Karl Ackermann's Best Creative Music Albums Of 2022

For good, or bad, the "new normal" can finally be archived, and the club doors reopened to full rooms of unmasked patrons. 2022 marked an informal end to the Pandemic and a rebirth in live performing arts. Like similar periods in history, an unusual burst of creative energy followed isolation. Jazz was no exception; the resilience of the artists and the embrace of technology has provided audiences with an abundance of excellent music this year. The following—in no particular order—are among the best releases of 2022.

William Parker
Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World
Centering Records / AUM Fidelity

If multi-instrumentalist/composer William Parker's ten-CD Migration Of Silence Into And Out Of The Tone World suggests a cohesive, high concept plan, it is something more. The beautifully packaged clamshell box set is comprised of mutually exclusive projects—one dating back ten years—with some common themes. There is an overall dedication of the music to "all people of the world who are searching for freedom...." Pandemic downtime resulted in Parker's accumulating enough material for many of these albums. Viewed as a whole, the collection includes ten hours of music across ninety-one tracks, and features many stellar performances though few artists appear on more than a single volume.

Natuski Tamura
Summer Tree
Libra Records

Natsuki Tamura explodes the conventions of the trumpet. The ironically titled Summer Tree is his fifth solo album though his partner, and here, producer, Satoko Fujii, lends a vocal contribution on one of four extended compositions. Tamura's previous pandemic project, Koki Solo (Libra Records, 2021) was lockdown escapism with an ear toward humor and an eye toward the more resonant utensils in his kitchen. Summer Tree is dark and complex but Tamura's most accessible solo album. Two fully improvised pieces are bookended by composed melodies, overlayed with improvised tracks.

Mostly Other People Do the Killing
Disasters Vol. 1
Hot Cup Records

Swing and blues always had a place in Moppa Elliott's compositions, but in MOPDtK's complex, larger iterations, it was more challenging for a listener to isolate them. The trio version of the group is often more straightforward in approach but hardly conventional. Unlike the all-acoustic Paint, Disasters Vol. 1 sees Ron Stabinsky and Kevin Shea doubling up on electronics. The enhancements are usually subtle but on a track like "Marcus Hook" they can be shrill and detract from the piece. Still, followers of MOPDtK have come to expect some level of their trademark impertinence. As a whole, Disasters Vol. 1 is an excellent, if eccentric, piano trio album.

Matthew Shipp
World Construct
ESP Disk

World Construct does not just expand the iconic Shipp glossary; the artist acts as a surveyor of a curiously shifting ballast. The compatible and disparate lines, classically infused melodies, and group interplay are like a series of passages on an original map. The album is the most fluid manifestation of Shipp's vision to date and in Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker, he has solidified one of the finest, forward-thinking piano trios in creative music.

Dr. Mark Lomax, II
Trio Plays Mingus
CFG Multimedia

Celebrating Charles Mingus sometimes necessitates separating the man from his music. Even at that, the bassist had both deep social convictions and a volatile, sometimes violent demeanor. Trio Plays Mingus lets the music speak for itself and adds to the originals with inimitable readings and top-notch musicianship. Dr. Mark Lomax, II explains his take on Mingus' compositions in his notes: "His music says life is complicated but if you take the time to look deeply, it's also very beautiful. For all these reasons; the personal, musical, and cultural influence he had, we celebrate him."

Wadada Leo Smith
The Emerald Duets
TUM Records

The pioneering British photographer/author Val Wilmer said of Wadada Leo Smith, "he no longer relates to the restrictions of scales and chords. To him, music is about two things only: sound and rhythm." Throughout The Emerald Duets, there is ceaseless and dynamic strength but often it is hiding in plain sight, sheltered within expansive, wide-open spaces. In the majority of works, the fluidity of the trumpet, blending with the brisk encroachment of drums, presents an unusual and compelling dialog. The 5-disc box set provides many hours of fascinating listening.

Horace Tapscott
Legacies for Our Grandchildren: Live in Hollywood 1995
Dark Tree Records

Horace Tapscott began amassing what would become a large collective in 1961, and from that community, he assembled distinct groups for projects. Because he elected to play within confined geography, he never achieved his deserved level of fame. Tapscott experimented and though it did not always work, it was fire when it did. "Ballad for Deadwood Dick" and "Breakfast at Bongo's" account for more than a half-hour of explosively good jazz. Legacies for Our Grandchildren: Live in Hollywood 1995 was culled from several performances at Catalina Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard. Kudos to the Dark Tree label for giving Tapscott a second life.

