Cool vibes, jazz hip-hop, some decent trumpeters, some pianists with personality, the rest of 2019, a bit of mainstream to tune in, a bit of avand-garde to keep us alert, and so discreetly, without anything at first glance particularly impressive, but of an overall high quality that made the final choice difficult, this first playlist of the year tries, as far as possible, to highlight the most expressive and original. So, be ready for pleasant surprises!
Click on any of the buttons below and have fun!
Information and brief comments about the 24 albums that contribute to the playlist:
No Hood, Zablon & La Jota – Journey (12/2019)
Genre: Neo-soul, hip-hop
Label: Colligence Records
Country: Paris, FR
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Pretty cool contemporary songs by No Hood, featuring La Jota Mora-Mir (voc.), Zablon (g)
Daniel Schenker Quintet feat. Chris Cheek – Times of Innocence (2020)
Genre: Contemporary jazz
Label: TCB The Montreux Jazz Label
Country: Switzerland
Reviews: (About)
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Swiss trumpeter Daniel Schenker’s quintet on original bop-style compositions and soli, featuring renowned Chris Cheek (ts, ss)
Elusive – Ambient Void (12/2019)
Genre: Ambient, beats, electronic, experimental
Label: Alpha Pup Records
Country: L.A., USA
Reviews: 48Hills.org
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Charming, futuristic soundscapes on musician and producer Aaron Koslow’s (aka Elusive) latest work
L’Indécis – Second Wind (5/2019)
Genre: hip-hop, jazz-hop
Label: Chillhop Records
Country: Rotterdam, NL
Reviews: Interview
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Jazz hip-hop grooves by multi-instrumentalist and producer L’Indécis (Grenoble, France)
Don Menza quartet – The Rose (2020)
Genre: Mainstream jazz
Label: Challenge Records
Country: USA
Reviews: (About)
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Great, touching tenor saxophone sound, by legendary 83 y.o. Don Menza (Buddy Rich Big band), who “sings” the ballads, supported by Oliver Kent (p), Johannes Strasser (b), Bernd Reiter (dr)
SUKISHA, kiki vivi lily – Over the Rainbow (12/2019)
Genre: Art-pop, hip-hop
Label: SUKISHA × kiki vivi lily
Country: Japan
Reviews: Tokyo phonic
Listen: Deezer, Spotify
Fresh, smartly treated, melodic songs on today’s beats, by producer SUKISHA and kiki vivi lily (voc)
Theo Hill – Reality Check (2020)
Genre: Modern jazz, post-bop
Label: Posi-Tone Records
Country: USA
Reviews: ( About ), Something else reviews, Downbeat
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Fast flowing compositions and soli, nearly danceable, by talented pianist and composer Theo Hill and his all-star group: Joel Ross (vbr), Rashaan Carter (b), Mark Whitfield Jr. (dr)
Captain Supernova – The Voyage Never Ends… (10/2019)
Genre: Contemporary soul/funk, new jazz, electronic
Label: Ropeadope
Country: L.A., USA
Reviews: Next bop, Jazz Revelations
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Keyboardist and producer Eric Borders (aka Captain Supernova) is a forward thinking entertainer
Le Groove de l’Empereur – Le Groove de l’Empereur (05/2019)
Genre: Jazz hip-hop, funk
Label: MAD
Country: Montpellier, FR
Reviews: longueur d’ondes
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Le Groove de l’Empereur is a 7 member band, successfully mixing jazz with modern grooves
Peter Knight – Daughter’s Fever (12/2019)
Genre: Art-folk, ambient, electronic
Label: P K M
Country: Melbourne, AU
Reviews: (About)
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Trumpeter/composer Peter Knight’s sophisticated project, in collaboration with singer/songwriter Paddy Mann, sound artist Grand Salvo and other experimental/new jazz musicians
Stefania Tallini, Matteo Bortone, Gregory Hutchinson – Uneven (2020)
Genre: Modern jazz, post-bop
Label: Alfamusic
Country: Italy
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Stefania Tallini, acclaimed Italian pianist/composer, in her own words: “… my music (especially in recent times) has become rather irregular in its aesthetics. And this goes hand in hand with my way of understanding life. I love more and more irregularity, asymmetry, unpredictability. I believe that what is sudden and unexpected is much more interesting than the “already known”, for better or for worse, even with all the risks that this entails. In particular, referring to this new trio, it was a long time since I played with this jazz formation and the need to do it was born suddenly, because in reality I was going to take a completely different musical direction In this new project, as in all my projects, there is a synthesis of the musical genres I play: jazz, classical music and Brazilian music. Various influences will therefore be felt in these new compositions of mine. ”
