In the final days of 2017, we celebrated the new jazz releases that made it a truly banner (musical) year with a Top 100 Countdown.
It was quite a party!
Top 100 Jazz Countdown of 2017—The List!
Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra—Blue in Green—Time/Life
George Cables—Melodius Funk—The George Cables Songbook
Norah Jones—Once I Had a Laugh—Day Breaks
Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Chamber—Seraphim—Havana Blue (Live)
Tom Giacabetti—Fantasy of You and Me in Love—Tender Heart: Songs of Giacabetti & Gilstrap
Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra—Fanfare for the Common Man—Make America Great Again!
George Burton—Second Opinion—The Truth of What I Am
Richie Cole—That Sunday, That Summer—Richie Cole Plays Ballads and Love Songs
The Bad Plus—Staring at the Sun—It’s Hard
Orrin Evans—Half the Battle—(hashtag) Knowing is Half the Battle
Gregory Porter—When You Wish upon a Star—Jazz Loves Disney
Steve Slagle—I Know That You Know—Alto Manhattan
Heads of State—Sippin’ at Bells—Four in One
Terell Stafford—No, No, No (That Ain’t the Way It Go)—Forgive & Forget
Cory Weeds—Shining Star—Let’s Groove: The Music of Earth Wind & Fire
Dan Pratt—New Day—Hymn for the Happy Man
Emmet Cohen—Two Bass Hit—Masters Legacy Series Vol. 1
Tom Harrell—Four the Moment—Moving Picture
Peter Erskine & the Dr. Um Band—Dreamsville—Second Opinion
Organic Trio—The Flower—Saturn’s Spell
Curtis Stigers & The Danish Radio Band—Come Fly with Me—One More for the Road (Live)
Carol Robbins—Deep Canyon (feat. Larry Koonse)—Taylor Street
Joey DeFrancesco—So Near, So Far—Project Freedom
Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People—Birdland—Weather or Not
Curtis Brothers Quartet—Afro Blue—Syzygy
Organissimo—All You Need is Love—B3TLES (A Soulful Tribute to the Fab Four)
Jeremy Pelt—Cry Freedom—Make Noise!
Don Aliquo Sr. & Don Aliquo Jr.—The September One—Fathers and Sons
Martin Bejerano—Old School—Trio Miami
Kevin Eubanks—Time Line—East West Time Line
Billy Childs--Rebirth—Rebirth
Harold Mabern—The Nearness of You—Right on Time (feat. John Webber & Joe Farnsworth)
Kurt Rosenwinkle—Caipi—Caipi
Jeff “Tain” Watts—14E (feat. Gregoire Maret)—Blue, Vol. 2
Jimmy Greene—Amantes—Flowers-Beautiful Life, Vol. 2
Lily Anel—Another Place, Another Time—Another Place, Another Time
Steve Nelson—Soul Leo—Brothers Under the Sun
Larry Coryell—If Miles Were Here—Barefoot Man: Sanpaku
Christian Sands—Bud’s Tune—REACH
SF JAZZ Collective—So What—Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions Live
Regina Carter—Reach for Tomorrow—Ella: Accentuate the Positive
Sean Jones—Piscean Dichotomy—Live from Jazz at the Bistro
Dayna Stephens—Woodside Waltz (feat. Julian Lage)——Gratitude
Gerald Clayton—Patients Patience—Tributary Tales
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra—Piazza Navona (ft. Jon Batiste & Wynton Marsalis)——The Music of John Lewis (ft. Batiste & Marsalis)
Diana Krall—Night and Day—Turn up the Quiet
Bria Skonberg—Dance Me to the End of Love—With a Twist
Bobby Watson—The Guitarist “For Grant Green”—Made in America
Akiko Tsuruga—The Lady is a Tramp—So Cute, So Bad
Louis Hayes—Song for My Father (ft. Gregory Porter)—Serenade for Horace
