The 2012 Jazz Critics' Poll

The now Rhapsody hosted Jazz Critics' Poll results for 2012 were announced yesterday. My ballot can be found here (scroll down. More comments regarding my fave jazz albums of the year here, posted on these pages just before Christmas). Album of the year was won, not surprisingly, by Vijay Iyer Trio's offering Accelerando, while reissue of the year went to the Charles Mingus box set The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 on Mosaic.

I'll echo Tom Hull's comments regarding these reissues, 'though. I voted for the Mingus set, but were lucky to get a copy in the first place. Regular albums, even if you don't get copies from the record companies or their PR agents, are usually cheap enough or accessible via streaming services, meaning you'll be able to check out a whole lot of albums if you have the time and/or inclination to do so. Box sets, especially of the limited edition sets in the mold of the lovely Mosaic sets, are a different issue. I would in normal circumstances not be receiving one from Mosaic, as I'm not on their mailing list. And these sets are usually too expensive to buy. In this instance, I had to skip the Coleman Hawkins set, also on Mosaic, and hence I couldn't vote for it, even if I'm almost certain the music on there would more than deserved a place on my ballot too. I don't know how many voters got or bought both box sets, I'm guessing not too many, so it seems to me the reissue list is probably less reflective of the critical consensus than the regular album list.

Still, the main list in particular makes for an interesting read. My biggest disappointment is that my number two album of 2012, Grass Roots (AUM Fidelity), didn't make the top 50.

Favorite jazz of 2012

I handed Francis Davis my ballot for the 7th annual Jazz Critics Poll a few weeks ago, and since then several publications and writers have offered their best-of-the-year's, top 10s and so forth. I had initially considered not posting mine until after the poll results had been announced, but after going over several other top 10's/faves/etc., I had second thoughts. Some of the below (not many) already look like safe bets to place high on the poll, based on the lists I've seen. Others have (sadly) not featured as prominently elsewhere:

New albums:

• Steve Lehman Trio: Dialect Fluorescent (Pi Recordings) - Lehman looked back to some of his (post-) bop heroes, and fused their legacy with his own futuristic ideas of jazz for Dialect Fluorescent. Rhythmically complex yet groovy and propulsive, with Lehman himself weaving in and around his compatriots, Matt Brewer and Damion Reid, sometimes lightly and quietly, at other times in impressive and exhilaration leaps and hurdles. Bop for the 21st century. (Reviewed for Klassekampen, Dec. 24th, 2012)

• Grass Roots (Sean Conley, Alex Harding, Darius Jones & Chad Taylor): Grass Roots (AUM Fidelity) - Rough blues and syrupy, acoustic funk grooves combined with soulful avant-garde. The dual attack of Jones' alto sax and Harding's baritone sax over or in conjuncture with Conley and Taylor's rock solid base, make for some of the most boisterous, hearty and compelling jazz of the year. (Reviewed for Klassekampen, Nov. 19th, 2012)

• Vijay Iyer Trio: Accelerando (ACT) - Rhythms were central to Accelerando as well, and by a trio which is growing ever more assured in its interplay. Iyer has long had a percussive bend to his playing (listen to the heavy bass notes he slams down on the bassist-less Fieldwork recordings, for example), yet some of his most recent efforts have leaned towards a more melodic and lyrical side, notably on last year's solo album. Here, these approaches are combined to great effect, be it through covers - the tricky Henry Threadgill number "Little Pocket Demons" and a rewarding version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" - as well as in invigorating originals.

• Ben Allison, Michael Blake & Rudy Royston: Union Square (Abeat Records) - After a few records of rock tinged modern jazz, Allison returned with a slightly more traditional trio record full of gently grooving (that bass riff on "No Other Side" is the sound equivalent of a boat being rocked by waves) yet becomingly edgy jazz.

• Mike Reed's People, Places & Things: Clean On the Corner (482 Music) - Reed's efforts to channel forgotten Chicago post-war jazz into our time has perhaps never been as successful as on this year's Clean On the Corner. Rollicking, hard hitting, yet also melodic, mellow and bluesy.

• Charles Gayle Trio: Streets (Northern Spy) - 2012 saw Gayle return to the sax, bass and drum format that helped make his name in avant-garde circles in the late 80s and early 90s. While not quite the doggedly headlong venture of old, the sparser tunes on Streets, with their herky-jerky rhythms provided by seasoned bassist Larry Roland and drummer Michael TA Thompson, showcase Gayle in a wittier mood than usual, while maintaining his gruff and spiritual edge (longer notes here).

