End the Year on a High Note with Freedom Jazz Dance

Tune in to on Freedom Jazz Dance--modern jazz from bebop to freebop and beyond--this Sunday on 90.1 FM WDCE, live from the beautiful campus of the University of Richmond.

This week I will be featuring some of the best jazz recordings of 2007 (see the list below) as well as rare, dusty platters from the turntable. Feel free to call in at 804-289-UR90 to give your trash-or-treasure vote during my notorious Records From Aunt Ruth segment and compare jazz compositions during the FJD exclusive Two Of A Kind segment.

And now, without further ado...

The Freedom Jazz Dance Top 7 of 2007

1. Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake - From The River To The Ocean - Thrill Jockey Records
A blistering, soul-searching collaboration between a veteran saxophonist and a master percussionist.

2. Michael Brecker - Pilgrimage - Heads Up Records
A both heart-wrenching and joyous farewell from a jazz legend recorded just before he passed away.

3. Joshua Redman - Back East - Nonesuch Records
Today's saxophone colossus throws down the gauntlet with a tip of the hat to his father and Sonny Rollins.

4. Fred Hersch Trio -The Night And The Music - Palmetto Records
Effortless grace and serpentine explorations from a master pianist.

5. Terence Blanchard - A Tale Of God's Will - Blue Note Records
A stirring musical epic of loss and strength inspired by Hurricane Katrina.

6. David Murray & The Black Saint Quartet- Sacred Ground - Justin Time Records
The gritty, big-toned improviser deepens his spiritual blues with the sensual Cassandra Wilson as guest.

7. Howard Alden & Ken Peplowski - Pow-Wow - Arbors Records
A brilliant study in jazz interplay between two of the music's most accomplished traditionalists.