The Jazz.com Blog
July 31, 2009 · 0 comments
The Best Tracks of the Month
I hear jazz fans talking all the time about what how much great jazz was recorded back in 1959. Sonny Rollins was taking a famous hiatus back then—practicing his horn on the Williamsburg Bridge—but everyone else on the jazz scene was apparently focused on recording a masterpiece back in '59. This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, Giant Steps, Time Out, and so many other classic albums. The release calendar these days can hardly compare.
But in terms of sheer quantity, 2009 beats out 1959 hands down. In 1959, Downbeat magazine received around 500 jazz albums to review during the course of the entire year. Today, some 200-300 jazz CDs are released every month, by my estimate. Can you get too much of a good thing?
Even devoted jazz fans have trouble keeping up with all of this music. To help them out, jazz.com picks a small number of outstanding tracks every month, and highlights these performances as part of its Song of the Day feature. These tracks are drawn from a wide range of sources—major label releases, indie projects, self-produced disks, imports . . . even from outside the jazz realm, when we encounter a blues, roots or world music release of special merit.
Below are the tracks featured as Song of the Day from the last month. You will find some familiar names here—Kurt Elling, Fred Hersch, Ellis Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Luciana Souza—but also some music you probably wouldn’t hear about unless someone pointed you in the right direction. For example, you could easily miss the outstanding recent CDs by Daniel Santiago, Andy Sheppard and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, but these are three of the finest CDs of the year, and quite worthy of your attention.
Each title is linked to a review, where you can learn more about the track as well as connect to a vendor for legal downloading. So check out some new music, and let us know what you think.
Happy listening!
Fred Hersch: Insensatez This blog entry posted by Ted Gioia Tags:
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Daniel Santiago: Old City
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Anthony Wilson: Mezcal
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Chris Potter: Facing East
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic: One Thousand Questions: One Answer
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Eddie Harris & Ellis Marsalis: Deacceleration
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
JDT: Gastrophysics
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Nicole Mitchell: What If
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
The Low Anthem: Music Box
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Harry Skoler: Piazzolla
Reviewed by Bill Barnes
Elli Fordyce: Where Am I Going?
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Luciana Souza: Tide
Reviewed by Thomas Cunniffe
Ron Mitchell: Smile
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Jerry Granelli: Murder Ballad
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Steve Kuhn (with Joe Lovano): Song of Praise
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Kurt Elling: Say It (Over and Over Again)
Reviewed by Thomas Cunniffe
Sean Nowell: Jamie's Decision
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Buckwheat Zydeco: The Wrong Side
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Andy Sheppard: La Tristesse Du Roi
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Mike Arroyo: Recuerdos de Humacao
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Quartet Offensive: The Dirty Dollar
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Joe Bonamassa: The Ballad of John Henry
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
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