• Devin Gray, Dave Ballou, Ellery Eskelin & Maichael Formanek: Dirigo Rataplan (Skirl) - The playful improvisation and skittish rhythms on this album come at you like spontaneous and excitable burst of sound, intricate yet it never feels hectic nor crowded.

• William Parker Orchestra with special guest Kidd Jordan: Essence of Ellington (Centering) - A big band full of avant-garde luminaries as well as a host of younger talents channel Ellington, sometimes in quotes, at other times by "feel", through Parker's vision of a modern big band. With Parker at the helm, no stranger to larger ensembles, you know there will be some rollicking music coming at you. 

• Jasmine Lovell-Smith's Towering Poppies: Fortune Songs (Paintbox Records) - A gorgeous collection of subtle, loose knit, sweet with just a pinch of sour, lyricism. Nothing is rushed, here, and it's all the more rewarding for it

• FLY: Year of the Snake (ECM) - The third album from saxophonist Mark Turner, drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier, and also their best. All three quick of mind and swift of hand, the trio whip up some bouncy yet forceful tunes that at times are more than a little reminiscent of early 80's Air.

• Rich Halley 4: Back From Beyond (Pine Eagle Records)
• Henry Threadgill Zooid: Tomorrow Snny/The Revelry, Spp (Pi Recordings)
• Jason Robinson: Tiresian Symmetry (Cuniform)
• Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12)
• Eric Revis 11:11 (Eric Revis, Jason Moran, Ken Vandermark & Nasheet Waits): Parallax (Clean Feed)
• Darius Jones Quartet: Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise) (AUM Fidelity)
• Hugo Carvalhais: Particula (Clean Feed)
• David Virelles: Continuum (Pi Recordings)
• Ravi Coltrane: Spirit Fiction (Blue Note)
• Tim Berne: Snakeoil (ECM)
• Branford Marsalis Quartet: Four MF's Playin' Tunes (Marsalis Music)
• Jim Black Trio: Somatic (Winter & Winter)
• Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneifrom Records)
• The Bad Plus: Made Possible (Entertainment One Music)
• Neneh Cherry & The Thing: The Cherry Thing (Smalltown Supersound)
• Elliott Sharp: Aggregat (Clean Feed)
• Hairy Bones: Snakelust (Clean Feed)
• Henry Cole & The Afrobeat Collective: Roots Befroe Branches (self released)
• Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts: An Attitude for Gratitude (Palmetto Records)
• Pixel: Reminder (Cuneiform)

EDIT: These deserve a mention, too: The Thing & Barry Guy: Metal (NoBusiness), Eivind Opsvik: Overseas IV (Loyal Label), Resonance Ensemble: What Country Is This (Not Two) 

(William Hooker Quintet's Channels of Consciousness (No Business) sounds very promising, but arrived to late to be considered for the list).

Archive/reissues:

• Charles Mingus: The Workshop Concerts 1964-64 (Mosaic) 
• William Parker: Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings (NoBusiness) 
• Jimmy Lyons & Sunny Murray Trio: Jump Up (Hat Ology)
• Cecil Taylor: The Complete Nat Hentoff Sessions (Ais)
• Juma Sultan's Aboriginal Music Society: Whispers From the Archive (1970-78, Porter)

(Never got around to Coleman Hawkins Mosaic set, couldn't afford it, but I'm sure it would be in contention. EDIT: I also missed the Wilbur Ware Super Bass album, which sees the release of a "lost" 1969, and great, session, and what wold have been only Ware's second album as a leader).

Dagsavisen's (Norw.) Critics Poll

Missed the announcement of the results of the Norwegian Critics Poll last week. The list was topped by Frank Ocean's channel Orange. No surprises there. My ballot was as follows:

Albums:

1. Steve Lehman Trio: Dialect Flourescent (Pi Recordings)
2. Todd Snider: Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables (Aimless)
3. Loudon Wainwrigh IIIt: Older Than My Old Man Now (2nd Story Sound)
4. Grass Roots (Sean Conley, Alex Harding, Darius Jones & Chad Taylor): Grass Roots (AUM Fidelity)
5. The Mountain Goats: Transcendental Youth (Merge)
6. Tom Zé: Tropicália Lixo Lógico (Passrinho)
7. Vijay Iyer Trio: Accelerando (ACT)
8. Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)
9. Carolyn Mark: The Queen of Vancouver Island (Mint)
10. Ab-Soul: Control System (ToP Dawg Entertainment)

