The 2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll

The results for the 2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll have just been posted online, won by Henry Threadgill's fascinating Ensemble Double Up album Old Locks and Irregular Verbs. A typically strong recording masterminded by an incomparable old master but one I nevertheless enjoyed a bit less than his Pulitzer Prizer winner In For a Penny, In For a Pound, and so it did not make my ballot. Still, out of the ten albums I voted for, four made the top 10, with a fifth in the top 15. None of the rest made the top 50. Individual ballots can be accessed here, but I've also put my own ballot is below. I will post more on these as well as a more comprehensive "jazz of 2016" list soon.

New releases

 1.  Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone: Sélbéyone (Pi Rcordings)

 2.  Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quintet: America's National Parks (Cuneiform)

 3.  Mary Halvorson Octet: Away With You (Firehouse 12)

 4.  Anna Högberg Attack: Anna Högberg Attack (Omlott)

 5.  Jane Ira Bloom: Early Americans (Outline)

 6.  Roswell Rudd, Jamie Saft, Trevor Dunn, Balázs Pándi: Strength & Power (RareNoise)

 7.  Damana (Dag Magnus Narvesen Octet): Cornua Copiae (Clean Feed)

 8.  Steve Swell Quintet: Soul Travelers (Rogue Art)

 9.  Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus: The Distance (ECM)

10. James Brandon Lewis Trio: No Filter (BNS Sessions)

Reissues / historical albums:

1.  Peter Brötzmann, Fred Hopkins, Rashied Ali: Songlines (Trost)

2.  Arthur Blythe: In the Tradition / Lennox Avenue Breakdown / Illusions / Blythe Spirit (BGO)

3.  Tom Prehn Quartet: Axiom (Rune Grammofon)

Vocal album:

· Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone: Sélbéyone (Pi Rcordings)

Debut album:

· Anna Högberg Attack: Anna Högberg Attack (Omlott)

Latin album:

· (no pick)

Listening Booth: belated round-up of published reviews, mid April through November, 2016

I'm smack in the middle of paternity leave, which has left and still leaves little to no time for writing. Add to that, I had a very busy summer -- much of it on the road -- and as for the rest, between doing renovation work on the house as well as my professional writing gigs I've not been able to update the blog much at all this year. Still, I thought I had to do something and for now, posting the usual list of music I've reviewed during this period (well, up until I entered the leave period at least) will have to do.

• Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith: A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, April 11., 2016. Originally graded 4 out of 6.
• The Coathangers: Nosebleed Weekend (Suicide Squeeze) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, April 18., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Eric Revis Trio: Crowded Solitudes (Clean Feed) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, April 25., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Kenny Barron Trio: Book of Intuition (Impulse!) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, April 25., 2016. Originally graded 4,5 out of 6.
• Beyoncé: Lemonade (Parkwood/Columbia) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, May 2., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Snarky Puppy: Culcha Vulcha (GroundUP Music/Decca) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, May 30., 2016. Originally graded 3 out of 6.
• Jane Ira Bloom: Early Americans (Outline Records) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, June 13., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Festen: Festen (Clean Feed) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, June 20., 2016. originally graded 4,5 out of 6.
• Cortex: Live In New York (Clean Feed) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, August 8., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone: Sélébéyone (Pi Recordings) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, August 29., 2016. Originally graded 6 out of 6.
• Peter Brötzmann, William Parker, Hamid Drake: Song Sentimentale (CD version, Otoroku) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, September 19., 2016. Originally graded 5 out of 6.
• Drive-By Truckers: American Band (ATO Records) -- Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, October 3., 2016. Originally graded 5,5 out of 6.

• Bennett, Johnston, Mezzacappa, Rosaly: Shipwreck 4 (NoBusiness) -- Reviewed for Jazznytt, #240
• I.P.A.: I Just Did Say Something (Cuneiform Records) -- Reviewed for Jazznytt, #240
• Jason Roebke Octet: Cinema Spiral (NoBusiness Records) -- Reviewed for Jazznytt, #240
• Greg Ward & Ten Tongues: Touch my Beloved's Thought (Greenleaf Records) -- Reviewed for Jazznytt, #240

Additional published writing:

• "Nasjonale natur-verk": interview with Wadada Leo Smith, published in Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, October 17., 2016.

As we're entering poll and year-end lists season, I'm currently revisiting a good deal of the music that has caught my attention throughout this past year, as well as stuff that for various reasons I have not had the time or opportunity to dig into at all. I hope to add a list of some of the most notable of these releases in the coming week, possibly with a comment or two on at least a couple of them.