KCCK’s music producers have each chosen their 10 favorite jazz, smooth jazz and blues releases from 2014. Their top choices range from Ryan Keberle & Catharsis to Craig Handy to Ariel Pocock. Click here to see their choices.

Mark Yother: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. / Sundays 6 a.m. – 9 a.m.

1) Spike Jones – Strictly for Music Lovers (Proper Records)

1) Hoosier Hot Shots – Everybody Stomp (Proper Records)

1) Various Artists – Drunk – 100 Smashed Hits (Proper Records)

1) Various Artists – Crime and Punishment (Fantastic Voyage Records)

Here’s a trade secret: record companies regularly send us their new albums to share with you. However, for reissues of vintage jazz recordings, we are much more heavily dependent on our friends and colleagues. I refer to Gordon Paulsen, our afternoon music host and Head of Production and Special Projects. Gordon is also a tireless bargain hunter and has contributed to KCCK four albums, which I am asking to be considered as one (a “one-fer” as I would say on Got A Minute). All four are heard primarily as follow-up music to the weekday feature.

My other choices, in alphabetical order:

2) Howard Alden/Andy Brown Quartet – Heavy Artillery (Delmark)

3) Harry Allen – Flying Over Rio (Arbors Jazz)

4) Commons Collective – (Un)Common (Commons Collective)

5) Connie Evingson – All The Cats Join In (Minnehaha)

6) Holly Hofmann – Low Life – The Alto Flute Project (Capri)

7) Houston Person – Nice ‘n’ Easy (High Note)

8) Houston Person – The Melody Lingers On (High Note)

9) Ariel Pocock – Touchstone (ArtistShare)

10) Chris Walden Big Band – Full-On (Origin)

Bob Stewart: Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

1) Ryan Keberle & Catharsis – Into the Zone (Greenleaf)

My top pick for disc of the year is the second for trombonist Keberle and his piano-less post-bop quartet Catharsis. With the release of the band’s debut disc in 2013, I quickly became a big fan of Keberle’s composing and arranging skills. Downbeat magazine succinctly describes the sound of the music as “accessible and thoughtful, lyrical and cerebral…” while the Chicago reader says Keberle’s “remarkable rapport with trumpeter Mike Rodriguez never lets technique get in the way of tunefulness.” With the added color of Camila Meza’s voice, “Into the Zone” easily became my favorite CD of 2014 and I eagerly look forward to much more from this group in the future.

2) Jason Moran – All Rise: a Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller (Blue Note)

3) Fred Hersch Trio – Floating (Palmetto)

4) Adam Schroeder – Let’s (Capri)

5) The Commons Collective – (Un) Common (Commons Collective)

6) Jerry Bergonzi – Intersecting Lines (Savant)

7) Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood – Juice (Indirecto)

8) Frank Macchia – Frank Macchia’s Grease Mechanix (Cacophony)

9) Johnathan Blake – Gone, But Not Forgotten (Criss Cross)

10) Henry Butler-Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9 Viper’s Drag (Impulse!)

Gordon Paulsen: Monday-Friday 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

1) Craig Handy – Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith (OKeh)

Perhaps more than anything Craig Handy and 2nd Line Smith represents a long awaited and (from my vantage point) much needed reconnect between current jazz trends and the dance based roots that made the music popular in the first place. You could not ask for a more appetizing musical gumbo of New Orleans 2nd line brass band party traditions and the soul-jazz dance grooves of classic ’50s-’60s sax-organ combos. The Smith in 2nd Line Smith refers to one of the all-time great groovemeisters -the legendary organist Jimmy Smith. As Mr. Handy recalled to Gary Walker, WBGO music director; “A light went off in my head. I realized two of Jimmy’s hits – “The Cat” and “Hi-Heeled Sneakers” used modified second-line rhythms. I said, That’s it – we’ll do a Jimmy Smith record in the second-line vein, and as New Orleans is a furnace for all things jazz, I saw no need to change my stripes to suit the style.”

