JJA Top Tens of 2007
Intro
This were originally presented in a wiki format, using software since found insecure. So for now, here they are as text extracted from that back end, in alphabetical order by first name (or initial) of the critic.
---+ Alain Drouot DownBeat, Cadence, Jazz Colo(u)rs, WNUR-FM ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Gebhard Ullmann: Basement Research/Live in Münster (NotTwo) * Uri Caine: Plays Mozart (Winter & Winter) * Steve Swell: Swimming in a Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow (Rogue Art) * Gato Libre: Nomad (No Man's Land) * Samo Salamon: Government Cheese (Fresh Sound New Talent) * Curtis Hasselbring: The New Mellow Edwards (Skirl) * Human Feel: Galore (Skirl) * Ulrich Gumpert: Quartette (Intakt) * Irène Schweizer/Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake: Live Taktlos & Willisau (Intakt) * Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Shamokin!!! (Hot Cup Records) ---+++ Reissues/Historical Recordings * Peter Brötzmann: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions (Atavistic) * Andrew Hill: Compulsion (Blue Note) * Noah Howard: Black Ark (Bo'Weavil) * Hideto Kanai: Q (Three Blind Mice) * Charles Mingus Sextet: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Fred Katz: Folk Songs For Far Out Folk (Reboot Stereophonic) ---+ Alan Chase The Wire ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Michael Brecker: Pilgimage (Heads Up) * Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters (Verve) * Tom Harrell: Light On (High Note) * Chris Humphrey: Nothing But Blue Sky (Cadence Jazz Records) * Joe Lovano/Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note) * Paul Motian: Time and Time Again (ECM) * Terrell Stafford: Live at the Dakota (Maxx Jazz) * Charles Tolliver: With Love (Blue Note) * McCoy Tyner Quartet: Live (McCoy Music/High Note) * Ken Werner: The Lawn Chair Society (Blue Note) ---+++ Historical Recordings * Chu Berry: Classic Chu Berry Columbia & Victor Sessions (Mosaic Records) * Miles Davis: Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia/Legacy) * Qunicy Jones: Complete ABC/Mercury big Band Jazz Sessions (Mosaic Records) * Count Basie: Basie at Birdland (Roulette/EMI) * Kenny Cox: Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet (Blue Note Connoisseur) * Miles Davis: Live at Monterey (MJF Records) * Woody Herman: Woody's Winners (Mosaic Singles) * Thad Jones: Detroit/New York Junction (Blue Note RVG Series) * Buddy Rich: Rich In London (Mosaic Singles) ---+ Alex Dutilh ---++ 2007 Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell: Streaming (Pi Recordings) * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu (Watt) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Universal) * Kurt Elling: Nightmoves (Blue Note) * Herbie Hancock: River, The Joni Letters (Verve) * Yaron Herman: A Time for Everything (Laborie) * Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey (Verve) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids (Blue Note) * Rudresh Mahanthappa: Codebook (Pi Recordings) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (Artist Share) ---+++ Reissues * Chet Baker: In Paris, The Complete 1955-56 Barclay Sessions (Barclay) ---+++ DVD * Improvisation: Norman Granz Presents (Eagle Vision) ---+Andrea Canter [[http://jazzpolice.com][jazzpolice.com]], [[http://jazzink.com][jazzlink.com]] ---++Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (Artists Share) * Bill Mays: Fantasy (Palmetto) * Keith Jarrett Trio: My Foolish Heart (ECM) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (MTM/Half Note) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth (DDB Music) * Kurt Elling: Night Moves (Concord) * Fred Hersh Trio: Night and the Music (Palmetto) * Woody Witt: Live at Cezanne's (Apria) * Kendra Shank: A Spirit Free (Abbey Lincoln Songbook) (Challenge Records) * Hank Jones/Joe Lovano: Kids (EMI) ---+ Andrew Gilbert San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, San Diego Union-Tribune, JazzTimes ---++ Top Recordings 2007 ---+++ New Releases * John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet (ECM) * Plays Monk: Plays Monk (Long Song Records) * Marty Ehrlich & Myra Melford: Spark! (Palmetto) * McCoy Tyner: McCoy Tyner Quartet (McCoy Tyner Music) * Avishai Cohen: After the Big Rain (Anzic) * Andy Bey: It Ain't Necessarily So (12th Street Records) * Omer Avital: Arrival (Anzic) * Dayna Stephens: The Timeless Now (CTA Recrds) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth (EmArcy) * Joe Lovano & Hanks Jones: Kids (Blue Note) ---+++ Reissues * Billie Holiday: Rare Recordings 1934-1959 (ESP-Disk) * Joe Henderson: Power to the People (Milestone) * Duke Pearson: The Right Touch (Blue Note) * McCoy Tyner: Horizon (Milestone) * Kenny Drew: Undercurrent (Blue Note) ---+ Andrey Henkin AllAboutJazz-New York ---++ 2007's Top ... ---+++ New Releases * Cato Salsa Experience/The Thing/Joe McPhee: Two Bands and a Legend(Smalltown Superjazz) * Brotzmann Chicago Tentet: American Landscapes (Okkadisk) * Don Friedman: Waltz for Marilyn (Jazz Excursion) * Francois Houle/Evan Parker/Benoit Delbecq: La Lumiere de Pierres (Psi) * Joachim