By Don Berryman
At the end of the year I like to look back at some of my favorite new jazz releases of the year and 2024 was a great year for music.
A Beautiful Day revisited, Andrew Hill
A Beautiful Day, Revisited by the Andrew Hill Sextet plus 10 is a 2-LP/CD reissue of Hill’s 2002 big band album recorded live at Birdland Jazz Club in New York. It features a fresh remaster, an extended edit of one track, and a previously unreleased bonus track. This is the first time any of this material is available on vinyl LPs, and the best it has ever sounded. Both the LP and CD sets contain liner notes by Matt Balitsaris and Ron Horton who explains the unusual process Andrew Hill used to present his music to the band. Each piece is a journey within itself and as I listened I found myself pulled into it as many sonic lands are explored, often with the undercurrent of rumblings from the low brass.
Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert in Avignon, Yusef Lateef
Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert in Avignon presents a never-before-released performance featuring Yusef Lateef in a quartet with fellow jazz greats Kenny Barron, Bob Cunningham, and Albert “Tootie” Heath. It was recorded live by radio producer André Francis at Cloître des Célestins in Avignon, France, on July 19th, 1972. It was released as a limited edition double LP and a CD set on Elemental Music. As a fan of Yusef Lateef I was very excited to hear about this treasure being found and was thrilled to listen to the music. The quality of the recording is excellent.
B.B. King In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival, B.B. King
This album follows in the footsteps of B.B. King’s most loved recordings Live at the Regal (recorded in 1964) and Live at Cook County Jail, (recorded in 1970) and is another great album capturing the blues great with his touring band performing for a live audience. This record presents a previously undocumented period with his touring band which had been touring with King for years and were all given solos at this gig. The consummate performer, B.B. King teases the crowd in his opening guitar solo on “Sweet Little Angel”, from a faint plaintive cry building to a riveting crescendo. Every solo tells a story as do his vocals telling tales of betrayal, love and loss, and everything that makes up the blues. The entire concert is presented on this double album.
Boundaries, Jake Baldwin, Zacc Harris, Pete Hennig
Boundaries, contrary to its name, seems boundless and spacey. It features eight improvised pieces by trumpeter Jake Baldwin, guitarist Zacc Harris, and drummer Pete Hennig. The trio is said to have formed organically when they arrived at a recording session without a bassist, and decided to try something new. Harris utilizes rich effects and digital loops which with Hennig’s subtle percussive punctuation and exploration creates a lush sonic meadow where Baldwin’s expressive, soaring trumpet melodies frolic. The soundscape is dense in some parts, sparse in others. Some might say atmospheric or ambient music is for the background but this deserves serious listening. While the recurring motifs are played out it is easy to fall under its spell. Listening to this I am reminded of the first time I heard Miles Davis’ In A Silent Way and the feelings it evoked.
Cookin’ at the Queens Live in Las Vegas, Emily Remler
This is the first Emily Remler release In 34 years, and the only live album ever released from the unsung jazz guitar virtuoso, who tragically died on May 4, 1990, at the age of 32. This album presents over two and a half hours of stunning, swinging music recorded at the Four Queens in Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988. One cannot listen to Emily Remler’s Cookin’ at the Queens album without thinking of Wes Montgomery. Emily’s style is built upon that tradition and even the repertoire in these sets is rich with both Montgomery’s compositions and tunes he often performed.
See my full review here
Finesse, Jim Rotondi
The virtuoso trumpet playerJim Rotondi passed away tragically from a heart attack in July of this year. This album was released in February so it was the final album to be released in his lifetime. Jim had dreamed of playing his compositions with a big band with strings, and this dream was achieved. His compositions were arranged by Jakob Helling who also directed the orchestra. Jim’s tunes had been recorded previously on some great recordings with smaller groups like “In Graz” and “Dark Blue” from the album Dark Blue and “Ruth” from Four Of A Kind. On this recording Jim is playing in top form and is obviously inspired by the backing.
In Norway – The Kongsberg Concert, Bill Evans
You might ask yourself “Do I really need another Bill Evans album?”, and in this case the answer is probably “yes” and if you are an ardent fan of Bill Evans or Eddie Gómez the answer is “most certainly. “ Bill Evans In Norway – The Kongsberg Concert is a stunning recording of Bill Evans’ second great trio featuring Eddie Gómez and Marty Morell captured live in 1970 and unreleased until now. Produced for release by “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman, the extensive liner notes include a rare interview with Evans conducted by Randi Hultin at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival; new interviews with bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Marty Morell; and more.
Rat Now…Paris 70, Mal Waldron
Rat Now…Paris 70 was just released in November on Sam records. It was recorded in March 1970 in Paris – only a year after Waldron’s Free At Last was recorded and was the first release for the new label ECM. This live recording is a better album in my opinion. Waldron is slightly more upbeat in tempo – but remains dark in his harmony. He is in sync with bassist Jean-François Catoire and drummer Christian Vander. You can hear Elvin Jones influence on Vander, who would form the prog-rock group Magma and record their first album the following month. The drums are a powerful force in this record as are Waldron’s dark dense chords.
