Best CDs of 2008

Gunther Schuller

Revisiting
Journey Into Jazz
BMOP SOUND
Composers of today’s Olympian
jazz-classical concertos would do
well to listen to these deceptively

The New
understated, coolly creative
pieces that capture the zeitgeist
of the 1960s. These three newly
recorded 20-minute works
(dubbed “Third Stream” by
Gunther Schuller himself)

MASTERPIECES
explore and synthesize myriad
interactions between a jazz
combo improvising and a cham-
ber orchestra reading a through-
composed score with some big

AAAAA
band gestures. —Fred Bouchard
(November)

Uri Caine Ensemble

The Othello Syndrome
WINTER & WINTER
Uri Caine’s composer projects are
in a league by themselves. Even
though two prior works—Urlich/
Primal Light, his breakthrough
treatments of Mahler and The John McLaughlin
Goldberg Variations—can be Otis Taylor Floating Point Charlie Haden
argued to be masterpieces of Recapturing The Banjo ABSTRACT LOGIX Family and Friends
post-modern cut-and-paste, the TELARC A shared sense of exhilaration, Rambling Boy
source materials don’t throw as The fascinating blues and intensity, joy and purpose DECCA
towering a shadow as blues-related music the six emerged in tracks ... much of If you love jazz but your ears
Shakespeare’s Moor, realized banjoists, with Taylor’s the propulsive fury created by are also tickled by the high lone-
through Verdi’s opera. singer/bassist daughter the team of drummer Ranjit some sound of the Carter Family,
Subsequently, The Othello Cassie, craft in various group- Barot and percussionist Anant honky-tonk and bluegrass, bassist
Syndrome has a narrative the ings, never everyone together, Sivamani. This is a case of Charlie Haden’s new disc will be a
others can’t touch, a demanding flows over with emotional Indian musicians using their wonderful surprise. ... Hearing
tale that requires more than bril- honesty. There may not be a extraordinary skills to explore Haden play this music today—
liant collisions of genres, even better roots album released U.S. fusion, giving the guitarist especially with the celestial sister
those as subversive as Nguyên this year or decade than an amazing platform for compo- harmonies of his triplet daugh-
Lê’s Queen-like lead guitar in the Recapturing The Banjo. sitional/improvisational ters, Petra, Tanya and Rachel—
romping Verdi transcriptions. —Frank-John Hadley development. —Ken Micallef is a revelation. —Paul de Barros
—Bill Shoemaker (November) (March) (September) (December)

January 2009 DOWNBEAT 47

 AAAAA HISTORICAL Best CDs of 2008
Artist Title Label Issue

Cole, Nat King Love Is The Thing/Where Did Everyone Go Collectors Choice Music APR
Cole, Nat King The Very Thought Of You Collectors Choice Music APR
Coleman, Ornette Town Hall, 1962 ESP OCT
Culture Two Sevens Clash Shanachie JAN
Davis, Miles Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Columbia/Legacy DEC
Haynes, Roy A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Dreyfus Jazz JAN
Zawinul, Joe Joe Zawinul: A Musical Portrait Arthaus Musik JUL

AAAA1/2 NEW
Artist Title Label Issue

Braxton, Anthony Trio Victoriaville AUG

Clark, Mike Blueprints Of Jazz Volume 1 Talking House DEC
Corea, Chick/Gary Burton The New Crystal Silence Concord MAY
Crispell, Marilyn Vignettes ECM JUL
Dafnis, Prieto—Sextet Taking The Soul For A Walk Dafnison Music JUN
Die Enttäuschung Die Enttäuschung Intakt SEP
Frisell, Bill History, Mystery Nonesuch SEP
Garson, Mike Conversations With My Family Resonance JUN
Gordon, Jon Within Words ArtistShare APR
Herwig, Conrad The Latin Side Of Wayne Shorter Half Note SEP
Kelly, Grace/Lee Konitz GRACEfulLEE Pazz NOV
Moss Moss Sunnyside JUL
Passos, Rosa Romance Telarc AUG
Pavone, Mario Trio Arc Playscape OCT
Robertson, Herb—NY Downtown Allstars Real Aberration Clean Feed MAR
Smith, Wadada Leo—Golden Quartet Tabligh Cuneiform SEP
Ullmann, Gebhard New Basement Research Soul Note MAR
Winstone, Norma Distances ECM AUG

