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C. Michael Bailey's Best Releases of 2008
Presented here are links to 14 reviews of what I considered the best recordings released between December 2007 and December 2008. Allowing that no writer can listen to or write about the bulk of the music released, 14 more reviews have been added, written by colleagues at All About Jazz, of discs the column was unable to review or that were reviewed more tellingly by other writers.
We have an embarrassment of riches among both jazz (and related) recordings released in 2008 and the writers writing about them. We should celebrate them both.
Maceo Parker Roots and Grooves
Heads Up International
2008
In jazz, the term swing is used to describe that special thing that makes jazz jazz... continued
Connie Evingson Little Did I Dream: Songs by Dave Frishberg
Minnehaha Music
2008
The late Tip O'Neill once said, all politics is local. This certainly can be said for jazz also... continued
The Ellis Marsalis Quartet An Open Letter to Thelonious
elm music
2008
Pianist Thelonious Monk is jazz's biggest enigma. Called the high priest of bebop, the jazz Monk composed and performed was anything but... continued
Art Pepper Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III; The Croydon Concert, May 14, 1981
Widow's Taste
2008
Laurie Pepper, widow of alto saxophonist Art Pepper, has single-handedly made the most significant contribution to her late husband's legacy... < continued
Uri Caine The Othello Syndrome
Winter and Winter
2008
Pianist Uri Caine, in his own unique way, surveyed music from the classical era with The Classical Variations (Winter and Winter, 2008)... continued
Trio West An Upper Westside Story
Yummy House Records
2008
Tobias Gebb and Trio West debuted on disc with < Trio West Plays Holiday Songs (Yummy House Records, 2007)... continued
Perez It's Happenin'
Zoho Music
2008
Diana Perez is the new voice of this bunch, in spite of the fact she has been actively performing as both actor and vocalist for several years... continued
The Roy Hargrove Quintet Earfood
a target=_blank href=http://www.emarcy.com/>Emarcy
2008
Trumpeter Roy Hargrove emerged into jazz consciousness as one of the young lions who beamed into the late 1980s and early 1990s... < continued
The Carla Bley Big Band Appearing Nightly
Watt
2008
Bandleader and musical provocateur Carla Bley is the Hector Berlioz of jazz. Her command of her large ensembles is complete and potent... < continued
The James Moody and Hank Jones Quartet Our Delight
Ipo Records
2008
Are there any other two jazz musicians whose presence on a recording gives it more urbanity and class than pianist Hank Jones and reed player James Moody... < continued
Lee Konitz and Minsarah Deep Lee
Enja Records
2008
Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz (born 1927) is only one of two living musicians out of the original twelve who took part in... continued
Corey Christiansen img class="f-left" width=100 height=100 src=https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/2008/connieevingson.jpg /> Connie Evingson
Little Did I Dream: Songs by Dave Frishberg
Minnehaha Music
2008
The late Tip O'Neill once said, all politics is local. This certainly can be said for jazz also... continued
The Ellis Marsalis Quartet An Open Letter to Thelonious
elm music
2008
Pianist Thelonious Monk is jazz's biggest enigma. Called the high priest of bebop, the jazz Monk composed and performed was anything but... continued
Art Pepper Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III; The Croydon Concert, May 14, 1981
Widow's Taste
2008
Laurie Pepper, widow of alto saxophonist Art Pepper, has single-handedly made the most significant contribution to her late husband's legacy... continued
Uri Caine The Othello Syndrome
Winter and Winter
2008
Pianist Uri Caine, in his own unique way, surveyed music from the classical era with The Classical Variations (Winter and Winter, 2008)... continued
Trio West An Upper Westside Story
Yummy House Records
2008
Tobias Gebb and Trio West debuted on disc with Trio West Plays Holiday Songs (Yummy House Records, 2007)... continued
Perez It's Happenin'
Zoho Music
2008
Diana Perez is the new voice of this bunch, in spite of the fact she has been actively performing as both actor and vocalist for several years... continued
The Roy Hargrove Quintet Earfood
Emarcy
2008
Trumpeter Roy Hargrove emerged into jazz consciousness as one of the young lions who beamed into the late 1980s and early 1990s... continued
The Carla Bley Big Band Appearing Nightly
Watt
2008