Lionel Marchetti
Ciel-Cristal
Sonoscopia

Ciel-Cristal exists outside the orbit of any familiar place; there are black holes that open and swallow the sound. The music artfully dodges debris; sunspots flare up out of nowhere. The unusual instrumentation establishes subtleties that constantly shift or disappear permanently. The sound is constantly moving and requires a sensitive ear to appreciate its shades and textures. The album was recorded at the conclusion of a joint Lionel Marchetti-Abdul Moimême 2021 residency in Porto, Portugal. The live improvisation included a visual element in the form of a Jorge Quintela video of geometric salt crystal formations. Ciel-Cristal is strongly recommended for adventurous listeners.

Joel Futterman
The Deep
Mahakala Music

The Deep brings together the quartet of pianist Joel Futterman, bassist William Parker, saxophonist Chad Fowler, and drummer Steve Hirsh. Individually—and collectively—they have been the catalysts for many who wander to the farther bounds of jazz. The album was recorded in a single, spontaneous one-hour session. The musicians had not previously worked together as a quartet although their balance and responsiveness would belie that. The suite is spirited, forceful, and mystical; it demands and rewards attentive listening.

Natsuki Tamura
Sleeping Cat
Libra Records

One of the wonderful things about Gato Libre is the way Satoko Fujii's accordion interacts with Natsuki Tamura's trumpet. Whether the trumpeter is in the throes of his trademark bleats and bursts or searching lyricism, the couple connect to create unparalleled improvisations. The sound of this unique partnership can manifest itself as ballast or chaos, dense fog, or piercing clarity. Often, these characteristics are present in a single composition. Tamura recorded Sleeping Cat at his home studio in Japan and Kaneko recorded remotely. It is one of Gato Libre's best albums.

Keith Jarrett
Bordeaux Concert
ECM Records

Recorded at the Bordeaux National Opera House, in July 2016, Bordeaux Concert marks Keith Jarrett's final solo performance in France. The improvised suite came from a prolific European tour that has produced three ECM releases to date. The album demonstrates that, even as Jarrett aged and cultivated his repertoire, he never let intellect overpower spontaneity. The extensiveness of Jarrett's spontaneous creations continues to be a marvel. Even in the shorter-form pieces that he favored in his later performances, he succeeded in mingling styles, from gospel to classical, blues, jazz, and free improvisation. Bordeaux Concert is an intriguing masterpiece, rapturous, enthusiastic, and creative on a scale that few can relate to.




Steve Lehman
Xaybu: The Unseen
Pi Recordings

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman debuted his Sélébéyone project in 2016 with a self-titled release on the Pi Recordings label. It was nothing short of revolutionary; an amalgamation of jazz improvisation and globalized hip-hop, it was an intrepid declaration. Lehman and Sélébéyone have taken two distinctly African American forms of music to new heights. For listeners who aren't encumbered by tradition, Xaybu: The Unseen is an exceptionally rewarding experience.

Jussi Reijonen
Three Seconds | Kolme Toista
Challenge Records

East/West jazz fusion has a long presence on the U.S. jazz scene and that foothold has been growing in the 2000s. Composer/guitarist/oud player Jussi Reijonen is uniquely qualified to bridge musical cultures. Nordic by birth, he has lived in the Middle East, Africa, and the U.S., absorbing native music at each stop. These fusions bring to mind something other than what Reijonen's group has created here. For one, it is far broader in geographic scope. Beyond influences, it never has the feeling of trying to incorporate another musical culture just to check the box. The music is unlike anything in memory; it doesn't simply alternate worldly assortments of styles but rather creates a new, genre-less, form. Three Seconds | Kolme Toista is spellbinding from beginning to end, and full of virtuoso performances.

Esbjorn Svensson
HOME.S.
ACT Music

Esbjorn Svensson has rarely been heard without the accompaniment of bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Ostrom and, in that, the temperament of HOME.S. is not just warmer, but in retrospect, moving. Within the nine compositions, there are blueprints that could have been the foundation for the most challenging work of e.s.t. on Leucocyte (ACT, 2008). HOME.S. is neither a collector's item nor a novelty; it is an exceptionally insightful, and relevant collection from Gagarin's or anyone's point of view.

Ahmad Jamal
Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse
Jazz Detective

The hyperbolic jazz advocate Stanley Crouch once asked if Sonny Rollins was "washed up or simply studio averse." It was an extreme assumption but the premise is valid and it is fair to ponder whether Ahmad Jamal was less ambitious off-stage. His studio recordings demonstrated little growth in technique across five decades of music. But Jamal's live recordings show a different side of the pianist and that has never been more clearly heard than on Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse.

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