W. Royal Stokes’ Best CDs of 2009
December 29th 2009 11:21 pm
Copyright © 2009 W. Royal Stokes
Each category is in alphabetical order
10 Best CDs
Fred Anderson, 21st Century Chase (Delmark)
Joshua Breakstone Trio, No One New (Capri)
The Diva Jazz Trio, Never Never Land (Arbors)
Keith Jarrett, Testament, Paris/London (ECM)
Ramsey Lewis, Songs From the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey (Concord)
Irwin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Book One (World Village/Harmonia Mundi)
Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute to Oscar Peterson (Resonance)
Roswell Rudd, Trombone Tribe (Soundscape)
Carol Sudhalter, The Octave Tunes (Alfa Music)
Mark Weinstein and Omar Sosa, Tales From the Earth (Otà)
25 Notable CDs
Harry Allen, New York State of Mind (Challenge)
Sharel Cassity, Relentless (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Marc Copland, Alone (Pirouet)
Erik Deutsch, Hush Money (Hammer & String)
Charles Evans/Neil Shah, Live at St. Stephens (Hotcup)
John Funkhouser Trio, Time (Jazsyzygy)
Abdullah Ibrahim, Senzo (Solo Piano) (Sunnyside)
Vijay Iyer Trio, Historicity (ACT Music)
Ahmad Jamal, A Quiet Time (Dreyfus Jazz)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
Saltman Knowles, Yesterday’s Man (Pacific Coast)
Steve Kuhn Trio with Joe Lovano, Mostly Coltrane (ECM)
NYNDK, The Hunting of the Snark (Jazzheads)
Linda Oh Trio, Entry (Linda Oh Music)
Kyoko Oyobe, Cookin’ at Smalls (Kyoko Oyobe)
Ed Palermo Big Band, Eddy Loves Frank (Cuneiform)
Positive Catastrophe, Garabatos: Volume One (Cuneiform)
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Reflections (Word of Mouth Music)
Ada Rovatti, Green Factor, (Piloo)
Amanda Sedgwick, Delightness (Touché Music)
Simplexity, Extreme Measures (Vibration Institute Music)
Daniel Smith, Blue Bassoon (Summit)
Wadada Leo Smith, Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
Rossano Sportiello, It Amazes Me (Sackville)
Mads Tolling, The Playmaker (Madsman)
Matt Wilson Quartet, That’s Gonna Leave a Mark (Palmetto)
Miguel Zenon, Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
20 Best Vocal CDs
Jen Chapin, Revisions: Songs of Stevie Wonder (Chesky)
Charito, Watch What Happens: Charito Meets Michel Legrand (CT Music)
Mimi Jones, A New Day (Hot Tone Music)
Joe Locke, Featuring Vocalist Kenny Washington, For the Love of You (E1 Music)
The Manhattan Transfer, The Chick Corea Songbook (Four Quarters Entertainment)
Gail Marten, In Love . . . Again (Jazz Palette)
Susie Meissner With Special Guest Brian Lynch (LydianJazz)
Antoinette Montague, Behind the Smile (In The Groove)
Gretchen Parlato, In a Dream (Obliq Sound)
Gail Pettis, Here In the Moment (OA2)
Madeleine Peyroux, Bare Bones (Rounder)
Kermit Ruffins, Livin’ a Tremé Life (Basin Street)
Daryl Sherman, Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute (Arbors)
Lisa Sokolov, A Quiet Thing (Laughing Horse)
Tessa Souter, Obsession (Motéma)
Tierney Sutton, Desire (Telarc)
Patricia Talem, Patricia Talem (NuGroove Music/Points South Music)
Kristina Train, Spilt Milk (Blue Note)
10 Best Blues CDs
Fiona Boyes, Blues Woman (Yellow Dog)
Shemekia Copeland, Never Going Back (Telarc)
John Hammond, Rough & Tough (Chesky)
Bryan Lee, My Lady Don’t Love My Lady (Justin Time)
David Maxwell & Louisiana Red, You Got to Move (BlueMax)
Johnny Rowls, Ace of Spades (Catfood)
Chris Smither, Time Stands Still (Signature Sounds)