Kuhn/Majid Bekkas: Kalimba (ACT) * Evan Parker/Ned Rothenberg: Live At Roulette (Animul) * Herb Robertson: Live at Alchemia (Not Two) * Sonore: Only The Devil Has No Dreams (Jazzwerkstatt) * David Torn: Prezens (ECM) * Alexander von Schlippenbach: Globe Unity-40 Years (Intakt) ---+++ Reissues * Joe Henderson: Power to the People (Milestone-Concord) * Andrew Hill: Compulsion (Blue Note) * Noah Howard: The Black Ark (Freedom-Bo'weavil) * Albert Mangelsdorff: Folk Mond & Flower Dream (CBS-Tropical Music) * Bennie Maupin: The Jewel in the Lotus (ECM) ---+ Antonio Terzo JazzColo[u]rs, Jazzitalia, Jazzreview ---++ Top 10 of 2007 ---+++ New Releases 1. Steve Coleman "Invisible Paths: First Scattering" (Tzadik) 2. Hamid Drake & Fred Anderson "From the River to the Ocean" (Thrilljockey) 3. Terence Blanchard "A Tale of God's Will" (BlueNote/EMI) 4. Dave Douglas Quintet: "Live At The Jazz Standard" (Greenleaf) 5. Carla Bley "The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu" (ECM/Watt) 6. Mina Agossi "Who Wants Love" (Candid Records) 7. Anat Cohen "Noir" (Anzic Records) 8. Uri Caine "Plays Mozart" (Winter & Winter) 9. Tom Harrell "Light on" (High Note) 10. Double Duo (Fujii-Tamura-Mengelberg-Verploegen) "Crossword Puzzle" (Libra Records) ---+++ Reissues (or Archival/Historical) * Andrew Hill "Solo" (Mosaic Records) ---+ Bill Milkowski JazzTimes, Jazziz, Modern Drummer, TRAPS!, Bass Player ---++ Top Recordings 2007 ---+++ New Releases * Maria Schneider Orchestra: Sky Blue (Artist Share) * Chris Potter 10: Song For Anyone (Sunnyside) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Joe Zawinul & the WDR Orchestra: Brown Street (Heads Up) * McCoy Tyner: McCoy Tyner Quartet (Half Note) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale Of God's Will (Blue Note) * Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) * Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters (Verve) * Paul Motian/Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell: Time And Time Again (ECM) * John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet (ECM) ---+++ Reissues * Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner (Columbia/Legacy) * Billie Holiday: Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles (Columbia/Legacy) * Thelonious Monk: Plays Duke Ellington (Riverside) * George Russell Sextet: Ezz-thetics (Riverside) * Red Garland Quintet: Soul Junction (Prestige) ---+ Bob Porter WBGO ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New * Harry Allen - Hits by Brits (Challenge) * Evan Christopher - Delta Bound (Arbors) * Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Qt - Guys & Dolls (Arbors) * The Benny Carter Centennial Project-Evening Star * Jon-Erik Kellso - Blue Roof Blues (Arbors) * Kenny Burrell - 75th Birthday Bash (Blue Note) * Frank Rosolino - Carl Fontana-Trombone Heaven (Uptown) * Harry Connick Jr - Chanson de Vieux Carre (Marsalis Music) * Bill Easley - Businessman's Bounce (18th & Vine) * Green, Jr.-Purdie-Wilson - Godfathers of Groove (18th & Vine) ---+++ Reissue/Archival/Historical * Lionel Hampton - Complete RCA 1937-1941(Mosaic) * Chu Berry - Classic Columbia & RCA Sessions (Mosaic) * Cat Anderson - Cats in the Alley (Fresh Sound) * Dave McKenna - Piano Solo (Fresh Sound) * JATP Hamburg 2/29/56 (Fresh Sound) * Buddy DeFranco - 1949-1952 (Classics) * Lionel Hampton - Basel 1953 (TCB) * Atlantic Blues - 1949-1970 (Atlantic) * Stanley Turrentine - A Bluish Bag (Blue Note) * Quincy Jones - ABC/Mercury Big Band Jazz Sessions (Mosaic) ---+ Bob Protzman Erie, PA Times-News, [[http://www.jazzerie.com][www.jazzerie.com]], WQLN-FM ---++ 2007's Top ... ---+++ New Releases * Kurt Elling: Nightmoves (Concord) * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (Watt) * Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette: My Foolish Heart: Live at Montreux (ECM) * Joe Lovano and Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note) * Tierney Sutton Band: On the Other Side (Telarc) * Dave Brubeck: Indian Summer (Telarc) * Eddie Daniels: Homecoming (IPO) * The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note) * Bobby Sanabria: Big Band Urban Folktales (Jazzheads) * Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts: The Scenic Route (Palmetto) ---+++ Reissues/Historical * Joe Henderson: Power to the People (Concord/Orrin Keepnews Collection) * Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia/Legacy) * Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan: Live at MCG (MCGJazz) ---+ Bob Putignano WFDU, Teaneck NJ, Westchester Times, Yonkers Tribune, and [[http://blueswax.com][blueswax.com]] ---++Top 10 Recordings 2007 ---+++ New Releases * Larry Carlton & Robben Ford: Live in Tokyo (335 Records) * Aretha Franklin: Rare & Unreleased (Rhino) * Brian Bromberg: Downright Upright (Artistry) * Various Artists: Tribute to Jeff Beck: Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back (Tone Center) * Poncho Sanchez: Raise Your Hand (Concord) * Sue Foley, Deb Coleman, Roxanne Potvin: Time Bomb (Ruf) * Dickey Betts: The Unofficial Bootleg (Evangeline UK) * Jimmy McIntosh: Orleans to London * Sterling Harrison: South of the Snooty Fox (Hacktone) * Gino Matteo: I've