Blue Lab Beats – Voyage (10/2019)
Genre: Beats, hip-hop, new jazz, neo-soul
Label: AllPoints
Country: London, UK
Reviews: Entertainment focus
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Blue Lab Beats, the two young producers, plus guests, infuse jazz in DJ music
Eric Vloeimans’ Gatecrash – Party Animals (2020)
Genre: Fusion, funk, world
Label: V-Flow
Country: Netherlands
Reviews: (About)
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Renowned trumpeter Eric Vloeimans and his group Gatecrash on a live recording, with “golden era fusion” and some Spanish flavored instrumental songs
Erik Jekabson Sextet III – One Note at a Time (2020)
Genre: Contemporary jazz, post-bop
Label: Wide Hive Records
Country: Bay Area, California
Reviews: (About)
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Minor, modal moods by trumpeter Erik Jekabson’s Sextet, featuring Dave Ellis (ts, ss) and John Santos (perc)
Sabine – In a Key of Monk (2020)
Genre: Contemporary jazz
Label: Sage West Music Group
Country: L.A., USA
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Sounding so perfect on her Steinway piano, Russian-American pianist and composer Sabine interprets Thelonious Monk in her own, impressive way, out of an advanced classical technique
Alessandro Fabbri – Five Winds (12/2019)
Genre: Modern jazz
Label: Caligola Records
Country: Italy
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
A four-voices wind ensemble with a piano-less rhythm section, led by drummer Alessandro Fabbri, play interesting, “cool style” compositions. Featuring Pietro Tonolo (sax)
Elliot Galvin – Live in Paris, at Fondation Louis Vuitton (2020)
Genre: Contemporary classical, modern jazz
Label: Edition Records
Country: London, UK
Reviews: All about jazz, London jazz news
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Virtuoso pianist/composer Elliot Galvin is considered as a rising star of UK jazz
Gregory Porter – Spiritual Songs (2020)
Genre: Vocal jazz
Label: UMG Recordings, Inc.
Country: USA
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Gregory Porter’s warm and earthy voice, on three spiritual songs
Les Amazones d’Afrique – Amazones Power (2020)
Genre: World, afro-beat, hip-hop, vocal
Label: Real World Records
Country: Paris, FR
Reviews: (About), NPR
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp
Les Amazones d’Afrique is a pan-African female “supergroup”, musically dealing with political and social issues
Lito Vitale – Sólo Piano: Reflexiones (2020)
Genre: Modern jazz, classical
Label: Ciclo 3
Country: Buenos Ayres, AR
Reviews:
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Pianist Lito Vitale’s vibrant improvisations on classical, romantic moods
Jeff Rupert – The Ripple (2020)
Genre: Mainstream jazz
Label: Rupe Media
Country: Florida, USA
Reviews: Lemon Wire
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
Conversation between two tenors, speaking the truth, by Jeff Rupert (reminding of Stan Getz) and legendary stylist George Garzone
Vincent Courtois – Love of Life (2020)
Genre: Modern jazz
Label: La Buissonne Studios
Country: Paris, FR
Reviews: ECM
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
An unusual, sonic-stimulating trio by cellist Vincent Courtois and two reed-men, Robin Fincker (cl, ts) and Daniel Erdmann (ts)
Jun Miyake – Les traducteurs, Bande originale du film (2020)
Genre: Soundtrack
Label: L’R du Trésor
Country: Paris, FR
Reviews: Cinezik
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
A soundtrack for a mystery film, by Jun Miyake who does not hide his inspiration from the historic “The individualism of Gil Evans”
Juno – Young Star (2020)
Genre: Jazz rap/hip-hop, prog-rock
Label: Jazzland recordings
Country: Trondheim, NOR
Reviews: ( About ), Prog jazz NL
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Tidal
JUNO is a 5 member youthful group from Norway, consisting of two vocalists, sax, bass and drums, with their own perspective, out of a wide variety of influences
Listen to the playlist below:
More recent albums that you may be interested in:
TRUMPETERS
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Terumasa Hino – Beyond the Mirage
-
Quentin Collins Sextet – Road Warrior
-
John Bailey – Can You Imagine?
