nonet
“Infinite Possibility” by Joel Harrison
“Live at the Bohemian Caverns” by Nic Payton
“Magnetic” by Terence Blanchard
“North Hero” by Chris Morrissey
“One Cent Piece” by Beautiful Bells
“One Night in November” by Kidd Jordan and Hamid Drake
“Plays Fellini” by Sex Mob
“Prism” by Dave Holland
“Pushing the World Away” by Kenny Garrett
“Rocket Summer” by Rex Gregory
“Sirens” by Chris Potter
“Skull Session” by Rob Mazurek
“Swim” by Blue Cranes
“The Moment and the Message” by Jonathan Finlayson
“The Tree on the Mound” by The Jeff Albert Quartet
“The Sky Inside” by Drew Gress
“The World According to Andy Bey” by Andy Bey
“Things I Like” by Steve Masakowski
“Time Travel” by Dave Douglas
“Tomorrow’s Harvest” by Boards of Canada
“Vanguard Date” by Steve Kuhn
“Wistawa” by Tomasz Stanko
“WomanChild” by Cecile McLorin Salvant
The attached list are not the "best" of 2013 --- it is not appropriate to compare something by Christian Howes on violin with Jason Marsalis on vibes with Monty Alexander on piano. Let's simply say that these are twenty (20) CDs that afforded a wealth of excellent music for "Jazz from the French Market" on Thursdays.<br /> --Jelly Roll Justice
Alex Conde - Barrio Del Carmen - Piano Flamenco (IND) - Alex Conde Piano
Avishai Cohen & Nitai Hershkovits - Duende (Anzic)
Christian Howes - Southern Exposure (Resonance)
Diego Rivera - The Contender (D Clef Records)
Eric Alexander - Touching
Jacqui Naylor - Dead Divas Society (Ruby Star Recs.)
Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet - In A World Of Mallets
Joshua Redman - Walking Shadows
Lary Barilleau & The Latin Jazz Collective - Carmen's Mambo (OA2 Recs.)
Marko Djordjevic And Sveti - Something Beautiful (1709-2110)
Michael Dease - Coming Home (D Clef Recs.)
Monty Alexander - Uplift 2 (Jazz Legacy Productions)
MSU Professors Of Jazz - Better Than Alright
Pamela Hines Trio - 3.2.1.
Robert Walter's 20th Congress - Get Thy Bearings
Ryan Cohen - The River
Sacha Boutros - Sacha: NY After Dark (100% Organic Music)
Sfjazz Collective - Wonder
Steve Masakowski - Things I Like (Ind. UNO)
Wolff & Clark Expedition - Wolff & Clark Expedition
Charles Laborde and Jim Hobbs Cajun and Zydeco with Charles Laborde and Jim Hobbs
CAJUN:
Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet - "From Bamako to Carencro"
Creole Stomp - "Pipeliners Blues: Doin' Time"
Pine Leaf Boys - "Danser"
Zachary Richard - "Le Fou"
ZYDECO:
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas - "A New Road"
Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots - "Island Man"
Terrance Simien - "Dockside Sessions"
Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin' Cajuns - "Live Like Dat!!!"
My list is short, because others will probably have some of the same CDs I would have added, but here are the ones I wanted to note:
Smoky Mary -- Harry Connick's tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Krewe of Orpheus. I'm partial to "The Preacher," for more than the obvious reasons.
David Egan -- David Egan continues to write some very good music. "Blues that Linger," is a soulful tune and "One Foot in the Bayou" is nice shuffle.
Quarter-Life Crisis -- Mia Borders has done it again, and one of the most interesting songs on this CD is "Say a Prayer." You can hear the hurt in her voice as she sings '. . . if you leave me now. . . " This is a CD I will play over and over again for years to come.
Let It Burn -- Ruthie Foster. OK, this came out in late 2012, but I'm including it here. She does one of the best covers of "Ring of Fire" ever.