Songs:

1. Todd Snider: "New York Banker" (Aimless)
2. Miguel: "Adorn" (RCA)
3. Frank Ocean: "Pyramids" (Def Jam)
4. Japandroids: "Adrenaline Nightshift" (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
5. Usher: "Climax" (RCA)
6. Sweden: "Hey C'Mon" (Vestkyst)
7. Taylor Swift: "State Of Grace" (Big Machine)
8. Kacey Musgraves: "Merry Go 'Round" (Mercury)
9. Allo Darlin': "Tallulah" (Slumberland)
10. Pussy Riot: "Putin Lights Up The Fires" (selvutgitt/internett)

Comments: voting for jazz records in this poll is a futile exercise, so I left out all bar three: the ones that were just too damn good to omit. As for the rest, well, only Miguel and Loudon Wainwright III out of my top 10 made the final top 40, 'though I could conceivably see myself voting for three or four of the others on any other day (Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Saint Etienne and Cloud Nothings). Make of that what you want. 

Additional comment: Tame Impala. The key word is "tame".

Perfect Sounds' Jazz faves of 2012, so far.

We've crossed the half way line to 2013 a while ago, but seeing as I'm midway through my summer vacation and only now have found the time to sit down at my laptop, this may be as a good a time as any to look back at some the jazz related releases I've enjoyed the most in 2012, so far. In roughly descending order:

• Steve Lehman Trio: Dialect Flourescent (Pi Recordings) - Jagged and complex yet catchy, bouncy and propulsive, Lehman and his cohorts -- the impressive Matt Brewer on bass and hard hitting Damion Reid on drums -- look to some of their outward-seeking post-bop heroes for inspiration and fuses that legacy with Lehman's own brand of knotty avant-jazz, resulting in one of the most intriguing, exciting releases of the year, and one of the strongest in the ever impressive Pi catalog.

• Vijay Iyer Trio: Accelerando (ACT) - Aided by his long-standing compatriots Stephan Crump and Marcus Gilmore, Vijay Iyer serves up some rhythmically astute and melodically solid originals mixed with carefully picked covers, the pick of the latter being Henry Threadgill's "Little Pocket Devils", a tune by a man who knows how to fuse funky rhythms with tricky improvisation to great effect. Exactly the type of music Iyer is aiming for, and hitting, here.

• Mike Reed People, Places & Things: Clean on the Corner (482 Music) - Mike Reed's efforts to unearth Chicago's great hard-bop and avant-garde legacy through both doing covers and writing original material with that tradition in mind, continues on Clean on the Corner, which in turn may be his best effort yet. Saxmen Tim Haldeman and Gerg Ward both battling and joining forces up front, while Reed and bassist Jason Roebke push from the back. The result is that the fast ones are boisterous and exciting, the slow ones bluesy and, dare I say, lovely. Guest appearances by Craig Taborn and Josh Berman.

• Charles Gayle Trio: Streets (Northern Spy) - Named after Gayle's alter ego, Streets the Clown, this latest effort sees him return to the sax, bass and drum format that helped make his name. Although Streets further proves Gayle's penchant for fiery music, it contains less of the rushing, headlong power of yesteryear. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because instead we get Monk-like rhythmic and melodic patterns, exemplified by bassists Larry Roland's percussive stop-start plucking and Michael TA Thompons jittery drumming. Streets proves the old man can still blow a horn, but also that there's place for a bit of humor in his version of fire music. (Longer post on this album can be accessed here.)

• Devin Gray, Dave Ballou, Ellery Eskelin & Michael Formanek: Dirigo Rataplan (Skirl) - This band, with Devin Gray as it's leader, has been playing together for a few years already, and the opening track, "Quadraphonically", can be seen and heard in a live recording dating back to 2010 on YouTube. Not that the music here seems planned out: the playful improvisation and skittish rhythms come at you like spontaneous and excitable burst of sound, intricate yet it never feels hectic nor crowded.

• Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12)
• Fly: Year of the Snake (ECM)
• Darius jones Quartet: Book of MæBul (Another Kind of Sunrise) (AUM Fidelity) (Notes on this album has been posted previously here.)
• Henry Threadgill Zooid: Tomorrow Sunny/The Revelry, Spp (Pi Recordings)
• The Thing with Barry Guy: Metal! (NoBussiness)

There have also been interesting music by Elliott Sharp (Aggregat, Clean Feed), Wadada Leo Smith (Ten Freedom Summers, Cuniform), and Branford Marsalis Quartet (Four MFs Playin' Tunes, Marsalis Music), to name three. The second half of 2012 looks very promising too, with releases by William Parker's Essence of Ellington project and Grass Roots, a new band with Darius Jones, Alex Harding, Sean Conly and Chad Taylor, among the most mouth watering ones.

