The 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2020
Here are six of the key jazz trends of the last 20 years, defined by 20 of the best 2020 recordings that made us see, again, why this music is in midst of such a thrilling patch of creativity.
john hollenbeck
John Hollenbeck Completes a Trilogy with ‘Songs You Like a Lot’
The third (and final?) collaboration between a brilliant jazz composer/arranger, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, vocalists Kate McGarry and Theo Bleckman, and the post-1950 American pop song. So great that it shivers with joy.
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble Produces Some Kind of Magic on ‘All Can Work’
The drummer and composer's latest recording for big band perfects his quirky, beautiful, beyond-category style. It may not be jazz, but the improvisors sure are wonderful.
Overlooked Jazz Gems of 2016
No matter how much music I listen to every year, I miss some great records, somehow. Here are a half-dozen albums from 2016 that deserve our attention.