Podcast 202 - A Few of My Favorite Things 2010

I try to begin each new year with a look back at the most memorable releases I had the pleasure to listen to over the previous twelve months. These are not necessarily the "best" of 2010, just a few of my favorite things, like: Notable Releases  Danilo Perez – Providencia. Jason Moran - Ten  Cassandra Wilson - Silver Pony Charles Lloyd Quartet - Mirror Vijay Ayer - Solo   New Things from Old Friends Geri Allen - Flying Towards the Sound Randy Weston - The Storyteller: Live at Dizzy's Coca-Cola The Bad Plus - Never Stop Houston Person - Moment to Moment Azar Lawrence - Mystic Journey   New Artists and Those Hitting Their Stride Gregory Porter - Water  Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society Trombone Shorty - Backatown Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine Tia Fuller - Decisive Steps   Memorable Reissues, Archival Albums and Compilations Vince Guaraldi - The Definitive Vince Guaraldi Sonny Rollins - Way Out West Stan Getz & Keny Barron - People Time: The Complete Recordings Miles Davis - Bitches Brew 40th Annviersary Collector's Edition Various Artists -  CTI Records - The Cool Revolution   Tribute Albums of Note Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock Nellie McKay - As Normal as Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day Cheryl Bentyne - The Gershwin Songbook Billy Cobham and the Colin Towns HR Big Band - Meeting of the Spirits:A Celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra Mingus Big Band - Live at the Jazz Standard   Reunions and Collaborations of Note Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes - Double Portrait Ran Blake and Sara Serpa - Camera Obscura Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden - Jasmine Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green - Apex Ralph Towner/Paolo Fresu - Chiaroscuro   Podcast 202 lets you hear some selections from these wonderful albums, including:   Charles Lloyd Quartet - "Lift Every Voice and Sing" from Mirrors. A dreamy selection of recordings, both originals and traditional African-American tunes like this one. The band is sublime - Lloyd on saxophone, Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on double bass and Eric Harland on drums. I'm looking forward to catching the band in Western Mass later this month.    Cassandra Wilson - "A Day in the Life of a Fool" from Silver Pony. Last year it was her return to standards. This year, it's a dizzying mix of old, new, jazzy, folky, studio and live. Here is  unique version of a Brazilian standard, with   Geri Allen - "Red Velvet in Winter" from Flying Toward the Sound. Geri had a very good year - her line album with Timeline was also worthy of note, but it was this solo piano album that really floored me.   Trombone Shorty - "Hurricane Season" from Backatown. Pure New Orleans fun - is it jazz? Funk? R&B? Pass me another beer and we'll dance to it.   Randy Weston - "African Sunrise" from The Storyteller: Live at Dizzy's Coca Cola. I can't say Randy Weston every went away, and yet this live CD seemed to be something of a comeback for the venerable pianist. Chock full of insightful new arrangements of Weston classics, the sextet of Weston, Benny Powell on trombone, TK Blue on flute and sax, Alex Blake on bass, Lewis Nash on drums and Neil Clarke on percussion took no prisoners.   Danilo Perez - "Cobilla" from Providencia. Probably my favorite album all year, Danilo celebrates his children with small group, duo and solo pieces that put him at the top of the most imaginative players and writers of today.