Notable Jazz releases from 2012

Several years ago, Ken Blanchard gave me the keys to contribute to Jazz Note SDP.  I have not done so as often as I should, and haven't done so in quite some time. I am going to try and change that (as long as I am allowed) and post more often. Besides being an obsessive jazz fan, I am also a radio host in Connecticut at WHUS FM, and publish a podcast produced from the radio show, Jazz and Beyond (as you may know from Ken Blanchard's frequent plugs).

Favorite Overall Picks

Black Radio ~ Robert Glasper Experiment - Ground breaking, chart topping, Jazz-R&B-HipHop crossover album.
Star of Jupiter ~ Kurt Rosenwinkel - Unique sound with a spatial quality and a jazz-rock fusion influence.
Rayuela ~ Miguel Zenon and Laurent Coq - Concept album inspired by a the novel of the same name. Jazz album with Latin, Classical and Indian influenced sound.
Circle House ~ Kris Allen - This quartet led by Hartford based alto sax player shows some great hard bop chops along with raw emotion in these original compositions (and one standard).
Seeds From the Underground ~ Kenny Garrett - Non-stop intensity from start to finish. Soaring alto sax lines over African rhythms.
Four MF’s Playin’ Tunes ~ Branford Marsalis - Hard driving modern bop from some extroadinary jazz cats.
All Our Reasons ~ Billy Hart - Thoughtful compositions and expressive drumming leads the way with this great quartet's explorations.
Unity Band ~ Pat Metheny - Metheny's great all-star touring band of 2012. Chris Potter is paired beautifully with Metheny's playing.
1619 Broadway ~ Kurt Elling - Elling's interpretations of some great popular songs from the 60's and 70's with fine modern jazz arangements behind them.
Initial Here ~ Linda Oh - This great young bass player shows off her intricate writing and arranging skills with a fine quintet.
Accelerando ~ Vijay Iyer - An intense set of piano trio works from this forward thinking creative jazz artist.
The Eleventh Hour ~ Jonathan Blake - Blake explores many facets of jazz in first CD as a leader. He has a modern sound steeped in a swinging tradition.
Spirit Fiction ~ Ravi Coltrane - Ravi continues to grow creatively as an artist. Produced with Joe Lovano, and his influence is felt in these tracks.
Smul’s Paradise ~ Gary Smulyan- Great Hammond B3 based quartet, swinging with one of the best Baritone Sax players in the world.

Best from Connectiuct Jazz Artists

Grandma’s Revenge ~ Frank Varela - Soaring guitar work showing influences from Wes to Hendrix on this fine guitar trio album
Tales & Stories ~ Sinan Bakir - Fine compositions, great chops with an Eastern European influence from this Turkish born, Hartford guitarist.
Live at Smalls ~ Dezron Douglas - Hartfords up and coming bass player is getting some world-wide attention playing with Cyrus Chestnut, Ravi Coltrane and many more. His first major release as a leader swings hard.
Underground ~ New Jazz Workshop - This long standing project by leaders Dezron Dougas (bass) and Lummie Span (sax) puts a hard swinging groove to their original compositions.
Books on Tape, Vol 1 ~ Craig Hartley - Skilled piano chops and wonderful writing from one of Hartfords best jazz cats on this trio album.
State of Emergency ~ Nat Reeves - One of the best jazz session bassists shows how to lay down the perfect rhythm and push the music ahead with this quartet. Fine trumpet playing by newcomer Josh Bruneau deserves your attention.

Circle House -Kris Allen - CT artist listed above in "Best Overall Pics"

Vijay Iyer 2

I am adding 'Kinship' to my playlist, from Iyer's 2003 album, Blood Sutra.  The lineup includes 

• Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto sax, 
• Stephen Crump on bass, and 
• Tyshawn Storey on drums. 

I had been playing a cut from Mahanthappa's album, Apex, called 'Summit'.  I have replaced it with 'Rainier and Theresia', a much more compelling and delicious number.  

I have just listened to another cut from Blood Sutra, and it is so bloody good.  'Because of guns/Hey Joe Redux'.  Avant garde does blues across the spectrum of the heart.  This one had me jumpin' in the kitchen.  

Vijay Iyer's Solid State Jazz

I frequently read scientific journals both as part of my scholarly work and because of a general interest in science.  It is not often that I come across a reference to jazz in such publications.  This week I read a short and fascinating article on pianist Vijay Iyer in Nature.  It turns out that Iyer was working on a PhD in solid state physics and doing research on materials when his night job turned into a day job. I don't think the PhD ever happened. 

Though I had heard of Iyer, it aroused my curiosity why I didn't have any of his recordings.  In short order I developed a hypothesis.  Most of my jazz collecting has been directed by the inestimable Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, Eighth Edition.  Iyer's entry occurs on page 679, but very on the right column of the page.  I probably just missed it.  

Well, I have been listening now and I am very interested.  When my eMusic credits renew tomorrow, I will start to fill this gap in my treasury.  Meanwhile I have purchased his latest album, Accelerando, from Amazon.  I am playing 'Human Nature' from that album.  Here is the trio:

• Bass – Stephan Crump
• Drums – Marcus Gilmore
• Piano, Producer – Vijay Iyer

I expect I'll be adding a lot more.