Dan Bilawsky's Best Releases of 2012

Dan Bilawsky

Senior Contributor since 2010

Jazz fan, music educator and writer.

Recent articles (594 total)

Published: December 23, 2012

Transcendent recordings don't come with a label identifying their magnificence, but they're easy to pick out. I had the honor and privilege of receiving, and listening to, more than 375 CDs for review consideration in 2012. I reviewed approximately 165 of them and these were the 15 that rose above the rest. Some are bold and others practice the art of quiet seduction, but every one of them won me over from the get go and remain close to my ears and heart (Note: these albums are not ranked in order of preference):

Avishai Cohen - Trumpet Avishai Cohen - Trumpet trumpet Triveni II (Anzic Records)	Sara Gazarek Sara Gazarek vocal Blossom & Bee (Palmetto Records)	Ryan Truesdell Ryan Truesdell composer/conductor Centennial—Newly Discovered Works Of Gil Evans (ArtistShare)
Kate McGarry Kate McGarry vocal Girl Talk (Palmetto Records)	Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis b.1960 saxophone Four MFs Playin' Tunes (Marsalis Music)	Ehud Asherie Ehud Asherie b.1979 piano with Harry Allen Harry Allen b.1966 saxophone Upper West Side (Posi-Tone Records)
Gregory Porter Gregory Porter b.1971 vocal Be Good (Motéma Music)	Anat Cohen Anat Cohen sax, tenor Claroscuro (Anzic Records)	Wes Montgomery Wes Montgomery 1925 - 1968 guitar Echoes Of Indiana Avenue (Resonance Records)
Halie Loren Halie Loren vocal Heart First (Justin Time Records)	Ablaye Cissoko Ablaye Cissoko /Volker Goetze Volker Goetze b.1972 trumpet Amanke Dionti (Motéma Music)	Andy Hunter Andy Hunter trombone Think Like A Mountain (Self Produced)
Jazz Soul Seven Jazz Soul Seven Impressions Of Curtis Mayfield (BFM Jazz)	Ferenc Nemeth Ferenc Nemeth b.1976 drums Triumph (Dreamers Collective)	Greg Lewis Greg Lewis organ, Hammond B3 /Organ Monk Uwo In The Black (Self Produced)