Never mind that our readers’ top pick for 2013 was actually published on December 27, 2011. It’s part of a trend involving a certain mop-topped bunch. You May Also Like: How ‘Let It Be … Naked’ Led to Our New Understanding of the Beatles’ End

Old lions — namely Wayne Shorter, Boz Scaggs and James Cotton — certainly roared in 2013, putting out some of the most vital, present music of their careers. You May Also Like: Jerry Granelli, feat. Bill Frisell and Robben Ford – Dance Hall (2017) Boz Scaggs – Out Of TheRead More

When I sized up the best fusion jazz discs of 2013 at mid-year, I came up with ten I really liked a lot. You May Also Like: Dave Holland – ‘Another Land’ (2021) Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland – Aziza (2016) Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories (2018)

I used to call this the “whack jazz” (or is that “wack” jazz?) list, but I found that term to be too restrictive for what’s being presented below. You May Also Like: Harrison Bankhead and Paul de Jong – ‘Freedom’ (2020) Bobby Kapp + Matthew Shipp – Cactus (2016) DavidRead More

The Band is revealed in all of its muscular, almost (but never completely) out-of-control on-stage glory — bolstered, in a meeting of musical worlds, by these stabbing horn charts from Allen Toussaint. You May Also Like: Jethro Tull – ‘The Zealot Gene’ (2022)

People like to make that joke about jazz not being dead — no, it just smells funny; har, har … oh, so clever — or they cling to the belief that nothing new has happened You May Also Like: Bill Frisell’s Timeless ‘Live’ Opened Up a New Musical World forRead More

There’s been a ton of great modern and mainstream jazz albums released this year, coming from stalwarts and newcomers alike. It’s not just tradition being upheld with grace and passion, there were loads of creative spurts by newcomers and stalwarts alike You May Also Like: No related posts.

With so many major releases typically timed go on sale to take advantage of the holiday shopping season, you’d think that most of the choicest music of any given year are records issued during the September-November timeframe. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Artists reclaimed their thrones in 2013, did things they were supposed to do in the way they were supposed to do them. Sounded, if nothing else, like their very own glorious selves. You May Also Like: No related posts.

From Agony Aunts to Big Boy Pete, from Merrell Fankhauser to Richard Heyman, from Jeremy to Gary Ritchie, it’s been a terrific year for often-overlooked rock and pop.