AAAA1/2 HISTORICAL
Artist Title Label Issue

Bruford, Bill Rock Goes To College WinterFold MAR

Cherry, Don Live At Café Montmartre 1966, Volume Two ESP OCT
Cole, Nat King Penthouse Serenade/The Piano Style Of Nat King Cole Collectors Choice Music APR
Evans, Bill Everybody Digs Bill Evans Riverside JAN
Horn, Shirley Live At The 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey Jazz Festival NOV
Mariano, Charlie Helen 12 Trees MPS/Promising Music OCT
McLaughlin, John Remember Shakti—The Way Of Beauty Sunnyside JUL
Nelson, Willie One Hell Of A Ride Columbia/Legacy AUG
Petrucciani, Michel Non Stop Travels With/Michel Petrucciani Trio Dreyfus JUL
Various Artists Stax/Volt Review—Live In Norway, 1967 Concord DVD FEB
Webster, Ben Dig Ben! Ben Webster In Europe Storyville JAN

48 DOWNBEAT January 2009

 AAAA NEW Best CDs of 2008
Artist Title Label Issue

Adams, Justin/Juldeh Camara Soul Science World Village SEP

Alden, Howard/Ken Peplowski Pow-Wow Arbors JUN
Alperin, Misha Her First Dance ECM JUL
Anderskov Accident Newspeak ILK SEP
Baars, Ab—Trio/Ken Vandermark Goofy June Bug WIG OCT
Becker, David—Tribune Leaving Argentina Straw House APR
Berger, David—Octet I Had The Craziest Dream: Such Sweet Thunder NOV
The Music Of Harry Warren
Bernstein, Steven Diaspora Suite Tzadik MAY
Bey, Andy Ain’t Necessarily So 12th Street JAN
Blade, Brian Season Of Changes Verve SEP
Blake, Michael—Sextet Amor De Cosmos Songlines FEB
Bley, Carla The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu ECM JAN
Bley, Carla—and Her Remarkable Appearing Nightly Watt DEC
Big Band
Blind Boys Of Alabama, The Down In New Orleans TimeLife FEB
Bloom, Jane Ira Mental Weather Outline JUN
Bollenback, Paul Invocation Elefant Dreams FEB
Bonneville, Ray Goin’ By Feel Red House MAR
Braxton, Anthony 12+1tet Victoriaville AUG
Bruno, Jimmy Maplewood Avenue Affiliated Artists JAN
Butler, Henry PiaNOLA Live Basin Street JUN
Cables, George You Don’t Know Me Kind Of Blue MAY
Caron, Danny How Sweet It Is Danny Caron Records OCT
Carter, James Present Tense EmArcy MAY
Christopher, Evan Delta Bound Arbors APR
Cohen, Anat Notes From The Village Anzic OCT
Cohen, Avishai—Trio Gently Disturbed Razdaz/Sunnyside AUG
Cole, Natalie Still Unforgettable DMI/Rhino DEC
Copland, Marc New York Trio Recordings, Vol 2: Voices Pirouet MAY
Davies, Angharad/Tisha Mukarji Endspace Another Timbre JUN
Delta Saxophone Quartet Dedicated To You...But You Weren’t Listening Moonjune APR
DeRose, Dena Live At Jazz Standard, Volume One MaxJazz FEB
Di Piazza, Dominique—Trio Princess Sita Sunnyside DEC
Dixon, Bill/Exploding Star Orchestra Bill Dixon With The Exploding Star Orchestra Thrill Jockey APR
Dixon, Bill—Orchestra 17 Musicians In Search Of A Sound: Darfur AUM Fidelty AUG
Douglas, Dave—Keystone Moonshine Greenleaf Music MAR
Ehrlich, Marty/Myra Melford Spark! Palmetto JAN
Eigsti, Taylor Let It Come To You Concord JUL
Elias, Eliane Something For You Blue Note MAY
Ellis, John—Double-Wide Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow Hyena JUN
Empirical Empirical Destin-E MAR
Erksine, Peter/Tim Hagans/ Worth The Wait Fuzzy Music MAY
The Norrbotten Big Band
Fankhauser, Philipp Love Man Riding Crosscut NOV
Fernández, Agustí/Evan Parker/ Topos Maya MAR
Barry Guy/Paul Lytton
Fieldwork Door Pi AUG
Free Form Funky Freqs Urban Mythology, Volume 1 Thirsty Ear MAY
Gambarini, Roberta/Hank Jones You Are There EmArcy MAY
Gilchrist, Lafayette Soul Progressin’ Hyena DEC
Granite, Avi Red Tree Pet Mantis FEB
Gress, Drew The Irrational Numbers Premonition APR
Guy, Barry/Marilyn Crispell/Paul Lytton Phases Of The Night Intakt OCT