Bandleader and musical provocateur Carla Bley is the Hector Berlioz of jazz. Her command of her large ensembles is complete and potent... continued
The James Moody and Hank Jones Quartet Our Delight
Ipo Records
2008
Are there any other two jazz musicians whose presence on a recording gives it more urbanity and class than pianist Hank Jones and reed player James Moody... continued
Lee Konitz and Minsarah Deep Lee
Enja Records
2008
Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz (born 1927) is only one of two living musicians out of the original twelve who took part in... continued
Corey Christiansen Roll With It
Origin Records
2008
If jazz is America's soundtrack, periodically updated by tonal seismic shifts, then Corey Christiansen's third release, Roll With It... continued
Bill Cunliffe The Blues and the Abstract Truth, Take 2
Resonance Records
2008
Oliver Nelson (1932-1975) was a saxophonist, arranger, and composer who seemed everywhere in the 1960s... continued
Don Hales Unified String Theory
Chicken Coup Records
2008
Guitarist Don Hales is one of those jazz musicians almost too good to be true, one who has had a lengthy local career who finally bobs to the surface with a head-turning release... continued
Enough from the C. Michael Bailey 2008 archive. Here is a Bailey's dozen of reviews by other All About Jazz writers:
Carla Bley The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu
Watt
2008
Reviewed by John Kelman
Once Carla Bley finds musicians she likes, she sticks with them. Bassist Steve Swallow, also Bley's life partner, dates back... continued
Gov't Mule Holy Haunted House
Independent
2008
Reviewed by Doug Collette
It's hardly a surprise that Gov't Mule performed Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy (Atlantic, 1973) in its entirety in sequence on Halloween, 2007... continued
James Carter Present Tense
Emarcy
2008
Reviewed by Greg Camphire
Multi-reedist James Carter has been steadily chugging along as a master of many instruments and styles since his auspicious recording... continued
Marcin Wasilewski trio January
ECM
2008
Reviewed by Chris May
With January, pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz step out of the benign shadow of... continued
Tim Hagan Alone Together
Pirouet Records
2008
Reviewed by Budd Kopman
Just as the term jazz is notoriously hard to define, so are many terms within its world including mainstream... continued
Enrico Rava / Stefano Bollani The Third Man
ECM
2008
Reviewed by Laurel Gross
Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani have been collaborators for more than a dozen years... continued
Jessica Williams Deep Monk
Red and Blue Records
2008
Reviewed by Dan McClenaghan
Do we really need another tribute to Thelonious Sphere Monk? Everybody who is anybody in the jazz game has put a Monk song on an album... continued
Corey Wilkes Drop It
Delmark Records
2008
Reviewed by Jerry D'Souza
It was in 2002 that Corey Wilkes (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet) made his presence on the Chicago jazz scene... continued
Bryan BeninghoveOrgan Trio
Self Published
2008
Reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins
Bryan Beninghove puts a different spin on the jazz trio. Instead of piano or guitar with bass and drums, he heads a sax-organ-drums combo... continued
Roy Assaf and Eddy Khaimovich quartet Andarta
Origin Records
2008
Reviewed by John Barron
Pianist Roy Assaf and bassist Eddy Khaimovich are true musical soul mates. Much like the legendary partnerships of saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie... continued
Sonny Rollins Road Shows, Vol. 1
Doxy
2008
Reviewed by Mark Corroto
The sound of saxophonist Sonny Rollins is unmistakable. Instantly recognizable when he plays just one note... continued
Gene Harris Live in London
Concord Records
2008
Reviewed by Jim Santella
A never-before-release can be of great value or it can be entirely forgettable. this live session from London, featuring veteran pianist Gene Harris with a stellar quartet... continued
Julia Hulsmann Trio The End of a Summer
ECM
2008
Reviewed by John Kelman
Why do some artists achieve popularity in their own country and fail to make an impression elsewhere, while others cross that boundary with apparent ease?... continued
Jeff Beck Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scott's
Eagle Rock Entertainment
2008
Reviewed by Doug Collette
Performing This Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's, recorded during a 2007 run at the renowned London club, is guitarist Jeff Beck's first release on the Eagle label... continued
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