Been Thinkin' ---+++ Reissue * Various Artists: The Cosimo Mattasa Story (Proper Records-UK) ---+ David Adler Philadelphia Inquirer, JazzTimes, JazzNotes ---++ 2007 Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's (Blue Note) * Bill McHenry: Roses (Sunnyside) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Jason Lindner Big Band: Live at the Jazz Gallery (Anzic) * Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) * Enrico Pieranunzi: Live In Japan (CAM Jazz) * David Murray Black Saint Quartet: Sacred Ground (Justin Time) * Michael Blake: Amor de Cosmos (Songlines) * Human Feel: Galore (Skirl) ---+++ Reissues * Bob Mintzer & Gil Goldstein: Longing (Owl/Sunnyside) * Bennie Maupin: The Jewel in the Lotus (ECM) * Charles Mingus: In Paris: The Complete America Session (Sunnyside) * Fred Katz: Folk Songs for Far Out Folk (Reboot Stereophonic) * Kenny Cox: Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet (Blue Note) ---+++ Debuts * Kendrick Scott: The Source (World Culture) * Miles Okazaki: Mirror (self-released) * Dayna Stephens: The Timeless Now (CTA) * Mike Moreno: Between the Lines (World Culture) * Tyshawn Sorey: That/Not (Firehouse 12) ---+ David Franklin JazzTimes, [[http://Jazz.com][Jazz.com]] ---++ 2007's Ten Best Recordings * Harry Allen: Hits By Brits (Challenge) * Jack Cortner New York Big Band: Fast Track (Jazzed Media) * Eddie Daniels: Homecoming: Live at the Iridium (IPO) * Bill Holman Band: Hommage (Jazzed Media) * Diana Krall: The Very Best of Diana Krall (Verve) * Bob Mintzer: Bop Boy (Explore) * Hod O'Brien Trio: Third Set (Reservoir) * Bud Shank and Bill Mays: Beyond the Red Door (Jazzed Media) * Frank Tiberi: 4 Brothers 7 (Jazzed Media) * Bennie Wallace: Disorder at the Border-The Music of Coleman Hawkins (Justin Time) ---+ Doug Ramsey * Author, The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond * Contributor, Jazz Times ---++ 2007 Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (Artist Share) * Bill Holman Band: Hommage (Jazzed Media) * Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette: My Foolish Heart (ECM) * Bill Charlap Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note) * John Gross, Dave Frishberg, Charlie Doggett: Strange Feeling (Diatic) * Larry Willis: Blue Fable (High Note) * Charles Mingus Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Pinky Winters: Speak Low (Cellar Door) * Jan Lundgren: A Swinging Rendezvous (Marshmallow) * Gerald Wilson: Monterey Moods (Mack Avenue) ---+++ Reissues * Zoot Sims: Plays Tenor & 4 Altos (Fresh Sound) * Carmen McRae Live at Sugar Hill (TIME) * Clifford Jordan Glass Bead Games (Harvest Song) ---+ Elzy Kolb ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Wallace Roney: Jazz (High Note) * Quartet San Francisco: Whirled Chamber Music (ViolinJazz) * Charles Mingus Sextet: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth (EmArcy) * Charles Tolliver: With Love (Blue Note) * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (Watt) * Fred Hersch Trio: Night and the Music (Palmetto) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Myra Melford and Tanya Kalmanovitch: Heart Mountain (Perspicacity) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (High Note) ---+ Francis Davis Village Voice, The Atlantic ---++ 2007's Top CDs ---+++ New Releases * Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey (Verve) * Tyshawn Sorrey: That/Not (Firehouse 12) * Jewels and Binoculars: Ships with Tattooed Sales (Upshot) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Matthew Shipp: Piano Vortex (Thirsty Ear) * Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) * Charles Tolliver: With Love (Blue Note/Mosaic) * Uri Caine: Plays Mozart (Winter & Winter) * Anat Fort: A Long Story (ECM) * Harry Allen-Joe Cohn: Music from Guys and Dolls (Arbors) ---+++ Reissues (or Archival/Historical) * Lionel Hampton: Complete Victor Sessions 1937-1941 (Mosaic) * Chu Berry: Classic Columbia and Victor Sessions (Mosaic) * Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Art Yard) * Steve Lacy & Roswell Rudd: Early and Late (Cuneiform) * Frank Foster: Well Water (Piadrum) ---+ Fred Kaplan Slate, Stereophile ---++Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964 * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue * Erik Friedlander: Block Ice & Propane * Anat Cohen: Poetica * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu * Paul Bley: Mondsee Variations * Herbie Hancock: The River: The Joni Letters * Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano: Time and Time Again * Joe Lovano, Hank Jones: Kids * Kendra Shank: A Spirit Free ---+ Gary Stager District Administration Magazine, The Pulse: Education's Place for Debate ---++2007's Best ---+++ New Releases * Carl Allen and Rodney Whittaker: Get Ready (Mack Avenue) * Ron Carter: Dear Miles (Blue Note) * Mulgrew Miller: Live at the Kennedy Center Volume Two (MaxJazz) * Phil Woods Quintet: American Songbook II (Kind of Blue) * Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan: Live at MCG (MCG Jazz) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (Tyner Music) * Bobby Hutcherson: For Sentimental Reasons (Kind of