Dec. 04--The inventiveness of today's jazz musicians -- young and old -- never ceases to amaze.
This year's best jazz recordings prove the point:
Rudresh Mahanthappa, "Bird Calls" (ACT): Sooner or later, anyone who plays alto saxophone must come to terms with the genius of Charlie Parker, but altoist Mahanthappa has done so in an extraordinary way. By conceiving new works inspired by Parker compositions, improvising brilliantly on them and leading an unusually tight-knit quintet, Mahanthappa achieves real insight into Parker's work and his own. The ferocity of this music-making is matched by its intellectual heft.
Maria Schneider Orchestra, "The Thompson Fields" (ArtistShare): Does anyone write as subtly, poetically or evocatively for large jazz ensemble as Maria Schneider? If so, they have yet to make themselves known. The delicacy and emotional openness of Schneider's compositions are consistently matched by the ethereal beauty of her orchestra's performance.
Amir ElSaffar, "Crisis" (Pi Recordings): Trumpeter-vocalist ElSaffar isn't the first to merge Middle Eastern music with jazz, but he's surely one of the most inspired. The scales, modes and rhythmic patterns may be rooted in the music of ElSaffar's Iraqi heritage, but the spirit of jazz improvisation brings these ancient sounds headlong into the 21st century.
Various artists, "Oscar, With Love" (oscarwithlove.com): This groundbreaking, three-CD package features several of the world's leading pianists performing Oscar Peterson's compositions. The all-star lineup includes Ramsey Lewis, Michel Legrand, Monty Alexander and Chick Corea.
John Wojciechowski, "Focus" (Origin Records): The maturity and concision of this music document how much saxophonist Wojciechowski's art has deepened through the years and whets one's appetite for what's ahead.
Henry Threadgill Zooid, "In for a Penny, In for a Pound" (Pi Recordings): Composer and multi-instrumentalist Threadgill's two-CD set may not fit some listeners definition of jazz or contemporary classical music, but it draws ingeniously from both of those worlds, and then some.
Anat Cohen, "Luminosa" (Anzic Records): The joy, intelligence and tonal beauty of Cohen's work on clarinet (mostly) and tenor saxophone (occasionally) stand among the great wonders of jazz in the 21st century. She never has sounded better.
Dave Douglas Quintet, "Brazen Heart" (Greenleaf Music): Douglas stands as one of the most lyrically inspired trumpeters in jazz, and in "Brazen Heart" he plays with heightened melodic urgency.
Joey Calderazzo, "Going Home" (Sunnyside): Though somewhat under-recognized in the world of jazz, Calderazzo ranks among the most accomplished pianists working today, a fact he reaffirms throughout "Going Home."
Oran Etkin, "What's New? Reimagining Benny Goodman" (Motema): Clarinetist Etkin fulfills the promise of this recording's title, taking the spirit and repertoire of Goodman into new improvisational realms.
Howard Reich is a Tribune Newspapers critic.
hreich@tribpub.com