JJA Jazz Awards 2012 Nominees: Notes

The 2012 JJA Jazz Awards Nominees were announced recently. I've copied & pasted them below, with some wholly off-the-cuff and knee-jerk comments. My picks in bold, but what does that matter, as I'm not allowed to vote.

1) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN JAZZ

Muhal Richard Abrams

Ron Carter

Wayne Shorter

Horace Silver

I'm guessing Wayne Shorter will win this, and it's not like he doesn't deserve it. I just happen to prefer Muhal Richard Abrams, but he's too much of a fringe artist for the majority, I think.

2) MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Ambrose Akinmusire

Vijay Iyer

Joe Lovano

Christian McBride

Sonny Rollins

I miss a whole bunch in this category, but the most obvious one is Craig Taborn, who was all over the spectrum, with great results, last year. Of the nominees, I'd pick Sonny.

3) COMPOSER/ARRANGER OF THE YEAR

John Hollenbeck

Guillermo Klein

Vince Mendoza

Maria Schneider

Hmm, hard one. I liked Kris Davis' arrangements on Tony Malaby's Novela, as well as Ben Allison's on his 2011 album. Still, Hollenbeck is a gifted arranger too.

4) UP AND COMING ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Chris Dingman

Tyshawn Sorey

Ben Williams

Warren Wolf

There's a wealth of talent around these days, my favorite being Darius Jones. He's been around a few years, though, but so has Tyshan Sorey, who'd be my pick of the above.

5) RECORD OF THE YEAR

James Farm (Nonesuch)

Keith Jarrett, Rio (ECM)

Christian McBride's Big Band, The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue Records)

Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 2 (Doxy Records)

Wadada Leo Smith's Organic, Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform Records)

Craig Taborn, Avenging Angel (ECM)

Miguel Zenon, Alma Adentro – The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music)

Naturally, I miss a host of nominees here: Avram Fefer, Darius Jones and Tony Malaby's efforts chief among them (See my favorites section or my 2011 Jazz Critics Poll ballot for more. Plus, does Keith Jarrett have to be nominated for an award every time he squeezes out a record? Oh, he does. Well, sorry then. I guess one wouldn't want angry Jarrett harassing you.) Of those nominated, I'd pick Wadada Leo Smith's (Disclaimer: I've not heard the McBride album yet).

6) BEST HISTORICAL OR BOXED SET

Miles Davis, Bootleg Sessions, Vol 1, Quintet Live in Europe 1967 (Columbia Legacy)

Julius Hemphill, Dogon A.D. (Mbira/Freedom-International Phonograph)

Bill Dixon, Intents and Purposes (RCA Victor-International Phonograph)

Roscoe Mitchell, Before There Was Sound (Nessa)

The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (Mosaic)

I actually really enjoyed all of these, but Hemphill edges it for me.

7) LABEL OF THE YEAR

Clean Feed

ECM

Pi Records

Sunnyside Records

You know, I'm inclined to say Engine, a tiny label out of Chicago. Clean Feed is still releasing ace quality jazz albums, but have been stronger in previous years. ECM is, well, ECM, so I’m going with Pi here.

8) LARGE ENSEMBLE

John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Mingus Big Band

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

No strong preference here, really, 'though I would've like to see Captain Black's Big Band get a look in.

9) SMALL ENSEMBLE

James Farm

Jason Moran & Bandwagon

Joe Lovano Us Five

SFJazz Collective

James Farm is a super group of sorts, so I'd either put my money on them or Moran's group to win it. I have absolutely no preference among these, though. I wish Avram Fefer's Trio - with Eric Revis and Chad Taylor, by now a working group - was nominated. There's also the exciting Endangered Blood, as well as the great Mostly Other People Do the Killing, who toured and released a live album in 2011. So where does that leave us ...

10) MALE SINGER OF THE YEAR

Freddy Cole

Kurt Elling

Giacomo Gates

Gregory Porter

11) FEMALE SINGER OF THE YEAR

Karrin Allyson

Rene Marie

Gretchen Parlato

Tierney Sutton

I'm betting on Parlato to win this, but my fave female singers of 2011 was Andrea Wolper and Fay Victor, though the latter probable belongs in a separate category all together: ace performer of the year.