Blue) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's (Blue Note) * Joey DeFrancesco: Live: The Authorized Bootleg (Concord) * Dena Derose: Live at the Jazz Standard (MaxJazz) ---+++ Historical Album/Box Set * Roy Haynes: A Life in Time (Dreyfus) ---+++ Reissues * Duke Pearson: The Right Touch (Blue Note) * Horace Silver: You Gotta Take a Little Love (Blue Note) * Stanley Turrentine: The Spoiler (Blue Note) ---+ Geoffrey Himes JazzTimes, Washington Post, Baltimore City Paper, DownBeat, Offbeat ---++ 2007 Top 10 ---+++ New Releases * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (ECM) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (Blue Note) * The Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Marty Ehrlich & Myra Melford: Spark! (Palmetto) * The SF Jazz Collective: SF Jazz Collective Live 2007 (SFJazz) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note) * Matthew Shipp: Piano Vortex (Thirsty Ear) * Lafayette Gilchrist: Three (Hyena) * Francisco Mela: Melao (Ayva) * Brian Groder: Torque (Latham) ---+ Howard Mandel DownBeat, author of _Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz_ ---++2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters (Verve) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Indigo Trio (Nicole Mitchell, Harrison Bankhead, Hamid Drake): Live in Montreal (Greenleaf) * Taylor Ho Bynum and Tomas Fujiwara: True Events (482 Music) * NuBlu Orchestra Conducted by Butch Morris (Digipak) * Nas/Miles Davis "Freedom Jazz Dance" on Evolution of a Groove (Columbia Legacy) * Trio M (Mark Dresser, Myra Melford, Matt Wilson): Big Picture (Cryptogrammaphone) * Ned Rothenberg: Inner Diaspora (Tzadik) * Bobby Hebb: That's All I Wanna Know (Intuition) * Consider The Source: Esperanto ([[http://www.considerthesourcemusic.com/][www.considerthesourcemusic.com]]) ---+++ Historic Releases * Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions (Columbia Legacy) * John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams: Trio of Doom (Columbia Legacy) * Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Albert Ayler: The Hilversum Session (ESP-Disk) ---+ James Hale DownBeat, Coda ---++ 2007 Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Maria Schneider Orchestra: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Dino Saluzzi/Anja Lechner: Ojos Negros (ECM) * Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake: From The River To The Ocean (Thrill Jockey) * Dave Douglas Quintet: Live At The Jazz Standard (Greenleaf) * John Abercrombie Quartet: The Third Quartet (ECM) * Paul Motian: Time And Time Again (ECM) * Trio M: Big Picture (Cryptogramophone) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (HeadsUp) * Michael Musillami Trio w/Mark Feldman: The Treatment (Playscape) * Brad Shepik Trio: Places You Go (Songlines) ---+++ Reissues * Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions (Columbia/Legacy) * Dewey Redman: The Struggle Continues (ECM) * Fred Katz: Folk Songs For Far Out Folk (Reboot Stereophonic) ---+ Jerry D'Souza [[http://allaboutjazz.com][allaboutjazz.com]] ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * The Peter Brotzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions (FMP) * Avishai Cohen: After the Big Rain (Anzic) * Kahil El'Zabar's Infinity Orchestra: Transmigration (Delmark) * Carl Ludwig Hubsch: Primordial Soup (Red Toucan) * Darren Johnston/Fred Frith/Larry Ochs/Devin Hoff/Ches Smith: Reasons for Moving (NotTwo Records) * Lydian Sound Orchestra: Back to Da Capo (Alma Music) * Rob Reddy's Small Town: The Book of the Storm (Reddy Music) * Mike Reed's Loose Assembly: Last Year's Ghost (482 Music) * Herb Robertson Trio: Live at Alchemia (NotTwo Records) * Eberhard Weber: Stages of a Long Journey (ECM) ---+ Jim Eigo ---++ 2007 Top Recordings * Brian Groder And The Sam Rivers Trio: Torque (Latham Records) * One More: "The Summary: Music of Thad Jones" Vol. 2 (IPO Recordings) * The Stryker/Slagle Band: Latest Outlook (Zoho) * Saco Yasuma: Another Rain (Leaf Note Productions) * Charmaine Clamor: Flippin' Out (FreeHam Record) * Jewels and Binoculars: Ships with Tattooed Sails (Upshot) * Monk's Music Trio: Monk On Monday (CMB) * Jon Hemmersam/Dom Minasi Quartet: The Jon Hemmersam/Dom Minasi Quartet (CDM) * Eddie Daniels: Homecoming Live at the Iridium (IPO) * Jon Larsen: Strange News From Mars (Zonic Entertainment) ---+ John Matouk [[http://jazz.about.com/][About.com Jazz]] ---++ Top 10 for 2007 * Kenny Burrell: 75th Birthday Bash Live! (Blue Note) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth, A Malian Journey (Emarcy/DDB) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (artistShare) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale of God's Will, a requiem for katrina (Blue Note) * Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters (Verve) * Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan: Live at MCG (MCG Jazz) * Charles Tolliver: With Love (Blue Note) * Gerald Wilson Orchestra: Monterey Moods (Mack Avenue) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey (Verve) ---+ John McDonough DownBeat, The Wall Street Journal ---++ 2007's Top ---+++ New Releases * Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) * Jarrett-Peacock-DeJohnette: Live at Montreux (ECM) * Ruby Braff & the Flying Pizzarellies (Arbors) * Dave Liebman & Manhattan School of Music Orch: Miles Ahead (MSM) * Bill Charlap: Live at Village Vanguard (Blue Note) * Joe Lovano/Hank Jones: Live at Dizzy's (Blue Note) * Oscar Peterson: JATP Lausanne 1953 (Montreux Fest Label) * Miles Davis: Live at Monterey 1963 (MF Records) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Dave Brubeck: Indian Summer (Telarc) ---+++ Reissues * Complete Lionel Hampton on Victor 936-41 (Mosaic) * Complete Duke Ellington Small groups 1936-39 (Mosaic) * John Coltrane: Interplay (Prestige/Concord) * Billie Holiday: Lady Day (Sony Legacy) * Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert (Jasmine) ---+ John Szwed Signal to Noise, Village Voice, The Wire ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Steve Harris & Zaum: I Hope You Never Love Anything as Much as I Love You (Amazon) * Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (Firehouse 12) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids (Concord) * Antoine Herve: Road Movie (Nocturne) * Harris Eisenstadt: The All-Seeing Eye + Octets (Poo-Bah) * Bloodcount: Seconds (Screwgun) * Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette: My Foolish Heart: Live at Montreux (ECM) * Michael Bisio, Raymond Boni, Dominic Duval, Joe McPhee: Port of Saints (Cadence Jazz) * Antonio Sanchez: Migration (Camden Jazz) * Tiziano Tononi: Peace Warriors (Black Saint) ---+++ Reissues * Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner (Columbia/Legacy) * Chu Berry: The Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions (Mosaic) * Don Byas: Amoureusement Votre (Polydor France) ---+ Ken Dryden All Music Guide, Coda, All About Jazz New York and Hot House ---++ 2007 Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Charles Mingus Sextet: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (Artistshare) * Various Artists: The Benny Carter Centennial Project (Evening Star) * Dave Brubeck: Indian Summer (Telarc) * Phil Woods & Irio De Paula: The Gershwin Affair (Philology) * Wayne Escoffery: Veneration (Savant) * Hal Galper: Furious Rubato (Origin) * Bud Shank & Bill Mays: Beyond the Red Door (Jazzed Media) * Jerry Bergonzi: Tenorist (Savant) * Anat Fort: A Long Story (ECM) ---+++ Reissues * Duke Ellington: The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion and Okeh Small Group Sessions (Mosaic) * Ben Webster: Dig Ben! (Storyville) * Fred Katz: Folk Songs For Far Out Folk (Reboot Stereophonic) * George Russell: Ezzthetic (Riverside Keepnews Collection) * Steve Kuhn: Pastorale (Sunnyside) ---+ Ken Franckling Ken Franckling is a contributing writer-protographer for JAZZIZ, JazzTimes, Hot House, Jazz Improv, All About Jazz-New York and [[http://AllAboutJazz.com][AllAboutJazz.com]] ---++ The 10 best new jazz releases, listed alphabetically: * Michael Brecker, "Pilgrimage" (Head's Up) * Till Bronner, "Oceana" (EmArcy) * Morrie Louden, "Time Piece" (MoSound Productions) * Brad Mehldau and Pat Metheny, "Quartet" (Nonesuch) * Ed Reed, "Ed Reed Sings Love Stories" (Blue Shorts) * Bobby Sanabria, "Big Band Urban Folktales" (Jazzheads) * Maria Schneider, "Sky Blue" (artistShare) * Tierney Sutton Band, "On the Other Side" (Telarc) * Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, "Scenic Route" (Palmetto) * Joe Zawinul, "Brown Street" (Heads Up International) ---++ The 10 best new songs of the year, listed alphabetically: * Michael Brecker, "Tumbleweed" from "Pilgrimage" (Heads Up) * Michael Brecker, "When Will I Kiss You Again?" from "Pilgrimage" (Heads Up) * Roy Cumming, "Tears Outside" (from "Edgeless" (Up & Cumming) * Joe Fiedler, "The Crab" from Bobby Sanabria's "Big Band Urban Folktales" (Jazzheads) * Tom Harrell, "Architect of Time" from "Light On" (HighNote) * Marilyn Harris, "They're Gonna Love Me" from "Road Trip" (Wrightwood) * Joel Harrison, "Blue Ghosts of Bourbon Street" from "Harbor" (HighNote) * Morrie Louden, "Gypsy's Journey" from "Time Piece" (MoSound Productions) * Maria Schneider, "Cerulean Blue" from "Sky Blue" (artistShare) * Matt Wilson, "Feel The Sway" from "Scenic Route" (Palmetto) ---++ The best jazz boxed set or historic recordings, listed alphabetically: * Miles Davis, "The Complete On The Corner Sessions" (Columia/Legacy) * Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy, "Cornell 1964" (Blue Note) ---+ Kevin Lynch ---++ Top Ten 2007 * Paul Bley “Mondsee Variations” (ECM) * David Murray Back Saint Quartet with Cassandra Wilson (Justin Time) * Charles Mingus Sextet “Live at Cornell 1964” (Blue Note) * Kurt Elling “Night Moves” (Concord) * David Binney/Edward Simon “Oceanos” (CrissCross) * Maria Schneider Orchestra “Sky Blue” (Artistshare) * Kenny Werner “Lawn Chair Society” (Blue Note) * Enrico Rava Quintet “The Words and the Days” (ECM) * Joel Newton Situation “Crying and Laughing” * Roscoe Mitchell “Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1,2 & 3” (ECM) ---++ Best jazz reissues: * “Miles Davis “Complete On the Corner Sessions” (Columbia/Legacy) * Charles Mingus “Tijuana Moods” (RCA) * John McLaughlin “The Essential John McLaughlin (Columbia/Legacy) ---+ Laurence Donohue-Greene AllAboutJazz-New York ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases (listed alphabetically) * Billy Bang - Above & Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids (feat. Frank Lowe) (Justin Time) * Peter Brötzmann/Mats Gustafsson/Ken Vandermark: Sonore: Only the Devil Has No Dreams (Jazzwerkstatt) * Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey (Verve) * Enrico Rava Quintet: The Words and the Days (ECM) * Sonny Rollins: Sonny, Please (Doxy) * Wadada Leo Smith/Gunter Baby Sommer: Wisdom in Time (Intakt) * Trio M (Myra Melford/Mark Dresser/Matt Wilson): Big Picture Cryptogramophone) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (McCoy Tyner Music-Half Note) * David S. Ware: Renunciation (AUM Fidelity) * Various Artists: Free Zone Appleby 2006 (Psi) ---+++ Honorable mention * Howard Wiley - Angola Project (High Cotton Productions) ---+++ Historical/Archival Releases (listed alphabetically) * Albert Ayler Quartet: The Hilversum Session (Osmosis-ESP Disk) * Michael Garrick Trio: Moonscape (Airborne-Trunk) * Joe Henderson: Power to the People - Keepnews Collection (Milestone-Concord) * Andrew Hill: Compulsion (Blue Note) * Noah Howard: The Black Ark (Freedom-Bo'Weavil) * Albert Mangelsdorff Quintett: Folk Mond & Flower Dream (CBS -Tropical Music GMBH/Bellaphon) * Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964 (with Eric Dolphy) (Blue Note) * Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol.1 & 2 (Widow's Taste) * Live at Monterey Jazz Festival (by Miles Davis; Sarah Vaughan; Thelonious Monk; etc.) (Monterey Jazz Festival Records-Concord) ---+ Laurence Svirchev [[http://misterioso.org][misterioso.org]] ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * François Houle/Evan Parker/Benoît Delbecq: La Lumière de Pierres (psi) * Kartet: The Bay Window (Songlines) * Kate Hammett-Vaughan: Conspiracy, Art Songs for Improvisers (KHV) * Aki Takase and Silke Eberhard: Ornette Coleman Anthology (Intakt) * Hubert Dupont: Spider's Dance (Ultrabolic) * Fredrik Ljungkvist & Yun Kan 5: Badaling (Caprice) * Joelle Leandre/Pascal Contet: Freeway (Clean Feed) * Jewels and Binoculars: Ships With Tattooed Sails The Music of Bob Dylan (Upshot) * Colin Vautour Trio: Ailleurs (hatOLOGY) * Nicole Mitchell/Harrison Bankhead/Hamid Drake: The Indigo Trio - Live in * Montreal (Greenleaf Music) ---+ Lyn Horton [[http://AllAboutJazz.com][AllAboutJazz.com]] and [[http://Jazzreview.com][Jazzreview.com]] ---++ 2007 Top 10 Recordings * Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake: From the River to the Ocean (Thrill Jockey) * Joe McPhee: Soprano (Roaratorio) * Joe McPhee, Peter Brotzmann, Kent Kessler, Michael Zerang: Guts (Okkadisk) * Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd: Still Life with Commentator (Savoy Jazz) * David Murray's Black Saint Quartet: Sacred Ground (Justin Time) * Nels Cline Singers: Draw Breath (Cryptogramophone) * Mat Maneri & Denman Maroney: Distich (Nuscope) * Matthew Shipp: Piano Vortex (Thirsty Ear) * Bill Frisell: Floratone (Blue Note) * Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Sony Legacy) ---+ Michael J. West JazzTimes, Washington City Paper, [[http://AllAboutJazz.com][AllAboutJazz.com]], [[http://Blogcritics.org][Blogcritics.org]] ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Jason Lindner Big Band: Live at Jazz Gallery (Anzic) * Robin Eubanks & EB3: Live Vol. 1 (Kindred Rhythm) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (Blue Note) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Howard Wiley: The Angola Project * Erik Friedlander: Block Ice and Propane (Skipstone) * Billy Bang Quartet with Frank Lowe: Above and Beyond (Justin Time) * Manhattan New Music Project: Jazz Cycles (MNMP) * Joel Harrison: Harbor (High Note) * John Abercrombie Quartet: Third Quartet (ECM) ---+ Neil Tesser Chicago Reader and "Listen Here!," the public radio jazz review ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Exploding Star Ochestra: We Are Else From Somewhere Else (Thrill Jockey) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale Of God's Will (Blue Note) * Kurt Elling: Night Moves (Concord) * Bobby Sanabria: Big Band Urban Folktales (Jazzheads) * Eldar Djangorov: Re-Imagination (Sony) * Tineke Postma: A Journey That Matters (Foreign Media Group) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth (Emarcy) * Matt Wilson: The Scenic Route (Palmetto) * (tied) John McLean: Better Angels (Blujazz) * (tied) Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) ---+++ And the following honorable mentions, if only to prove that "ten" is an awfully arbitrary number: Muiza Adnet Sings Moacir Santos (Adventure); Eric Alexander, The Temple Of Olympic Zeus (HighNote); Tim Armacost, Rhythm & Transformation (ArtistShare); Ryan Cohan, One Sky (Motema); 3 Cohens, Braid (Anzic); James Davis Quintet, Angles Of Refraction (eyes&ears); Bob Florence Limited Edition, Eternal Licks & Grooves (MAMA); Hiromi¹s Sonicbloom: Time Control(Telarc); Keith Jarrett, My Foolish Heart (ECM); Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, Blues Man From Memphis (Blue Canoe); Rene Marie, Experiment In