Blue Note Records 2008 Releases

As 2008 winds downs, Blue Note Records is already looking ahead to 2009 and a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the label's founding by Alfred Lion, as well as the 25th anniversary of Blue Note's relaunch under current President Bruce Lundvall. But first we wanted to recap another remarkable year of new releases—Jazz & Beyond—for your year-end consideration...



JAZZ

• Eliane Elias, Something for You (Jan. 15) -- The Brazilian pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias' heartfelt tribute to the great Bill Evans had an extra personal touch with the presence of Elias's husband & collaborator Marc Johnson, who was the bassist in Evans' last trio.
  
  
  
  
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Avatar (Feb. 5) -- The Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba assembled a blazing New York quintet with trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, alto saxophonist Yosvany Terry, bassist Matt Brewer & drummer Marcus Gilmore that reinvigorated him and inspired one of the finest recordings of his acclaimed career.
  
  
  
  
• Horace Silver, Live at Newport '58 (Feb. 5) -- Another treasure from the archives, this newly discovered live set showcases the legendary Horace Silver's hard-swinging quintet stretching out at the height of their powers during the brief tenure of the unsung trumpeter Louis Smith.
  
  
  
  
• Lionel Loueke, Karibu (Mar. 25) -- The Jazz debut of the year. The New York Times called the West African guitarist Lionel Loueke “a gentle virtuoso... one of the most striking jazz artists to emerge is some time... a spellbinding presence... a startlingly original voice." Billboard called the album—which featured rare guest appearances from Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter... “a revelation."
  
  
  
  
• Dianne Reeves, When You Know (Apr. 15) -- Multi-Grammy Award-winning Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves soared on this collection of love songs that look at love from different phases of woman's life. Produced by Reeves cousin & long-time collaborator George Duke, the album's highlights found Reeves in the intimate company of just two guitarists, Russell Malone & Romero Lubambo.
  
  
  
  
• Cassandra Wilson, Loverly (June 10) -- Grammy-winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson put together a standout band featuring pianist Jason Moran for her first collection of Jazz standards in a decade, which was deemed “an unalloyed triumph" by The New Yorker.
  
  
  
  
• Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, Two Men With The Blues (July 8) -- One of the major event records of the year, the seemingly unlikely pairing of these country & jazz legends proved to be sensational, “an unmitigated, ear-tickling success" as the Boston Globe described it. The two American icons discovered common ground in their mutual love of jazz & blues standards
  
  
  
  
• Aaron Parks, Invisible Cinema (Aug. 19) -- JazzTimes named pianist/composer Aaron Parks “a new visionary" based on the strength of his Blue Note debut, a powerful & profound collection of his own original compositions featuring a stellar quartet with guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Matt Penman & drummer Eric Harland.
  
  
  
  
• Joe Lovano, Symphonica (Sept. 2) -- For his 20th Blue Note album, saxophonist Joe Lovano delivered a milestone that DownBeat declared a “sure classic," a bold & beautiful career-spanning retrospective of his own compositions accompanied by a full orchestra.
  
  
  
  
• Patricia Barber, The Cole Porter Mix (Sept. 16) -- The Los Angeles Times has written that Patricia Barber's “gripping interpretations and propulsive piano playing are among the great wonders of contemporary music," and her new Cole Porter songbook is no exception, with riveting versions of “I Get a Kick Out of You," “Miss Otis Regrets," and “Just One of Those Things" featuring special guest saxophonist Chris Potter.
  
  

BEYOND

• Jaymay, Autumn Fallin' (Mar. 11) -- The Washington Post called the debut from the remarkable young singer-songwriter Jaymay “a clear-eyed masterpiece."
  
  
  
  
• The Wood Brothers, Loaded (Apr. 1) -- Oliver & Chris Wood delivered another sterling set of their folk & acoustic blues tunes, tinged with gospel hopefulness & country melancholy, featuring guest singers Amos Lee, Pieta Brown & Frazey Ford.
  
  
  
  
• Al Green, Lay It Down (May 27) -- Another of the year's major event records, soul legend Al Green triumphantly teamed with members of The Roots crew & guest vocalists John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae & Anthony Hamilton on what Rolling Stone called Green's “best disc in decades."
  
  
  
  
• Priscilla Ahn, A Good Day (June 10) -- PASTE magazine declared the debut from heavenly-voiced singer-songwriter Priscilla Ahn “a classic folk album for the iPod generation."
  
  
  
  
• Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge (June 24) -- Singer-songwriter Amos Lee delved deeper into soul & rock music with his third album, with PASTE magazine declaring “third time's the charm... Last Days at the Lodge finds Lee at his melodic and passionate best."