The disc includes ten tunes that are very much in the soul-jazz tradition including those by Stanley Turrentine, Wes Montgomery, and of course Jimmy Smith. In addition to the solid, driving tenor sax of Craig Handy (Elvin Jones / Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers), the core band features organist Kyle Koehler, guitarist Matt Cherktoff, and for that true New Orleans flavor, sousaphone virtuoso Clark Gayton. Keeping the pulse are drummers Ali Jackson, Jason Marsalis, and Herlin Riley. Wynton Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater are special guests on one track each, – “Mojo Workin'” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”

Matt Collar, writing on line for the All Music Guide says: “Without ever seeming gimmicky or pandering, on 2nd Line Smith Handy finds the perfect balance of foot-tapping New Orleans parade rhythms, exploratory jazz improvisations, and blues-inflected, organ-soaked grooves.” For the above reasons (and several others) Craig Handy and 2nd Line Smith was chosen as KCCK’s “Featured CD of the Month” for March 2014.

2) Jason Moran – All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller (Blue Note)

3) Dr. John – Ske-Dat-De-Dat The Spirit of Satch (Concord)

4) Medeski Scofield Martin Wood – Juice (Indirecto)

5) Ritmocano (James Dreier) – Familia (Realtown!)

6) Theo Croker – Afro Physicist (OKeh)

7) Henry Butler – Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9 – Viper’s Drag (Impulse!)

8) Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express Vol. 2: The River Rolls On (Motema)

9) Marcus Roberts Trio with Wynton Marsalis – Together Again: Live In Concert (J-Master)

10) Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band – Life in the Bubble (Telarc)

Bob De Forest: Saturdays 6 p.m. – Midnight (‘Da Blues / Crawfish Circuit / Melting Pot)

1) 1) Shuggie Otis – Live in Williamsburg (Cleopatra)

It’s wonderful to see Shuggie back as a solo performer, instead of just a sideman. Great live record.

2) Jarekus Singleton – Refuse to Lose (Alligator)

3) Eric Gales – Good for Somethin’ (Cleopatra)

4) Dave Specter – Message in Blue (Delmark)

5) Selwyn Birchwood – Don’t Call Me No Ambulance (Alligator)

6) Ruthie Foster – Promise of a Brand New Day (Blue Corn)

7) Johnny Winter – Step Back (Megaforce)

8) Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater – Soul Funky (Cleartone)

9) Holmes Brothers – Brotherhood (Alligator)

10) Marcia Ball – The Tattooed Lady & the Alligator Man (Alligator)

Bob Naujoks: Sundays: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Gentle Jazz)

As always it is sometimes difficult to pick the ten best CDs of any year, but these impressed me for use on Gentle Jazz. The pianists (Arial Pocock & Fred Hersch) lead the way. Pocock for her lovely vocals and a great cover of Keith Jarrett’s “Country” and Hersch for his wonderful touch and ambience. The reeds (Dave Bennett & Jan Ira Bloom) also offered great mood playing; Bloom is almost ethereal and Bennett in the swing groove. The Catherine Russell tribute to her mom was arresting as was the slightly off-beat Kate McGarry with guitarist Keith Gantz. Saxophonist Harry Allen’s quartet makes the Rebecca Kilgore issue move to a higher plane.

1) Ariel Pocock – Touchstone (Artist Share)

2) Fred Hersch – Floatins (Palmetto)

3) Jane Ira Bloom – Sixteen Sunsets (Outline)

4) Dave Bennett – Don¹t Be That Way (Mack Avenue)

5) Catherine Russell – Bring It Back (Jazz Village)

6) Kate McGarry & Keith Gantz – Genevieve & Ferdinand (Sunnyside)

7) Rebecca Kilgore/Harry Allen Quartet – I Like Men (Arbors Jazz)

8) Freddy Cole – Singin’ The Blues (High Note)

9) Curtis Stigers – Hooray For Love (Concord)

10) Bobby Broom – My Shining Hour (Origin)

Nathan East’s self-titled CD was the most-played on KCCK during 2014. George Cables’ “Icons and Influences” was the second most-popular on our airwaves. “Pucker” by Scott Amendola and Charlie Hunter came in third. “Into the Zone” by Ryan Keberle & Catharsis was Number-88. You can purchase all 88 CDs through Amazon.com and a portion of your purchase will go to support KCCK. Just click on (Purchase) next to the title of each CD.
Click here to see the entire list.