Live in Istanbul -- Mitch Woods recorded this in 2010 and it came out early this year. Live music always has more energy than studio work and this does not disappoint. It is also interesting because of the accompanying DVD -- which allows us to see the audience reaction as well as hear it.
Two small production CDs released this year are the initial recordings by two young women who we will hear from for a long time. The self-entitled Mikayla is a nice introduction to her clear, simple voice. Self-Loathing & Self-Satisfaction by Rebecca Zoe Leigh is worth a long listen. A transplant from Los Angeles, Rebecca has found a home in New Orleans and in this music scene.
Sondra Bibb Jazz from the French Market with Sondra Bibb
Best of 2013 Modern Jazz Releases
Gerald Clayton “Life Forum”
Gregory Porter “Liquid Spirit”
Kenny Garrett “Pushing the World Away”
Dave Holland “Prism”
Wayne Shorter “Without A Net”
Chris Potter “The Sirens”
Kendrick Scott Oracle “Conviction”
Nicholas Payton “Sketches of Spain”
Gretchen Parlato “Live in NYC”
Marc Cary Focus Trio “Four Directions”
Jon Cowherd “Mercy”
Derrick Hodge “Live Today”
Boudin Man’s 2013 Favorites
Rough Seven “CODEBREAKER”
Bob Dylan “Another Self Portrait The Bootleg Series Volume 10)
Shannon McNally “Small Town Talk”
Ricky B “B is for Bounce”
The Stooges Brass Band “Street Music”
The Tin Men “Avocado Woo Woo”
The Madd Wikkid’s “Brassftpunck”
Ratty Scurvics “A Wooden Nickel on Fire”
Guitar Lightnin’ Lee and his Thunder Band “Just an Ol’ G” (Remix edition)
Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns “Foolers’ Gold”
MC Trachiotomy “ratsliveonnoeyvilstar”
Tony Joe White “Hoodoo”
Oblivians “Desperation”
King Khan and the Shrines “Idle No More”
North Mississippi Allstars “World Boogie Is Coming”
Baby Bee “The Shaker”
Digital Downloads
Missing Monuments “Missing Monuments”
45’s
Quintron and Miss Pussycat “A. Not Good Enough / B. Theme from the Pink Panther”
I’ve been spending most of my listening time with old records and have not paid as much attention to new releases as I should. However, there have been a couple of real keepers out this year. Just a few from the top of the stack and off the top of my head:
Allen Toussaint – Songbook
Mercy Brothers – Holy Ghost Power
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes – 2,000 Days
James Booker – Classified Remixed
Johnny Sansone – Once It Gets Started
Dave Jordan – Bring Back Red Raspberry
On the jazzier side of town:
Organic Trio with Brian Seeger – Home Remembered
Gregory Agid – Mystery Blues
Steve Masakowski – Things Remembered
I apologize to the ones I missed – I’ll do a recap on the January 2 show.
Record Title Catalog Number Artist
Later on Decatur Self Release Dave Ferrato
Dave Ferrato is a journeyman New Orleans musician with cd's worth of music stuck in his head since way before Katrina. Music of New Orleans by a native born who lived the music life. Roaming the "Tchopazine Triangle" of Benny's Bar and Tips where traditional careers and academics were mysteriously disappeared in a fog of music, drink and romance. "Later on Decatur" where the late night crowd of social debris flowed to lower Decatur Street just like the unwanted flotsam of the country just over the other side of Decatur Street's Mississippi River levee.