Loudon Wainwright III, Hide Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (2nd Story Sound)
Zora Young, The French Connection (Delmark)
10 Best Beyond CDs
The American Music Project, On the Bright Side (Inarhyme)
Basia, It’s That Girl Again (Koch)
Rosanne Cash, The List (Manhattan)
Bonsoir Catin, Vive L’Amour (Valcour)
Casey Driessen, Oog (Red Shoe)
The Fugs, Be Free: Final CD Part 2, (Fugs)
Carrie Rodriguez, Live in Louisville (Luz Music)
Jessica Pavone, Songs of Synastry and Solitude (Tzadik)
Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions (World Village/Harmonia Mundi)
Gabriela Torres, No Tan Distinta (World Village/Harmonia Mundi)
5 Best Holiday Season CDs
The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford: Carols By Candlelight (Harmonia Mundi)
Alexis Cole, The Greatest Gift: Songs of the Season (Motéma)
Allan Harris, Dedicated to You: Allan Harris Sings a Nat King Cole Christmas (Love Production)
Chris Dawson, Stridin’ Through Christmas (Astin Music)
Kermit Ruffins, Have a Crazy Cool Christmas (Basin Street)
25 Best Reissues All Genres
Louis Armstrong, The Complete Decca Recordings, 1935-1946 (Mosaic)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out (Columbia Legacy)
John Coltrane, Side Steps (Prestige/Concord)
Miles Davis & Sonny Rollins, The Classic Prestige Sessions, 1951-1956 (Prestige/Concord)
Rumel Fuentes, Corridos of the Chicano Movement (Arhoolie)
Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane, Dig It! (Prestige/Concord)
Bob Greene, St. Peter Street Strutters (Delmark)
Lionel Hampton, Centennial Celebration (Original Jazz Classics/Concord)
Jefferson Airplane, The Woodstock Experience (RCA Legacy)
Janis Joplin, The Woodstock Experience (Columbia Legacy)
Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade (Resonance)
The Best of Mance Lipscomb (Arhoolie)
Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um (Columbia Legacy)
Thelonious Monk Quintet (Prestige/Concord)
Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grapppelli, Biréli LaGrène, Richard Galliano, et alii, Generation Django (Compilation Dreyfus Jazz)
Sonny Rollins with Thelonious Monk/Kenny Dorham (Prestige/Concord)
Santana, The Woodstock Experience (Columbia Legacy)
Brother John Sellers: Paris 1957 (Sackville)
Artie Shaw, Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions (Mosaic)
Frank Sinatra, Sinatra: New York (Sinatra Enterprises/Warner Music)
Sly and the Family Stone, The Woodstock Experience (Epic Legacy)
Terry Waldo’s Gutbucket Syncopators with Special Guest Edith Wilson: The Ohio Theatre Concert (Delmark)
Ben Webster, Centennial Celebration (Original Jazz Classics/Concord)
Johnny Winter, The Woodstock Experience (Columbia Legacy)
10 Best DVDs
Count Basie & His Orchestra: Live in Berlin & Stockholm 1968 (Improv Jazz)
Chris Barber, As We Like It (MVD Entertainment Group)
Coleman Hawkins, In Europe: London, Paris & Brussels (Standing Ovation)
The New Lost City Ramblers, Always Been a Rambler (Arhoolie)
Old Crow Medicine Show, Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre (Nettwerk Productions)
Madeleine Peyroux, Somethin’ Grand (Rounder)
Mr B & Bob Seely, Back to Back (Aplethora Productions)
Lisa Sokolov, Solo Live (Laughing Horse)
Art Tatum, The Art of Jazz Piano (MVD Visual)
Woodstock Diary 1969, Friday Saturday Sunday (Wienerworld/Warner Bros Pictures and Gravity Ltd)
