Jazz At Lincoln Center’s ‘Jazz And Art’ Paints The Year’s Best New Musical Picture Of 2019’s New Jazz, Blues Albums

Courtesy: Blue Engine Records

The worlds of jazz and blues are intertwined with one another and have been for ages.  From their earliest days to the modern era, a close listen to records from the two genres exhibits this connection.  Keeping that in mind, it makes sense to combine the two genres when considering year-ender lists.That is just what this critic has done for years and is doing again this year.  This year’s list of top new jazz and blues albums touches on lots of different artists and groups.  The Jazz AT Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis has released a handful of noteworthy albums this year, as has World Music Network.  Blues artists Keb Mo and Kenny Wayne Shepherd are also featured on this year’s list with their new albums.  The same can be said of Diana Panton, as her new album is featured in this list, too.

As with every list this critic produces, it features the year’s top 10 new albums and five honorable mention titles for a total of 15 albums.  Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks Top 10 New Jazz & Blues albums.

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 TOP 10 NEW JAZZ & BLUES ALBUMS

1. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis — Jazz & Art
2. Joel Ross — Kingmaker
3. Diana Panton — Cheerful Little Earful
4. World Music Network — The Rough Guide To Blues Divas
5. Mark Clive De-Lowe — Heritage
6. Mark Clive De-Lowe — Heritage II
7. Keb Mo — Oklahoma
8. Pancho Sanchez — Trane’s Delight
9. Tedeschi Trucks Band — Signs
10. Miles Davis — Rubberband
11. John Coletrane — Coletrane ’58; The Prestige Sessions
12. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis — Big Band Holidays II
13. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis — Jazz For Kids
14. World Music Network — The Rough Guide To World Jazz
15. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band — The Traveler

 

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Ala.Ni’s Debut LP Proves To Be A Solid Offering On Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New Jazz & Blues Albums List

Courtesy: Missing Piece Records

2017 has been a good year fans of jazz and the blues.  From more established acts such as Diana Krall, Charlie Watts, Trombone Shorty and Diana Panton to new yet equally promising acts such as Ala.Ni, Nova Collective and others, both genres, which despite their musical differences are still related to one another, have turned out a mass of enjoyable (and in some cases surprisingly) impressive albums.  Ala.Ni’s debut album You & I is one of those surprising releases.  It also tops this critic’s list of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues albums.  Also on this year’s list is Argentine musician Fer Isella’s latest LP The Art of The Possible, new offerings from Putumayo and Music Action Ensemble’s new album Foundation among others.

This year was not an easy one to choose top records.  Charlie Watts, who is known just as much for his jazz work as for his work with his band mates in The Rolling Stones, released quite the impressive new offering this year in Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band. Taj Mahal and Keb Mo partnered for the simply titled TajMo.  Even veteran blues man John Mayall is still going strong.  He released his new album Talk About That this year, too.  Back on the jazz side, Charles Lloyd and his new group of fellow musicians released their own standout offering in the form of Passin’ Thru.  Even here, there is so much to say.  Simply put, coming up with a final list for this year’s new jazz and blues albums was not easy because of the level of talent exhibited across the board.  So no dishonor was meant to any act on this year’s list.   

As is the case with each Phil’s Picks list, this list features the Top 10 Albums on the list and five additional honorable mention titles.  Enough rambling.  Without any further ado, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New Jazz & Blues Albums.

PHIL’S PICKS 2017 TOP 10 NEW JAZZ & BLUES ALBUMS

1. Ala.Ni — You & I
2. Jazzmeia Horn — A Social Call
3. Diana Panton — Solstice/Equinox
4. Charlie Watts — Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band
5. Taj Mahal & Keb Mo — TajMo
6. Charles Lloyd New Quartet — Passin’ Thru
7. Diana Krall — Turn Up The Quiet
8. Charnett Moffett — Music From Our Soul
9. Fer Isella — The Art of the Possible
10. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band — Lay It On Down
11. Courtney Pine — Black Notes From The Deep
12. Trombone Shorty — Parking Lot Symphony
13. Music Action Ensemble — Foundation
14. John Mayall — Talk About That
15. Jimmy Greene — Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2

Again, this was NOT an easy list to assemble.  This critic still feels rough coming to terms with the list.  That is because so many great jazz and blues records were released this year including new material from Elvin Bishop and so many others.  Even with that in mind, the list noted here is this critic’s final choice for this year’s top new jazz and blues albums.  Now with this list completed, there is still plenty more to go including the year’s top new Rap/Hip-hop albums, reggae albums, rock and hard rock albums as well as the year’s top albums overall.  There are also a bunch of categories for DVDs and Blu-rays including box sets for families and for older audiences, new live DVDs and Blu-rays, etc.  So stay tuned!

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