I succeeded to listen to few hundreds of some thousands jazz album released this year trying to catch up everything what looked like potentially interested (according to my very personal taste). There are a short list of releases which somehow stayed in my memory till now:
1. Akira Sakata - "Proton Pump" - Japanese avant garde jazz at its best (with another living legend pianist Masahiko Satoh on board)
2. Phronesis - "We Are All" - one of the leaders of British contemporary jazz at last released an album which is chamber enough for music halls and hip enough for younger listeners
3. Andrew Cyrille - "Lebroba" - American avant-garde jazz super trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and reedist Wadada Leo Smith
4. Henry Threadgill - "Dirt...And More Dirt" - probably brightest figure of AACM still active today plays with big combo
5. Henry Threadgill - "Double Up Plays Double Up Plus" - same as above just with his smaller regular band
6. Roman Filiu - "Quarteria" - Cuban sax player and member of Henry Threadgill band comes with his third album as leader; new name of the year
7. Sons Of Kemet - "Your Queen Is A Reptile" - good representative of burgeoning British new jazz scene, Caribbean rhythms rooted and socially sharp
8. Sarathy Korwar - My East Is Your West" - US-born but part of English new jazz scene, "Shakti" of a New Millenium
9. Cecile McLorin Salvant - "The Window" - jazz vocalist's album - tradition-rooted and fresh sounding at the same time, it makes an old-fashion jazz vocals albums modern again
for jazz-related:
Kirk Knuffke - "Witness" - one of leading reeds player of younger generation recorded an unusual and fascinating album of jazz trio and operatic baritone singer Steven Herring
Blues singer Shemekia Copeland with excellent Americana-blues album "America's Child" - socially sharp, sensitive and very informal
Bobby Previte - "Rhapsody" - Absolute success of modern composition mixed with jazz arrangements
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