Podcast 251: A Few of My Favorite Things 2011

I don't pretend to have the critical abilities to give you a "best of" list for any year in jazz, and there are always musical  releases I fail to catch up with that likely would make a list. Instead, I've created a number of categories to give you some idea of my favorite recordings of 2011, and Podcast 251 features a selection or two from them. This year's Favorite Things include:   Notable Releases Vince Mendoza - Nights on Earth Rez Abbisi’s Invocation – Suno Suno Marcus Strickland – Triumph of the Heavy Christian McBride Big Band – The Good Feeling Sonny Rollins – Road Shows, Vol. 2   Great New Things from Old Friends Rene Marie - Black Freudian Slip Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Explosion – Urban Nature New Gary Burton Quartet - Common Ground. Karrin Allyson – ‘Round Midnight   New Artists and Those Hitting Their Stride Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening    Ben Williams – State of Art Julian Lage - Gladwell Warren Wolf – Warren Wolf Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found   Memorable Reissues, Compilations, and Posthumous or Archival Albums Miles Davis - Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 Dee Dee Bridgewater – Midnight Sun Sir Roland Hanna – Colors from a Giant’s Kit Norah Jones - ….Featuring Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers - Ugetsu   Tribute Albums of Note Joe Lovano Us 5 – Bird Songs Pablo Aslan Quintet – Piazzolla in Brooklyn Bobby Sansbria & the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra - Tito Puente – Masterworks Live! Giacamo Gates - The Revolution Will Be Jazz Yotam – Brasil   Reunions and Collaborations of Note Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian – Live at Birdland Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton – Play the Blues Chick Corea and Stephano Bollani – Orvietto Stefon Harris/David Sanchez/Christian Scott – Ninety Miles Bob James & Keiko Matsui - Altair & Vega   Click here to listen to the Podcast, which features tracks  from these releases, including:   Marcus Strickland –  "Bolt Bus Jitter" from Triumph of the Heavy  Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Explosion –"Cha Cha Pa' Ti" from Urban Nature Gretchen Parlato - "Juju" from The Lost and Found Sir Roland Hanna – "20th Century Rag" from  Colors from a Giant’s Kit Yotam – "Antigua" from Brasil Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian – "Solar" from Live at Birdland