50 DOWNBEAT January 2009

 AAAA NEW Best CDs of 2008
Artist Title Label Issue

Haden, Charlie/Antonio Forcione Heartplay Naim JAN

Hamasyan, Tigran—Trio New Era Blujazz MAY
Hemmersam, Jon/Dom Minasi—Quartet The Jon Hemmersam/Dom Minasi Quartet CDM JUL
Holland, Dave—Sextet Pass It On Dare2 DEC
Hyman, Dick/Chris Hopkins Teddy Wilson In 4 Hands Victoria Company FEB
Inhabitants The Furniture Moves Underneath Drip Audio MAY
Iyer, Vijay Tragicomic Sunnyside JUL
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Lil’ Tae Rides Again Hyena JUN
Jarrett, Keith/Gary Peacock/ Setting Standards—New York Sessions ECM MAY
Jack DeJohnette
Jones, Sean Kaleidoscope Mack Avenue MAR
Karayorgis, Pandelis/Nate McBride/
Curt Newton Betwixt hatOLOGY NOV
Keneally, Mike Wine And Pickles Exowax OCT
Kimbrough, Frank Air Palmetto MAY
King, B.B. One Kind Favor Geffen NOV
Klein, Guillermo/Los Guachos Filtros Sunnyside SEP
Kolker, Adam Flag Day Sunnyside JUN
Kontorovich, Alex Deep Minor Chasma JAN
Kouyate, Bassekou/Ngoni Ba Segu Blue Out Here FEB
LaVette, Bettye The Scene Of The Crime Anti- JAN
LeDonne, Mike FiveLive Savant DEC
Lloyd, Charles—Quartet Rabo De Nube ECM MAY
Locke, Joe—Quartet Sticks And Strings Jazz Eyes MAY
Loueke, Lionel Karibu Blue Note APR
Lovano, Joe Symphonica Blue Note OCT
Lynne, Shelby Just A Little Lovin’ Lost Highway MAY
MacLeod, Doug The Utrecht Sessions Black And Tan NOV
Mahanthappa, Rudresh Kinsmen Pi DEC
Malinverni, Pete Invisible Cities Reservoir JUN
Marchetti, Lionel/Seijiro Murayama Hatali Atsalei Intransitive JUN
Marsalis, Wynton Congo Square Shanachie JUL
Mauger The Beautiful Enabler Clean Feed DEC
Maupin, Bennie Early Reflections Cryptogramophone JUL
Maybe Monday Unsquare Intakt JUN
Mazur, Marilyn Elixir ECM JUN
McCaslin, Donny—Trio Recommended Tools Greenleaf Music DEC
McGuinness, Pete—Jazz Orchestra First Flight Summit AUG
McNeil, John/Bill McHenry Rediscovery Sunnyside SEP
Mehldau, Brad—Trio Live Nonesuch JUL
Meier, Nicolas Silence Talks Naim OCT
Mengis, Manuel—Gruppe 6 The Pond hatOLOGY SEP
Metheny, Pat Day Trip Nonesuch MAR
Mitchell, Nicole—Black Earth Ensemble Black Unstoppable Delmark MAY
Moore, Michael/Fred Hersch This We Know Palmetto NOV
Mostly Other People Do The Killing Shamokin’!!! Hot Cup JAN
Newman, Randy Harps And Angels Nonesuch DEC
NOMO Ghost Rock Ubiquity OCT
Nuttree Quartet Standards Kind Of Blue JUL
O’Farrill, Arturo—The Afro-Latin Song For Chico Zoho SEP
Jazz Orchestra
Os Ritmistas Os Ritmistas Dubas Musica APR
Otero, Fernando Pagina De Buenos Aires Nonesuch MAR
Parker, William—Quartet Petit Oiseau AUM Fidelity NOV
Parks, Kevin/Joe Foster Ipsi Sibi Somnia Fingunt self-released JUN