The Danish Radio Big Band & Charlie Watts—Paint it Black (feat. Per Gade & Gerard Presencer)—Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band
Dylan Taylor—Hittin’ and Missin’ (ft. Larry Coryell & Mike Clark)——One in Mind (feat. Larry Coryell & Mike Clark)
Jazzmeia Horn—Tight—A Social Call
Larry Newcomb Quartet—You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to—Living Tribute
Flying Horse Big Band—Dreamsville—Big Man on Campus
DeJohnette/Grenadier/Medeski/Scofield—Lay Lady Lay—Hudson
Brent Laidler—No Matter Where Noir (feat. Ned Boyd)——No Matter Where Noir
Latvian Radio Big Band & Randy Brecker—A Quick Ride in a Jazz Mobile—Big Band Minimalism: Works of Mats Holmquist
B.J. Jansen—Street Walk—Common Ground
Mark Winkler—Walk Between the Raindrops (feat. Jackie Ryan)—The Company I Keep
Grant Stewart Trio—Un Poco Loco—Roll On
Tom Rizzo—School Days—Day and Night
Melody Gardot—The King of 52nd Street (Chan’s Declaration)—The Passion of Charlie Parker
Sarah McKenzie—Don’t Be a Fool—Paris in the Rain
Alan Broadbent—Naima—Developing Story
Stanton Moore—Java—With You in Mind
Tardo Hammer Trio—I Found a Million Dollar Baby—Swinging on a Star
Katie Thiroux—Some Cats Know (feat. Ken Peplowski)—Off Beat
Cyrus Chestnut—Nardis—There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit
John Pizzarelli—I Concentrate on You/Wave —Sinatra and Jobim @ 50 (feat. Daniel Jobim)
The Pete Malinverni Trio—Wade in the Water (feat. Steve Wilson)—Heaven
Douye—But Beautiful—Daddy Said So
Bill Cunliffe—Solfeggietto —Bachanalia
Russell Malone—Little B’s Poem—Time for the Dancers
Matt White—Adam in the Garden—The Super Villain Jazz Band: Worlds Wide
Kandace Springs—Soul Eyes (feat. Terence Blanchard)—Soul Eyes
Dave Stryker—Footprints—Strykin’ Ahead
John Beasley—I Mean You—MONK’estra, Vol. 2
Christian McBride Big Band--Thermo—Bringin’ It
Cecile McLorin Salvant—The Worm—Dreams and Daggers
Bill Charlap Trio—There’s a Small Hotel—Uptown, Downtown
Johnny O’Neal—Saving All My Love for You—In the Moment
Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield—Good Morning New Orleans—A Beautiful World
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra—Four by Five (feat. Helen Sung)—Handful of Keys
Blue Note All-Stars—Second Light—Our Point of View
Mike Boone Quartet—Punjab (Live)—Beneath the Surface
Joey Alexander—Evidence—Joey. Monk. Live!
Harold Mabern—So What—To Love and Be Loved
Temple University Studio Orchestra with Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts—Luck Be a Lady—Luck be a Lady: A Tribute to Frank
Vincent Herring—Amsterdam after Dark—Hard Times
Lizz Wright—Barley—Grace
Gregory Porter—Pick Yourself Up—Nat “King” Cole & Me
Sherman Irby & Momentum—Smile Please—Cerulean Canvas
Pat Martino—El Hombre—Formidable
Hiromi & Edmar Castaneda—Cantina Band—Live in Montreal
Delfeayo Marsalis—Autumn Leaves—Kalamazoo (An Evening with Delfeayo Marsalis)
Michelle Lordi—This Time the Dream’s on Me—Dream a Little Dream
The Verve Jazz Ensemble—Tis Autumn—Swing-A-Nova
Stacey Kent—To Say Goodbye—I Know I Dream: The Orchestra Sessions
Ghost Train Orchestra—Walking Home in Spring—Book of Rhapsodies, Vol. II