Truth ([[http://www.renemarie.com][www.renemarie.com]]); Donny McCaslin, In Pursuit (Sunnyside); Nicole Mitchell, Black Unstoppable (Delmark); Mark Murphy, Love Is What Stays (Verve); Miles Okazaki, Mirror ([[http://www.milesokazaki.com][www.milesokazaki.com]]); Chris Potter 10, Song For Anyone (Sunnyside); Maria Schneider, Sky Blue (ArtistShare); Christian Scott, Anthem (Concord); Kendra Shank, Spirit Free (Challenge); Charlies Tolliver Big Band, With Love (Blue Note); Gebhard Ullman, New Basement Research (Soul Note); Kenny Werner, Lawn Chair Society (Blue Note) ---+ Paul Blair Hot House ---++ 2007's Top Recordings * Gregg August: One Peace (Iacuessa Music) * Ruby Braff: C‚est Magnifique (Arbors) * Claudia Quintet: For (Cuneiform) * Alan Ferber: The Compass (Fresh Sound) * Flat Earth Society: Psychoscout (Crammed Disc) * Conrad Herwig: A Jones For Bones Tones (Criss Cross) * Chris Jentsch: Brooklyn Suite (Fleur De Son) * Marvin Stamm: Alone Together (Jazzed Media) * Gary Versace: Reminiscence (Steeplechase) * Craig Yaremko: Sync (Jazz Excursion) ---+ Philip Booth Down Beat, Jazziz, Bass Player, St. Petersburg Times, Las Vegas CityLife ---++ Top 10 * Michael Brecker, Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Sonny Rollins, Sonny Please (Doxy) * Terence Blanchard, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (Blue Note) * Joshua Redman, Back East (Nonesuch) * Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau, Metheny Mehldau Quartet (Nonesuch) * Joe Lovano and Hank Jones, Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note) * Joe Zawinul, Brown Street (Heads Up) * Jean-Michel Pilc, New Dreams (Dreyfus) * Eddie Daniels, Homecoming: Live at the Iridium (IPO) * Morrie Louden, Time Piece (MoSound) ---++ + 3: * John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet (ECM) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (Half Note) * Joel Harrison: Harbor (HighNote) ---++ Reissue: * Miles Davis, The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Sony Legacy) ---++ Beyond (alphabetical): * Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) * Band of Horses, Cease to Begin (Sub Pop) * Bonerama, Bringing It Home (Highsteppin') * Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Once soundtrack (Canvasback/Columbia) * Levon Helm, Dirt Farmer (Vanguard) * Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, 100 Days, 100 Nights (Dap-Tone) * Chuck Prophet, Soap and Water (Yep Roc) * Various Artists, Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (Vanguard) ---+ Philip DiPietro ---++ Top Ten 2007 * Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Matthew Garrison: Improvision (Abstract Logix) * Ben Monder and Theo Bleckmann: At Night (Songlines) * Andre Fernandes: Timbuktu (Tone of a Pitch) * Steve Lehman: On Meaning (Pi Recordings) * Mike Brecker: Pilgrimage (HeadsUp) * Adam Rogers: Time and the Infinite (Criss Cross) * Mike Moreno: Between the Lines (World Culture Music) * Alan Pasqua: The Antisocial Club (Cryptogramophone) * Frank LoCrasto: When You're There (MaxJazz) * Logan Richardson: Cerebral Flow (FSNT) * Kneebody: Low Electrical Worker (Colortone Media)Jazzhouse Homepage
---+ Rahsaan Clark Morris ---++ 2007 Top 10 Recordings * Cedar Walton: One Flight Down (High Note) * Wynton Marsalis: From the Plantation to the Penitentiary (Blue Note) * Wynton Marsalis & JALC Orchestra: Congo Square-Love, Libation, Liberation (JALC Records) * Chris Potter: Follow the Red Line-Live (Sunnyside) * Joe Lovano & Hank Jones: Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note) * Art Ensemble of Chicago w. Don Pullen: Fundamental Destiny (AECO Records) * Nicole Mitchell & the Black Earth Ensemble: Black Unstoppable (Delmark) * Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake: From The River To The Ocean (Thrill Jockey) * SF Jazz Collective: Music of Monk & Other Pieces Live 2007 (SF Jazz Records) * Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (Firehouse 12) ---+ Rob Hoff WQLN-FM, Erie, PA ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * David S. Ware Quartet: Renunciation (Aum Fidelity) * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (Watt) * Kurt Elling: Nightmoves (Concord) * Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage (Heads Up) * Enrico Rava: The Words and the Days (ECM) * Maria Schneider Orchestra: Sky Blue (Artist Share) * Nicole Mitchell: Black Unstoppable (Delmark) * Terence Blanchard: A Tale of God¹s Will (Blue Note) * Paul Bley: Mondsee Variations (ECM) * Charles Mingus Sextet: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) ---+ Ron Sweetman CKCU-FM, Coda ---++ Top Recordings 2007 * Harry Allen & Joe Temperley: Cocktails For Two (Sackville) * Art Ensemble of Chicago with Don Pullen: Fundamental Destiny: Live at the Frankfurt Germany Jazz Festival (AECO) * Don Cherry: Live at Café Montmartre 1966 (ESP-DISK) * Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Michael Moore: Osiris (Ramboy) * Roswell Rudd: Blown Bone (Emanem) * George Russell: Things New: Unissued Concerts 1960 & 1964 (Rare Live Recordings) * Elliott Sharp: Sharp?Monk?Sharp!Monk! (Clean Feed) * Keith Tippett, Julie Tippetts, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Canto General: Viva La Black Live At Ruvo (Ogun) * Trio M: Big Picture (Cryptogramophone) ---+ Rusty Hassan WPFW ---++ 2007's Top New Releases * Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (Half Note) * Paul Motian: Time and Time Again (ECM) * Charles Tolliver: With Love (Blue Note) * Jon Mayer: So Many Stars (Reservoir) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Harry Allen & Joe Cohn: Music From Guys and Dolls (Arbors) * Kenny Burrell: 75th Birthday Bash Live (Blue Note) * Wallace Roney: Jazz (High Note) * Dee Dee Bridgewater: Red Earth (DDB Records) ---+ Steve Feeney Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