Re Up, Greg Skaff
The latest release from guitarist Greg Skaff is a trio like his last release Polaris when Greg Skaff teamed up with jazz legends Ron Carter, and Tootie Heath. On Re Up he joins bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Jonathan Barber who have been in his working trio for many years – and they play together well. Re Up has seven original tunes and two well chosen covers, Thelonious Monk’s “Green Chimneys” and an exquisite solo performance of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine”, which he had previously recorded with a trio on his 2017 album Soulmation. His original tune “Peace Place” is recorded with the trio and once again as a solo take that closes the album.
Sleepless Montage, Joel Shapira
Guitarist Joel Shapira returns with the same quartet that released Open Lines in 2011 with Pete Whitman on tenor, Tom Lewis on bass, and Dave Schmalenberger on drums. That record was outstanding – and this new one digs into the music even deeper. The title track is an engaging sleepy tune with an off balance loping gait and like a Monk composition sounds deceptively simple but lends itself to creative improvisation (with Pete Whtman aptly assuming Charlie Rouse’s roll). Another tune that keeps running through my head after listening is a song he previously recorded on his live album Bottomless Ptt. It is “Hit On Twelve” with its infectious melody, complex rhythms, and eastern sounds. It has the quality of blending the familiar with the exotic in a compelling way.
Soul Jazz, Something Else!
If, like me, your ‘sweet spot’ for music is hard-bop/soul-jazz from the sixties, this album is for you. The band Something Else! borrows its name from the classic Cannonball Adderly album and features some of the finest musicians playing today. It is led by alto sax master Vincent Herring and features Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, Paul Bollenback, David Kikoski, Essiet Essiet and Otis Brown III. Soul Jazz features great classics like Horace Silver’s “Filthy McNasty”, Herbie Hancock’s “Driftin’”, Pee Wee Ellis’ “The Chicken”, Eddie Harris’s “Mean Greens”, and Donald Byrd’s “Slow Drag” also adding more recent compositions like Roy Hargrove’s “Strasbourg/St. Denis”.
Standards II, Noah Haidu
The follow up to last year’s release Standards (which made my list of favorites for 2023) pianist Noah Haidu’s trio retains Buster Williams on bass but drummer Lewis Nash is replaced by Billy Hart. This project celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release that launched Keith Jarrett’s great Standards Trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJonette. This trio featuring Buster Williams and Billy Hart represents Noah Haidu’s working and touring band, so the material is road-tested so to speak. The fact that the music is accessible does not detract in the slightest. It is finely crafted and a pleasure to listen to.
The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp, Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy
Featuring a stellar quartet with Mal Waldron and longtime musical comrades and fellow avant-garde jazz pioneers Steve Lacy, Reggie Workman, and Andrew Cyrille, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp was recorded live in 1995 on the occasion of Mal Waldron’s 70th birthday. The entire ensemble plays its heart out with each member in top form. I think that Mal Waldron’s dark and brooding percussive style is complemented with Steve Lacy’s soaring explorations on the soprano saxophone.
Tree Jazz The Shape of Christmas to Come, Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O
OK, it is unusual for me to like a holiday music album, much less list it as one of my favorites. However Matt Wilson’s trio (Tree-O), with saxophonist Jeff Lederer and bassist Paul Sikivie, put out an album that is joyful solid jazz without syrupy sentimentality. They play holiday tunes and originals, paying homage to Ornette Coleman, playful mashups, and the klezmeresque “Ocho Kandelikas” a Ladino Hanukkah song associated with the Sephardic Jewish community.
Vibe Provider, Emmet Cohen
The brilliant pianist Cohen presents a blend of original compositions and classics. This release is dedicated to his friend and mentor Michael Funmi Ononaiye who passed away earlier this year. The core trio of Cohen with Philip Norris on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums are joined on some tracks by additional band members including Bruce Harris on trumpet, Tivon Pennicott on tenor saxophone, Frank Lacy on trombone, and Cecily Petrarca on percussion. Throughout this release Cohen demonstrates his respect for jazz history and his mastery of the idiom from classic jazz to the present scene. The album opens with Cohen’s “The Lion”, which I assume is named for WIllie “The Lion” Smith with a classic theme and stride approach expertly executed. A swinging rendition of “Surry with the Fringe on Top” is next followed by the title track.
You Think This America, Tarbaby
Tarbaby is a collective that includes Orrin Evans on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums formed in the 1990’s. They’ve released five albums, all recorded in the studio with guest musicians. Now, more than 15 years after their debut, this new album is their first live album and one that focuses solely on the piano trio. It was recorded live at Hunter College in New York in 2022. Featuring Evan’s and Waits’ compositions along with others by Ornette Coleman and David Murry the music presented is full of subtlety and intriguing rhythmic interplay.