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Record Title Catalog Number Artist
SLCD Collection:
Rockin' Rhythm Very Dark SLCD 1159 Assorted
All Night Rhythm and Rock SLCD 1160 Assorted
Shake That Thing SLCD 1161 Assorted
Black Sipping Rhythm SLCD 1162 Assorted
Great Black Googa Mooga SLCD 1163 Assorted
All Color Weird Rhythm SLCD 1164 Assorted
Early Rock Rhythm and Blues SLCD 1165 Assorted
No Black Money Baby SLCD 1166 Assorted
Black Rock Rhythm Meat SLCD 1167 Assorted
Screaming Black SLCD 1168 Assorted
Black Tootsie Roll SLCD 1169 Assorted
Love Blood Hound Rhythm SLCD 1170 Assorted
Real Black Rhythm SLCD 1171 Assorted
Black Rhythm Hokus Pokus SLCD 1172 Assorted
Shake Rhythm SLCD 1173 Assorted
Early Black Which-a-Way SLCD 1174 Assorted
My Saturday midnight to 3am show features "music you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of..." from a time before rock and roll became a commercial formula. Our sweet spot is that music that crossed the segregation lines of the 1905s to 1970s and created the golden age of Americana music. This collection of mostly black musicians reaching from their base of R&B and blues into the majority teenage market consistently hits this sweet spot. It's also collector's music - so rare that many artists are unidentified and almost all are that high energy, big emotion sound that I need to keep the sobers awake and the drunks from crying in their beers that late on a Saturday night.
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Record Title Catalog Number Artist
Best of Ripsaw Records Ripsaw 650.007 Assorted
Jonathan "Spider" Strong, the self-proclaimed "involuntary patron of the arts," has released his second "best of" collection of roots musician from the Northeast US. Spider was a button-down civil right's attorney by day so he could spend his nights and his paycheck chasing roots music. Here's some of the collector's music he captured and released:
The long-rumored but never released Danny Gatton guitar solo on a Bobby Smith recording.
Daryl Davis the black piano player who befriended most of the local Maryland / DC Klu Klux Klan. He has a wonderful display of his new friend's robes as they disengaged from the Klan.
Uptown Rhythm Kings featuring a young Derek Houston before his move to New Orleans.
Marti' Brom along with Bill Kirchen. Marti is a breakout roots singer with a number of excellent songs on this release including one with guitarist Kirchen of Hot Rod Lincoln fame.
Washington Ratso, a recurring character in Kinky Friedman's mystery novels and Kinky's musical duets.
Billy Hancock and Tex Rubinowitz - with a name like Tex Rubinowitz...
Mockingbird Contemporary Jazz with Mockingbird
Below you'll find my "always somethin missin" Best Albums list for 2013 (organized alphabetically).
Alex McMurray - I Will Never Be Alone in This Land
Cecile McLorin Salvant - Woman Child
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare, Vol. 3: To See More Light
Curtis Hasselbring - Number Stations
Elvis Costello & The Roots - Wise Up Ghost
Gillet Singleton Duo - Ferdinand
Jaimeo Brown - Transcendence
James Booker - Classified, Remixed and Expanded
Kidd Jordan & Hamid Drake - Live in New Orleans
Michael Blake - In the Grand Scheme of Things
Mikrokolektyw - Absent Minded
Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Electro Acoustic Ensemble - The Space Between
Rob Mazurek Octet - Skull Sessions
Rough Seven - Codebreaker
Tin Men - Avocado Woo Woo
Listen to the New Orleans Music Show on most Mondays and most definitely will you here one of these songs. American music albums, an absorption of history of blues and funk and rock and hip-hop and gospel and jazz and you and me. The taste of that perfect moment, that drops as sly as ice melting in whiskey. These records have that quality. When I hear them, I dance, groove, need to learn the words to sing along, and the really good songs, those songs are talking about me. A sliver, one strand of a memory that is common, but it is more than enough to not feel alone in a small moment. Or to feel elation knowing someone else felt as amazing as you feel right now!!
Honey Island Swamp Band – Cane Sugar
An album showcasing today’s southern rock and blues, well crafted solos, and stories paired with rhythm as well as harmonies that have gotten stronger over time. Watching this band evolve and grow has been a pleasure!!
North Mississippi All-stars – World Boogie is coming
World boogie has arrived! The Dickinson boys’ passion erupts from the speakers and if you see this band live, be prepared to be a part of some musical possession! FOR REAL!