12) TRUMPETER OF THE YEAR

Ambrose Akinmusire

Tom Harrell

Brian Lynch

Wadada Leo Smith

You just know Akinmusire will win this, but I'm a Wadada fan myself.

13) TROMBONIST OF THE YEAR

Steve Davis

Robin Eubanks

Wycliffe Gordon

Steve Turre

14) MULTI-REEDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

James Carter

Anat Cohen

Roscoe Mitchell

Ted Nash

Scott Robinson

15) ALTO SAXOPHONIST OF THE YEAR

Lee Konitz

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Phil Woods

Miguel Zenon

Darius Jones all the way for me, but he's not here, so I'll go with Mahanthappa, 'though he was arguably a greater presence in 2010 than in 2011.

16) TENOR SAXOPHONIST OF THE YEAR

J.D. Allen

Joe Lovano

Chris Potter

Sonny Rollins

As much as I love and worship Sonny Rollins, I'd love to see J.D. Allen get some plaudits, but I'm guessing Rollins or Lovano will win it.

17) BARITONE SAXOPHONIST OF THE YEAR

James Carter

Ronnie Cuber

Claire Daly

Gary Smulyan

18) SOPRANO SAXOPHONIST OF THE YEAR

Jane Ira Bloom

Dave Liebman

Branford Marsalis

Wayne Shorter

19) FLUTIST OF THE YEAR

Jamie Baum

Nicole Mitchell

Lew Tabackin

No preference. I should note that Henry Threadgill toured in 2011, so one wonders why he wasn't nominated. Would win it for me if he was.

20) CLARINETIST OF THE YEAR

Don Byron

Evan Christopher

Anat Cohen

Ken Peplowski

21) GUITARIST OF THE YEAR

Mary Halvorson

Bill Frisell

Pat Metheny

John Scofield

Halvorson for me. Frisell a close second.

22) PIANIST OF THE YEAR

Vijay Iyer

Keith Jarrett

Matthew Shipp

Craig Taborn

Close one, but Taborn appeared on several great albums in 2011, proving he's an innovative and interesting musician in several different settings, and I'd vote for him. Iyer has a new album out this year, and Shipp is still a major player who I follow with great interest.

23) KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Joey DeFrancesco

Larry Goldings

Mike LeDonne

Gary Versace

No preference.

24) BASSIST OF THE YEAR

Ben Allison

Ron Carter

Christian McBride

William Parker

Esperanza Spalding

William Parker is one of my favorite living musicians regardless of instrument, but I still miss several nominees in this category. Adam Lane did stellar work on Darius Jones' record, Eric Revis perhaps even more so with Avram Fefer. There was John Lindberg on Wadada Leo Smith's Heart's Reflection's and Trevor Dunn with Endangered Blood. Still, Parker's work with Taborn on the second Farmers By Nature album was stellar as always, as was his playing on Fay Victor & Other Dimensions In Music's Kaiso Stories and with David S. Ware on Planetary Unknown. Ben Allison is a great musician, arranger and composer, but he'd place below my nominees. I admire McBride greatly, and Ron Carter is a legend, but neither of those impressed my nearly as much in 2011 as my nominees.

25) VIOLINIST/VIOLIST/CELLIST OF THE YEAR

Billy Bang

Regina Carter

Mark Feldman

Jenny Scheinman

R.I.P. Billy Bang.

26) PERCUSSIONIST OF THE YEAR

Cyro Baptista

Hamid Drake

Sammy Figueroa

Marilyn Mazur

Adam Rudolph

Poncho Sanchez

27) MALLETS INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

Gary Burton

Stefon Harris

Joe Locke

Warren Wolf

Uh, where's Chris Dingman?

28) TRAPS DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Jack DeJohnette

Eric Harland

Roy Haynes

Paul Motian

Matt Wilson

You'd think Paul Motian would win this posthumously. Such is the way human nature works. Flabbergasted that neither Pheeroan akLaff (for his work on Wadada Leo Smith's Heart'sReflections. He was the heart, after all) nor Damien Reid for his work on Greg Ward's Phonic Juggernaut aren't nominated.

29) PLAYER OF INSTRUMENTS RARE IN JAZZ

Edmar Castaneda, harp

Gregoire Maret, harmonica

Toots Thielemans, harmonica

Gary Versace, accordion

Meh. 'Though, there's Jacob Sacks' work with harpsichord.