UpBeat Newsletter ---++ Top 10 Recordings 2007 * Matt Wilson: Scenic Route * Bennie Wallace: Disorder at the Border * Joshua Redman: Back East * Joe Lovano/Hank Jones: Kids * Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey * Fred Hersch: Night & the Music * McCoy Tyner: Quartet * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu * Donny McCaslin: In Pursuit * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue ---+ Stuart Broomer Musicworks, Point of Departure, Signal to Noise, Toronto Life ---++ 2007's Top Recordings ---+++ New Releases * Anthony Braxton: 12+1tet 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (Firehouse 12) * Derek Bailey: Standards (Tzadik) * Connie Crothers: Music Is a Place (New Artists) * Bruce Eisenbeil Sextet: Inner Constellation (Nemu) * His Name Is Alive: Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown (High Two) * Steve Lehman: Quintet On Meaning (Pi) * Phil Minton Quartet: Slur (Emanem) * Roscoe Mitchell: Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2, & 3 (ECM) * Alipio C. Neto: The Perfume Comes Before the Flower (Clean Feed) * Evan Parker/Barry Guy/Paul Lytton: Zafiro (Maya) ---+++ Archival Recordings * Anthony Braxton: Solo (Pisa) 1982 (Leo) * Don Cherry: Live at the Café Montmartre (ESP) * Andrew Hill: Compulsion (Blue Note) * Andrew Hill: Change (Blue Note) * Norman Howard: Burn Baby Burn (ESP) * Fred Katz: Folk Songs for Far Out Folk (Reboot Stereophonic) * Steve Lacy/ Roswell Rudd Quartet: Early and Late (Cuneiform) * Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) * Evan Parker: Hook Drift & Shuffle (psi) * Paul Rutherford: Solo in Berlin 1975 (Emanem) ---+ Thomas Conrad JazzTimes, Stereophile ---++ Top Recordings 2007 ---+++ New Releases * Miles Davis: Live At The 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival Records) * Maria Schneider: Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Stefano Battaglia: Re: Pasolini (ECM) * Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (WATT) * John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet (ECM) * Keith Jarrett: My Foolish Heart (ECM) * McCoy Tyner: Quartet (McCoy Tyner Music) * Joshua Redman: Back East (Nonesuch) * Tardo Hammer: Stop Look & Listen: The Music Of Tadd Dameron (Sharp Nine) * Tierney Sutton Band: On The Other Side (Telarc) ---+++ Reissues * Patricia Barber: The Premonition Years: 1994-2002 (Premonition) * John Coltrane: Interplay (Prestige) * Von Freeman: The Best Of Von Freeman On Premonition (Premonition) ---+ W. Royal Stokes JazzHouse.org, [[http://WRoyalStokes.com/][WRoyalStokes.com]] All choices are in alphabetical order ---++ Best CDs of 2007 ---+++ A BAKER'S DOZEN PLUS ONE BEST NEW RELEASES OF 2007 * Dee Dee Bridgewater, Red Earth (DDB Records) * Evan Christopher, Delta Bound (Arbors) * Anat Cohen & The Anzic Orchestra, Noir (Anzic) * Eldar, re-imagination (Masterworks Jazz/Sony BMG) * Anat Fort, A Long Story (ECM) * Steve Lacy – Roswell Rudd Quartet, Early and Late (Cuneiform) * Bireli LaGrene Gypsy Project, Just the Way You Are (Dreyfus Jazz) * Mike Markaverich, Reel Time Standards (Marktime) * Pink Martini, Hey Eugene! (Heinz) * Bill Mays, The Inventions Trio (Palmetto) * Mark Murphy, Love Is What Stays (Verve) * Cynthia Sayer, Attractions (Plunk Records) * Maria Schneider Orchestra, Sky Blue (ArtistShare) * Dino Saluzzi & Anja Lechner, Ojos Negros (ECM) * Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Monterey Moods (Mack Avenue) ---+++ TOP FIVE BOX SET REISSUES OF 2007 * Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions (Mosaic) * The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions, 1937-1941 (Mosaic) * Billie Holiday, Lady Day: The Master Takes and Singles (Columbia Legacy) * Frank Sinatra, A Voice in Time, 1939-1952 (Columbia Legacy) * Various, City of Dreams: A Collection of New Orleans Music (Rounder) ---+++ TOP FIVE SINGLE CD REISSUES OF 2007 * Albert Ayler Quartet, The Hilversum Sessions (ESP) * Andy Bey and the Bey Sisters, 'Round Midnight (Concord/Prestige) * Jimmy Blythe, Messin' Around Blues (Delmark) * Barbara Dane and the Chambers Brothers (Smithsonian Folkways) * Jim Robinson, Economy Hall Breakdown (Delmark) ---+++ TOP FIVE LATIN, BLUES, AND BEYOND OF 2007 * Maria, Muldaur, Naughty Bawdy & Blue (Stony Plain) * Luis Muñoz, Of Soul and Shadow (Pelin Music) * Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (Rounder) * Bruce Springsteen, Magic (Columbia) * Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadours, From the Badlands (Picaro)