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Made Up Mind
Two people with two bands and two loves: music and each other. Combine two into one and TTB is creating some rock n roll that is uncharted revivalness!!
Johnny Sansone – Once it gets Started
Second outing with Sansone, again with Stanton Moore and Anders Osborne lending their skills as producers and players. Rich Blues record, giving listeners a peek in to New Orleans Blues. Especially “The Night The Pie Factory Burned Down”
Black Joe Lewis – Electric Slave
Shedding the honey bears, songs have a slicker production sound, but jangly feel good punk party yet again!! “Come to my party,” has thick funky disco party and I really want to go this party!
Mercy Brothers – Songs of Faith and Devotion, Love and Despair
Playing is tight an uplifting vocals give the songs good flavor. The songs peek into a smoky past, perhaps, with vigor to learn yesterdays styles of music and give it a fresh flavor of today!
Allen Toussaint – Songbook
If seems with each recording you feel as if you are getting closer to understanding the songs, composer, performer, producer, human, and then he peels back another layer. Intimate recordings with a full on sense of fun. The rhythms, singularity of voice, the familiarity of songs, beautiful!
Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns - Foolers Gold
Miss Lake is growing gracefully with just the right amount of grit in the songs on Foolers gold. A variety of styles in their songs showing the listener just how much New Orleans and Meschiya have grown together.
Dave Jordan – Bring Back Red Raspberry
Watching and listening to Dave has been a real pleasure, from his days with Juice through “These Old Boots,” this newest outing shows a confidence in his songwriting combined with years of soldiering on stages and the road.
Panorama Jazz Band - Dance of the Hot Earth
Live recording that finds the band recording different styles of music. A trip around the globe if you will, but a healthy infusion of New Orleans makes this album a real pleasure to listen to.
Swamp Dogg Reissues
Great R&B songwriter (Irma Thomas and Patti Labelle recorded his songs.) Some stylishly, slightly dirty R& B with one of a kind album artwork to boot.
Mavis Staples - One True Vine
A voice filled with the experiences of faith, a richness from a lifetime of singing a musical songbook that can teach for years.
She & Him - Volume 3
A muse for today with M. Ward indulging in whimsical melodies and gazorfian smiles!!
Wood Brothers - The Muse
These Brothers plus one have been quietly making great music for several years and this release is starting to see some mileage. Please come and play in New Orleans
Transplants In a Warzone
I have always been a sucker for this band. Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Operation Ivy,) Travis Barker (Blink 182) and Skinhead Rob (Tim’s guitar tech.) Three guys that throw all kinds of influences, techniques, fun and still manage to put a dose of hardcore reality in the lyrics and melodies!
Tommy Malone - Natural Born Days
Always fun listening to songwriter be able to play with all those NOLA rhythms at his disposal and put together a beautiful collections of songs!
Hurray for the Riff Raff – My Dearest Darkest Neighbor
A voice bringing railroad songs, ballads and dirges with a dark teardrop understanding of the yesterdays that led to todays chord progression interpretations. Described on her website as reimagining roots music, HFTRR brings a beautiful darkness, a happiness, and edutainment to the listener.
Pharrell Williams – “Happy”
Check out the 24 hour video, nuff said!!
There is no “best” record. All of the following distinguished themselves for me this year above the flotsam, jetsam, and debris of what passes for American culture in these post-apocalyptic times.