52 DOWNBEAT January 2009

AAAA NEW Best CDs of 2008
Artist Title Label Issue

Pelt, Jeremy November MaxJazz SEP

Pizzarelli Boys, The Sunday At Pete’s Challenge FEB
Pizzarelli, John With A Song In My Heart Telarc OCT
Plant, Robert/Alison Krauss Raising Sand Rounder JAN
Postma, Tineke A Journey That Matters Foreign Media JAN
Radiohead In Rainbows ATO FEB
Reed, Mike—Loose Assembly The Speed Of Change 482 Music NOV
Reed, Mike—People, Places & Things Proliferation 482 Music NOV
Ribot, Marc—Ceramic Dog Party Intellectuals Pi AUG
Robinson, Scott Forever Lasting Arbors OCT
Roseman, Josh New Constellations Accurate JAN
Rosenwinkel, Kurt—Group The Remedy: Live At The Village Vanguard ArtistShare AUG
Saxophone Summit Seraphic Light Telarc JUL
Schuller, George—Circle Wide Like Before, Somewhat After Playscape JUN
Scorch Trio Brolt Rune Grammofon AUG
Sehnaoui, Christine Solo Olof Bright JUN
Sofferman, Brooke Fine Whines Summit APR
Solal, Martial—Trio Longitude CamJazz AUG
Spalding, Esperanza Esperanza Heads Up AUG
Specter, Dave Live In Chicago Delmark AUG
Stenson, Bobo—Trio Cantando ECM DEC
Strickland, Marcus Open Reel Deck Strick Muzik JAN
Stryker/Slagle Band, The The Scene Zoho DEC
Tedeschi, Susan Back To The River Verve Forecast DEC

January 2009 DOWNBEAT 53

 AAAA NEW Best CDs of 2008
Artist Title Label Issue

Third World Love New Blues Anzic JUN

Trion, Gyldene Live At Glenn Miller Café Ayler NOV
Turre, Steve Rainbow People HighNote AUG
Tyner, McCoy—Quartet McCoy Tyner Quartet McCoy Tyner Music JAN
Vandermark 5 Beat Reader Atavistic APR
Vandermark, Ken Musician Facets Video SEP
Various Artists Gypsy Caravan World Village MAR
Various Artists What’s Happening Pernambuco Luaka Bop APR
Von Schlippenbach, Alexander— Globe Unity—40 Years Intakt MAY
Globe Unity Orchestra
Waits, Hope Hope Waits Radarproof JAN
Williams, Jessica Songs For A New Century Origin DEC
Wyatt, Robert Comicopera Domino FEB
Yedid, Yitzhak Oud Bass Piano Trio Between The Lines OCT
Yoshihide, Otomo—New Jazz Orchestra Live Vol. 1: Series Circuit Doubt Music JAN

AAAA HISTORICAL
Artist Title Label Issue

Alexander, Arthur Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter Hacktone FEB
Brown, James I Got The Feelin’: James Brown In The ’60s Shout! Factory NOV
Brubeck, Dave 50 Years Of Dave Brubeck: Monterey Jazz Festival
Live At The Monterey Jazz Festival 1958–2007 Records NOV
Carter, Benny Symphony In Riffs Rhapsody Films APR
Cole, Nat King 10th Anniversary Collectors Choice Music APR
Cole, Nat King Just One Of Those Things/Let’s Face The Music Collectors Choice Music APR
Cole, Nat King Songs For Two In Love/Sings Ballads Of The Day Collectors Choice Music APR
Cole, Nat King Unforgettable Collectors Choice Music APR
Cole, Nat King Welcome To The Club/Tell Me About Yourself Collectors Choice Music APR
Gillespie, Dizzy/James Moody/Gil Fuller Dizzy Gillespie & James Moody With Gil Fuller Blue Note SEP
Gruntz, George George Gruntz Radio Days TCB MAY
Guy, Buddy/Clarence Gatemouth Blues At Montreux 2004 Eagle Eye FEB
Brown/Bobby Parker
Haden, Charlie The Private Collection Naim APR
Hawkins, Coleman The Hawk Flies High Riverside OCT
Heath, Jimmy Really Big! Riverside JAN
Hutcherson, Bobby Head On Blue Note SEP
Martin, Mel/Benny Carter—Quintet Just Friends Jazzed Media FEB
McGregor, Chris—Brotherhood Of Breath Eclipse At Dawn Cuneiform Rune SEP
Murray, Sunny The Hilversum Session ESP MAR
Patton, John Soul Connection Nilva/Just A Memory OCT
Revolutionaries, The Drum Sound Pressure Sounds JAN
Silver, Horace Live At Newport ’58 Blue Note MAR
Smith, Jimmy Midnight Special Blue Note JAN
Various Artists Play Your Own Thing: A Story Of Jazz In Europe EuroArts JUL
Various Artists Wattstax Stax FEB
Various Artists Wattstax (DVD) Warner DVD FEB
Various Artists Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Soundway APR
Afro-Sounds And Nigerian Blues 1970–’76
Wonder, Stevie Number 1’s Motown FEB

54 DOWNBEAT January 2009