KCCK’s music producers have chosen their 10 favorite jazz and blues releases for 2023. Their top choices range from Steve Smith and Vital Information to Count Basie to Dave Brubeck to Mike Clark and Christone Kingfish Ingram. Click here to see their lists.
Bob Stewart: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.
1) Steve Smith and Vital Information “Time Flies” (Wounded Bird)
I’ve been a big fan of Mr. Smith’s band since the 1980s and was happy to see its return after a seven year absence. The inclusion of the wonderful Cuban pianist and composer Manual Valera and British bassist Janek Gwizdala in the new lineup give the trio an invigorated new sound.
2) Joshua Redman “where we are” (Blue Note)
3) Jim Snidero featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel “Far Far Away” (Savant)
4) Christopher Merz & Shorter Stories “New Juju” (Skydeck)
5) Artemis “In Real Time” (Blue Note)
6) Dave McMurray “Grateful Deadication 2” (Blue Note)
7) Gerry Gibbs Thrasher People “Family” (Whaling City Sound)
8) Audrey Ochoa “The Head of a Mouse” (Chronograph)
9) Alfredo Rodriguez “Coral Way” (Mack Avenue)
10) Victor Goines “The Woodlawn Suite” (Victor Goines)
Hollis Monroe Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
1) Count Basie Orchestra “Basie Swings the Blues” (Candid)
2) 3D Jazz Trio “9 to 5” (DIVA)
3) Matt Catingub “From Samoa to Sinatra” (Summit)
4) Huntertones “Engine Co.” (Huntertones)
5) Kupkasonic Jazz Orchestra “Big Band Trax by Wax” (Kupkasonic)
6) Delfeayo Marsallis/Uptown J.O. “Uptown on Mardi Gras Day” (Troubadour)
7) Houston Person “Reminiscing at Rudy’s” (High Note)
8) Isaiah J. Thompson “A Guaraldi Holiday” (Outside In)
9) Verve Jazz Ensemble “All In” (LightGroove)
10) Scott Whitfield/Jazz Orchestra West “Postcards from Hollywood” (Summit)
Ron Adkins: Monday-Friday 2-6 p.m.
1) The Dave Brubeck Quartet “Live From the Northwest, 1959” (Brubeck Editions)
Time Out is one of my “desert island discs.” I could listen to it every day, any time. So imagine my excitement when the Brubeck estate released Live From the Northwest, 1959 – recorded just four months after finishing the Time Out sessions. Here is the classic quartet – Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, and Eugene Wright – in their prime. Sound engineer [name] did meticulous work making these live sets sound as close to studio quality as humanly possible. Their playing is phenomenal, with energy and fun. These guys played well together.
2) Javon Jackson “With Peter Bradley” (Solid Jackson)
3) Christian McBride’s New Jawn “Prime” (Mack Avenue)
4) Oscar Peterson “On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich, 1971” (Mack Avenue)
5) Caity Gyorgy “Featuring” (La Reserve)
6) The Count Basie Orchestra “Basie Swings the Blues” (Candid)
7) Wave Cage “Even You Can See in the Dark” (Shifting Paradigm)
8) udrey Ochoa “The Head of a Mouse” (Chronograph)
9) Rufus Reid “Celebration” (Sunnyside)
10) GoGo Penguin “Everything is Going To Be OK” (XXIM)
Saul Lubaroff: Saturday 8 a.m. – Noon, Sunday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
1) Mike Clark “Mike Clark plays Herbie Hancock”
In August, I had the thrill of my life playing with the Michael Wolff Quartet featuring the amazing and legendary drummer Mike Clark! So my Number-1 album for 2023 is Mike Clark plays Herbie Hancock.
2) Diva Jazz Orchestra 30 “Live at Dizzy’s”
3) Bill Frisell “Four”
4) Emmet Cohen “Uptown in Orbit”
5) Anat Cohen “Quartehino”
6) Artemis “In Real Time”
7) Johnathan Blake “Fun House”
8) Count Basie “Basie Swings the Blues”
9) Wayne Escoffrey “Like Minds”
10) Lakecia Benjamin “Phoenix”
Bob DeForest: Da Blues Saturday 6-10 p.m.
1) Christone Kingfish Ingram “Live in London” (Alligator)
2) Joanne Connor “Best of Me” (Gulf Coast)
3) Selwyn Birchwood “Exorcist” (Alligator)
4) Blood Brotheers Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia “Live in Canada” (Gulf Coast)
5) Smantha Fish and Jesse Dayton “Death Wish Blues” (Rounder)
6) The Nick Moss Band with Dennis Gruenling “Get Your Back Into It” (Alligator)
7) Gov’t Mule “Peace,,,Like a River” (Fantasy)
8) Eddie 9V “Capricorn” (Ruf)
9) Bobby Rush “All My Love for You” (Deep Rush)
10) Big Harp George “Cut My Spirit Loose” (Blind Raccoon)
John Heim: Big Mo Blues Show Friday 6–10 p.m.
1) Bettye Lavette “LaVette”
Five of my picks are live and that is unusual. I don’t know if that’s because I really like the artists or because you really find out what an artist “sounds like” when they are recorded live or because everybody decided to release one at the same time? Live albums are cheap to make and the sound quality sometimes suffers but this year’s crop was pretty good although I decided to bunch them all together. I really liked John Nemeth and Kingfish. I’ve included two “Locals”: Craig Erickson and Shaun Murphy producing excellent recordings. Jason Ricci takes Blues to new, weird places and Bettye LaVette always knocks me out with yet another well produced release that scratches all my soul itches.
2) Craig Erickson “Modern Blues”
3) Shaun Murphy “I’m Coming Home”
4) Jason Ricci & Bad Kind “Behind The Veil”
5) Bobby Rush “All My Love For You”
6) Damon Fowler “Live At The Palladium”
7) GA-20 “Live At Loveland”
8) Christone “Kingfish” Ingram “Live In London”
9) John Nemeth and The Blue Dreamers “Live From The Fallout Shelter”
10) Sonny Landreth “Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival”
Bob Naujoks: Gentle Jazz Sunday 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.
1) Dave Brubeck “Live From the Northwest, 1959 ” (Brubeck Editions)
The Top Ten here is picked with an ear toward Gentle Jazz. All of these are good for the long haul. The classic Brubeck Quartet is a joy to hear again; just as I remember from my younger days. The Le Boeuf brothers are identical twins and their album Hush was a sleeper, but laid-back enough so that their odd harmonies and time signatures do not disturb. Emmet Cohen is a growing voice in the jazz world and his two 2023 issues confirm that. With the octogenarian Person he is subtle and supporting. I like violin jazz and Caswell is really good, though the tune selection could have been better. Samara Joy’s singing is as smooth as Ella Fitzgerald’s and at times reminds me of the jazz great. Kellso and his friends bring us some really great latter-day trad jazz.
2) Le Boeuf Brothers “Hush” (Soundspore Records)
3) Emmet Cohen “Uptown In Orbit” (Mack Avenue)
4) Emmet Cohen & Houston Person “Masters Legacy, Volume 5” (Bandstand)
5) Jon Erik-Kellso & the EarRegulars “Live At the Ear Inn ” (Arbors Jazz)
6) Terel Stafford “Between Two Worlds ” (Le Coq)
7) Spike Wilner “Plays Monk & Ellington ” (Cellar Sessions)
8) Oscar Peterson “On a Clear Day: Live In Zurich, 1971 ” (Mack Avenue)
9) Jeremy Pelt “The Art Of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse ” (High Note)
10) Allan Harris “Live At The Blue Llama ” (Love)