Nicholas Payton – Sketches of Spain
Harold Battiste Presents the Next Generation Big Band
Kidd Jordan – On Fire 2
Sex Mob plays Fellini
Steve Masakowski – Things I Like
Cecile McLorin Savant – Woman Child
Matana Roberts – Coin Coin 2 – Mississippi Moonchile
Mary Halvorsen – Illusionary Sea
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – That's It
Tom McDermott – Bamboula
Geri Allen – Grand River Crossings
Dave Chesky – Jazz in the New Harmonic
Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns – Fooler's Gold
Peter Harris – The Jackal
Vijay Iyer/Mike Ladd – Holding It Down: the Veteran's Dream Project
Ferdinand – Helen Gillet/James Singleton
Johnny Sansone – Once It Gets Started
Ricky B. - B is For Bounce
The Stooges Brass Band – Street Music
Shannon McNally – Small Town Talk
Jason Isbell – Southeastern
Layla McCalla – Vari-Colored Songs
North Mississippi All Stars – World Boogie
Alex McMurray – I Will Never Be Alone In This Land
Tin Men – Avocado Woo Woo
James Booker – Classified Remix
Let Me Play This For You: Rare Cajun Recordings
Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information/Wings of Love
After over fifty years in the music business and a handful of choice record singles, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson released his debut album Beyond Carnival early this year. For me, the highlights include very nicely done covers of Chuck Willis' "My Life" and Billy "the Kid" Emerson's "When It Rains, It Pours." Other tracks include "Mardi Gras Strut (Mambo)," "Lower Ninth Ward Blues," and "Who Shot the LaLa," as well as re-recorded versions of "Lena" and "Good Lookin'" (titled "Sad Story" here), two of Al's early sides originally waxed for Ric Records.
The vibrancy and breadth of the '50s R&B reissue market is remarkable, even still in 2013. Here are a few of this year's releases that have, in my opinion, stood out.
Fresh out on Ace Records is Rhythm 'n' Bluesin' by the Bayou. The material on this 28-track disk is compiled from master tapes in the Jay Miller and Eddie Shuler vaults, with many tracks seeing the light of day for the very first time. The sound quality is top-notch. (The track list contains a few minor errors, which I'll be happy to clear up if anyone interested just drops me a message at pellegrinn@aol.com.) Artists include Rockin' Sidney, Tabby Thomas, Mad Dog Sheffield, Clarence Garlow and Billy Tate.
A mate to the above collection is Bluesin' by the Bayou. As with Rhythm 'n' Bluesin'..., the tracks are culled from the Miller/Shuler vaults. (The accompanying track list also contains minor errors.) Artists include Lazy Lester, Boogie Jake, Silas Hogan, Slim Harpo and Leroy Washington.
Three great 2013 releases from the prolific UK-based reissuer, Jasmine, spotlight the R&B titans Little Esther Phillips, Willie Mabon and Professor Longhair. Am I That Easy to Forget, the Little Esther disk contains 28 tracks ranging from her formative years on Savoy Records with Johnny Otis and the Robins, to her early '50s Federal recordings. The collection concludes with a sprinkling of her early '60s material, which includes two of her most successful country/western covers, "Release Me" and "Am I That Easy to Forget." The oft-neglected pianist/vocalist/songsmith Willie Mabon is represented notably on Willie's Blues, an impressive assembling of Willie's earliest work, recorded in Chicago for the Chess and Federal record labels between '52 and '57. Mardi Gras In New Orleans, the comprehensive Professor Longhair two-disk collection contains every A and B side from 1949 to 1962, covering Fess' years with Mercury, Star Talent, Atlantic, Wasco, Federal, Ebb, Ron and RIP. In addition to the originally released sides, this set also contains "lagniappe" alternate takes of "Tipitina" and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans."
Nearly forty years after his death, Mississippi Delta-born blues crier Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup has a brand new album on the market. Pulled from a 1969 Chicago session, the previously unreleased material on Delmark Records' Sunny Road doesn't disappoint. As most music fans know, Crudup was a favorite of a young sideburned truck driver from Memphis who went on to cover three of the bluesman's songs... and who, if still around today, would have undoubtedly snatched up a copy of Sunny Road the moment it became available. Another pleasantly surprising new Crudup release is a 45 on Champion label containing two originally unreleased tunes from a 1952 Jackson, MS session.
Happy Holidays!
This is a list of my favorite CDs from 2013; in no way is this a top 10, but just my favorites and in no special order.
