WRTI hosts J. Michael Harrison and Courtney Blue presented our annual countdown of last year's top 100 new jazz releases. Here's the list!
Sponsored by the 27th Annual Boscov's Berks Jazz Fest, March 31 to April 9, 2017.
“Afrodesia” – Dr. Lonnie Smith – Evolution
“For Curtis” – One For All – The Third Decade
“Fantasy of You and Me in Love” – Tom Giacabetti – Tender Heart
“Half the Battle” – Orrin Evans - #KnowingIsHalfTheBattle
“Backyard Groove” – Kenny Garrett – Do Your Dance!
“Picture Frame” – Organik Vibe Trio – Things We Did Last Summer
“Ascona” – The Power Quintet – High Art
“City Lights” – Joey Alexander – Countdown
“There’s A Boat Dats Leavin Soon for New York” – Branford Marsalis w/ Kurt Elling – Upward Spiral
“Body & Soul” – Oleg Kireyev & Keith Javors – The Meeting
“Decisive Steps” – Mack Avenue SuperBand – Live! From the 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival
“From This Moment On” – Bria Skonberg – Bria
“Cassidy” – Dave Wilson Quartet – There Was Never
“The Road Home” – Laurence Hobgood – Honor Thy Fathers
“Dolphin Dance” – Dick Oatts/Mats Holmquist New York Jazz Orchestra – A Tribute to Herbie +1
“Is That What You Think” – Fabrizio Sotti – Forty
“A Spring Fantasy” – Herlin Riley – New Direction
“Ask Me Now” – John Beasley – Monk’estra Vol. 1
“Don’t Lose Your Steam” – Gregory Porter – Take Me to the Alley
“I’ll Remember April” – Bill Charlap – Notes From New York
“Too Good to Last” – Kandace Springs – Soul Eyes
“Everybody’s Song But My Own” – Fred Hersch Trio – Sunday Night At The Vanguard
“Dream Dancing” – Jeremy Pelt – #JiveCulture
“Domingo” – Benny Golson – Horizon Ahead
“Up Jumped Spring” – Hendrik Meurkins – Harmonicus Rex
“And I Love Her” – Brad Mehldau Trio – Blues and Ballads
“Ghost of a Chance” – Bob James & Nathan East – The New Cool
“Bamboleo” – Dominick Farinacci – Short Stories
“Seasoned Traveler” – Wayne Bergeron – Full Circle
“People Will Say We’re In Love” – The Hot Sardines – French Fries and Champagne
“Javanaise” – Hubert Laws & Jeffrey Biegel – Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
“No Money No Honey” – Charlie Hunter – Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth
“A Hefti Dose of Bassie” – Patrick Williams – Home Sweet Home
“What’s Going On” – Dave Stryker – Eight Track II
“Groundwork” – Willie Jones III – Groundwork
“Words” – Cyrille Aimee – Let’s Get Lost
“That’s All” – Stacey Kent – Tenderly
“Speak Low” – Antonio Hart – Blessings
“The Very Thought of You” – Catherine Russell – Harlem On My Mind
“The Traveller” – Amina Figarova – Blue Whisper
“Perimeter” – Verve Jazz Ensemble – Perimeter
“I’ve Got the World on a String” – Great American Music Ensemble – It’s All in the Game
“Shuffle Boil” – Kenny Barron – Book of Intuition
“Blondie’s Waltz” – George Coleman – A Master Speaks
“Dig It” – Scott Tixier – Cosmic Adventure
“Moon River” – Randy Napoleon – Soon
“Oceans of Time” – The Cookers – The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart
“A Gloomy Day” – Ella Gahnt – Third Stage Elegance
“I’ll Remember April” – Kevin Hays New Day Trio – North
“The Georgia Peach” – Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra – Basically Baker Vol. 2
“Gardena” – Stryker/Slagle Band – Routes
“Ummg” – The 14 Jazz Orchestra – Nothing Hard is Ever Easy
“Faith Amongst the Unknown” – Cyrus Chestnut – Natural Essence
“Colors for the Masters” – Steve Turre – Colors for the Masters
“So Many Stars” – Eric Alexander – Second Impression
“The Corners” – Robby Ameen – Days in the Night
“Looking Back” – Christian Winther – Refuge in Sound
“West” – Eric Hargett Trio – Steppin’ Up
“Buddy Bolden’s Blues” – New Orleans Swamp Donkeys – Swamp Donkey
“Seduction” – Lisa Hilton – Nocturnal
“Hawaii Bathing Suit” – Peter Erskine – Dr. Um
“Clockwise” – Dena DeRose – United
“Airegin” – Joe Chambers – Landscapes
“Pure Imagination” – Jim Rotondi – Dark Blue
“We In The House” – Lafayette Harris Jr. – Hangin’ with the Big Boys
“So Simple A Beginning” – Renee Rosnes – Written in Rocks
“This Could Be (For the Travelling Soul)” – Theo Croker – Escape Velocity
“Waters of March” – Bill O’Connell – Heart Beat
“Joy Waltz” – Chester Thompson Trio – Simpler Times
“If I Only Had A Heart” – Michelle Lordi – Drive
“Melodious Funk” – George Cables – George Cables Songbook
“Un4Scene” – Jim Snidero – MD66
“Celestelude” – Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life – Nihil Novi
“Butterfly Samba” – Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band – Intenso!
“Norwegian Wood” – Christian Tamburr – People Talk
“Something’s Gotta Give” – Jane Monheit – The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald
“Wonderland” – Hiromi – Spark
“Hidden Pockets” – Peter Bernstein – Let Loose
“Once I Had A Laugh” – Norah Jones – Day Breaks
“Fanfare for the Common Man” – Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra – Make America Great Again!
“Colorado River Song” – Rene Marie – Sound of Red
“Before the Rain Comes” – Emma Larsson – Sing to the Sky
“Strollin’” – Greg Abate & Phil Woods – Kindred Spirits: Live at Chan’s
“Southern Dawn” – Lucian Ban – Songs from Afar
“Serenata” – Kenny Burrell – The Road to Love
“Second Opinion” – George Burton – The Truth of What I Am; The Narcissist
“All My Trials” – Charles Lloyd – I Long to See You
“Struttin’ With Some Barbecue” – Five Play – Live at the Deer Head Inn
“Quiescence” – Avishai Cohen – Into the Silence
“Cuchifrito” – Carlos Henriquez – Bronx Pyramid
“Tango Till They’re Sore” – Madeleine Peyroux – Secular Hymns
“Made Up My Mind” – Laurin Talese – Gorgeous Chaos
“Saturday Night Special” – The Clayton Brothers – Soul Brothers
“121st Street” – Manuel Valera & Groove Square – Urban Landscape
“Blue In Green” – Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra – Time/Life
“When You Wish Upon A Star” – Gregory Porter – Jazz Loves Disney
“All Through the Night” – Scott Hamilton w/ the Jeff Hamilton Trio – Live in Bern
“That Sunday, That Summer” – Richie Cole – Plays Ballads and Love Songs
“Staring At The Sun” – The Bad Plus – It’s Hard
100. “Seraphim” – Chicago Jazz Philharmonic – Havana Blue