-
Jeremy Pelt – The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1
-
Toku (+voc) – Toku in Paris
SAXOPHONISTS
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Jim Snidero – Waves of Calm
(Jeremy Pelt, Orrin Evans, Nat Reeves, Jonathan Barber) -
Jim Snidero – Project-K
(ft. Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans, Linda May Oh, Rudy Royston) -
Charles McPherson Quartet – Live at San Sebastián Jazz Festival
-
David Sills Double Guitar Quintet – Natural Lines
(ft. Larry Koonse) -
Binker Golding – Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers
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Bernhard Wiesinger – Notice That Moment
(ft. Kevin Hays, Scott Colley, Bill Stewart) -
Perico Sambeat – Ofrenda
HARMONICA
- Hermine Deurloo – Riverbeast
(ft. Steve Gadd, Kevin Hays)
CLARINETIST
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Ben Goldberg – Symphony No. 9
TROMBONISTS/TUBIST
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Theon Cross – Fyah
(ft. Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia) -
Ryan Keberle – The Hope I Hold
(ft. Camila Meza, Scott Robinson) -
Shannon Gunn – Gunn’s Ablazin’
GUITARISTS
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David Torn – Sun Of Goldfinger
(ft. Tim Berne, Ches Smith) -
Jeff Parker – Suite for Max Brown
PIANISTS/KEYBOARDISTS
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The Darius Brubeck Quartet – Live in Poland
- Gwilym Simcock – Near and Now
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Emmet Cohen – Masters Legacy Series, Vol. 4: George Coleman
-
Marta Sánchez – El rayo de luz
(ft. Román Filiú, Chris Cheek) -
Mark de Clive-Lowe – Heritage
- Mark de Clive-Lowe – Heritage II
-
Herve Sellin – Michel Legrand – Dedication
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Massimo Faraò – For Sentimental Reasons
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Yelena Eckemoff – Nocturnal Animals
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Kristjan Randalu, Dave Liebman – Mussorgsky Pictures Revisited
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Rhoda Scott – Movin’Blues
BASSISTS
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Stafford James – Stafford James String Ensemble (Live)
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Herbie Kopf – Who Shot the Piano Player
(ft. Jack Walrath, Scott Amendola)
DRUMMERS/PERCUSSIONISTS
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Thomas Galliano – Walking Towards the Unknown
(ft. Victor Gould, Philip Dizack, Peter Slavov, Myron Walden, Josh Evans) -
Whit Dickey – Tao quartets
(ft. Matthew Shipp, Rob Brown, William Parker) -
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Glitter Wolf
VIOLINIST
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Jason Kao Hwang, Carl Berger – Conjure
VOCALISTS
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Jamie Cullum – Taller (Expanded Edition)
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Natalie Cressman (voc., trb) – Setting Rays of Summer
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Dwight Trible – Mothership
(ft. Kamasi Washington, Mark de Clive-Lowe) -
The Whiffenpoofs – Water Whiffs
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Sergio Santos – São Bonitas As Canções
GROUPS
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Works For Me – Reach Within
(ft. Alexa Tarantino) -
Taylor Ho Bynum 9-tette – The Ambiguity Manifesto
BIG BANDS
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Knoxville Jazz Orchestra – The Road Less Traveled
(ft. Eric Reed, Michael Dease, Greg Tardy) -
Soundscape Big Band – Soundscape Big Band 20 Anos
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Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Sheman Irby – Inferno
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Brian Lynch Big Band – The Omni-American Book Club
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Bill Laurance, WDR Big Band – Live at the Philharmonie, Cologne
HIP-HOP
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Ephemerals – The Third Eye
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Get The Blessing – Rarer Teas
GREEK ARTISTS
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George Dousis – Conversation with the River
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Glafkos Kontemeniotis (CY) – Yugen
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Dimitris Kalamaras – Akkar
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Sokratis Votskos Quartet – Sketching the Unknown
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George Kontrafouris Trio – The Passing
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Anna Linardou – Heterotopia
Hope you enjoy it!
Imitonios