Global Noize......Sly Re-Imagined
Dave Ferrato & Tchoupazine.....Later on Decatur
Ben Sidran......Don't Cry For No Hipster
Naughty Professor.....Until the Next Time
Tar Baby.....Ballad of Sam Langford
Big Daddy Voodoo Love.....Live at Ziggy's
Robert Hurst.....B O B A Palindrome
Stooges Brass Band.....Street Music
Shannon McNally.....Small Town Talk
Allen Toussaint.....Songbook
James Booker.....Classified Remix
Tin Men.....Avocado Woo Woo
Dave Jordan.....Bring Back Red Raspberry
Honey Island Swamp Band.....Cane Sugar
Shuggie Otis.....Inspiration Information/Wings of Love
Meyshia Lake & the Little Big Horns.....Foolers Gold
Bartholemew Singer.....Cherryfield
The Soul of John Black.....A Sunshine State of Mind
If there's anything we can learn from the last 12 months, it's that true-inspiration isn't dead after all! Although Robin Thicke may have blurred some (legal) lines with the Gaye family, there are still musicians out there with taste, class, and authenticity. Cheers 2013, you give us hope for the future!
Here are some of the albums from 2013 that stood-out to me:
James Booker - Classified: Remixed and Expanded
Mulatu Estatke - Sketches of Ethiopia
The Filthy Six - The Fox
Peter Harris - The Jackal
Billy Martin's Wicked Knee - Heels Over Head
No BS Brass! - Fight Song
Pocket - Resonance
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - That's It!
Rural Electrification Orchestra - The Sleepwalker
Myles Weeks - Sense of Self
Michael Wolff & Mike Clark - Wolff & Clark Expedition
Yo-Yo Ma: Silk Road Ensemble - A Playlist Without Borders
So much excellent music was released during 2013! And even though this is a fairly long list, I have a nagging suspicion that I’ve omitted a few records. What I have included is listed in alphabetic order by first name.
3 Cohens -- Tightrope
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – No Morphine, No Lillies
Ahmad Jamal – Blue Moon
Andy Bey – The World According to Andy Bey
The Aperturistic Trio – Truth and Actuality
Arturo Stable – Cuban Crosshatching
Bill Evans – How My Heart Sings (Original Jazz Classics Remaster)
Bill Frisell – Big Sur
Bill O’Connell – Zócalo
Billy Martin’s Wicked Knee – Heels Over Head
Carlos Ward – Faces
Charles Lloyd/Jason Moran – Hagar’s Song
Charnett Moffett – Spirit of Sound
Chick Corea – The Vigil
Chris Potter – The Sirens
Christian McBride – Out Here
Christian McBride & Inside Straight – People Music
Chucho Valdés – Border-Free
Dave Douglas Quintet – Time Travel
Dave Holland – Prism
Django Festival All Stars 2012 – Live at Birdland
Emilio Teubal – Musica Para Un Dragon Dormmido
Eric Alexander – Touching
Etienne Charles – Creole Soul
Gary Burton – Guided Tour
Geoffrey Keezer – Heart of the Piano
Gerald Clayton – Life Forum
Geri Allen – Grand River Crossings: Motown and Motor City Inspirations
Jack Mouse Group – Range of Motion
Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet – In a World of Mallets
Jim Snidero – Stream of Consciousness
John Scofield – Überjam Deux
Joshua Redman – Walking Shadows
The Kandinsky Effect – Synesthesia
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack Dejohnette – Somewhere
Kendrick Scott Oracle – Conviction
Kenny Garrett – Pushing the World Away
Larry Coryell – The Lift
Michael Dease – Coming Home
Monty Alexander – Uplift 2
Nicholas Payton – Sketches of Spain
Patricia Barber -- Smash
Randy Weston & Billy Harper – The Roots of the Blues
Rebecca Martin – Twain
Roberto Fonseca – Yo
Steve Masakowski – Things I Like
Terence Blanchard – Magnetic
Terri Lyne Carrington – Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
Tierney Sutton – After Blue
Warren Wolf – Wolfgang
Wayne Shorter Quartet – Without a Net
