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Home , Aaron Parks, Anna Webber, A Caddy for Daddy, A Different Journey, A Slice of the Top, Brandee Younger

84 READERS POLL

DOWNBEAT HALL OF FAME

One night in November 1955, a cooperative then known as The Messengers took the stage of ’s Cafe Bohemia. Their performance would yield two (At The Cafe Bohemia, Volume 1 and Volume 2 on Blue Note) and help spark the rise of hard-bop. By Aaron Cohen

t 25 years old, tenor saxophonist should offer a crucial statement on how jazz transformed during Aalready have been widely acclaimed for what he that decade. Dissonance, electronic experimentation and more brought to the ensemble: making tricky tempo chang- open-ended collective improvisation were not the only stylis- es sound easy, playing with a big, full sound on ballads and pen- tic advances that marked what became known as “The ’60s.” ning strong compositions. But when his name was introduced Mobley’s warm tone didn’t necessarily coincide with clichés on the first night at Cafe Bohemia, he received just a brief smat- of the tumultuous era, as the saxophonist purposefully placed tering of applause. That contrast between his incredible artistry himself beyond perceived trends. and an audience’s understated reaction encapsulates his career. That individualism came across in one of his rare inter- Critic described Mobley as “the middle- views, which he gave to writer John Litweiler for “Hank Mobley: weight champion of the tenor .” Likely not intended The Integrity of the Artist–The of the Man,” which ran in to be disrespectful, the phrase implied that his sound was some- the March 29, 1973, issue of DownBeat. where between a heavy, aggressive style ( Rollins), Mobley said to Litweiler: “When I was about 18, [my uncle] and gently swinging one (like ). But the “middle- told me, ‘If you’re with somebody who plays loud, you play soft. weight” designation left him underappreciated in the annals of If somebody plays fast, you play slow. If you try to play the same jazz history. thing they’re playing, you’re in trouble.’ Contrast.” Additionally, Mobley retreated from the public eye for a That uncle, multi-instrumentalist Dave Mobley, encour- number of years, which earned him a reputation for reclusive- aged the musical inclinations of his nephew, who picked the ness. Still, just as middleweight champion boxer Sugar Ray at around age 16. During the late 1940s and Robinson inspired the legendary Muhammad Ali, Mobley set early 1950s, Mobley’s experiences ranged from playing in r&b the pace for many celebrated tenor saxophonists who followed bands to a brief stint in the Orchestra. But the his path, including his friend . bop revolution captured Mobley’s passion as he started record- Now, with his induction into the DownBeat Hall of Fame ing his own compositions in 1953, two years after drummer more than 33 years after his death at age 55, Mobley’s name has brought him to New York. joined the ranks of the esteemed artists he influenced. Much of In the early Jazz Messengers (before took the his best work has been assembled for the newly released eight- helm), Mobley’s writing and improvisations incorporated disc box set The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions advanced harmonic ideas while maintaining strong ties to the 1963–70 (Mosaic). The collection illustrates the evolution of . On his mid-’50s , Mobley’s challenging Mobley’s instantly identifiable sound and his unique compo- compositions emboldened teenage trumpeter , who sitional approach. His muted harmonic twists and flowing would become one of the saxophonist’s ongoing musical foils. exchanges—while often hewing close to the blues— Blue Note signed Mobley as a bandleader in 1955, and for

36 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 FRANCIS WOLFF ©MOSAIC IMAGES LLC/MOSAICRECORDSIMAGES.COM

DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 37 Hank Mobley (1930–1986) time (“Cute ’N Pretty”) to the title track’s multidi- rectional groove. The groundbreaking LP sat unreleased until 1979, about six years after Mobley expressed frustration at the amount of his material sitting in the Blue Note vault. His exasperation seems understandable, and the new Mosaic collection includes tracks from five compelling albums that were recorded in the 1960s but not released until the late ’70s and mid-’80s. Still, as Mosaic pro- ducer pointed out, Mobley and his contemporaries—including Morgan, Jimmy FRANCIS WOLFF ©MOSAIC IMAGES LLC/MOSAICRECORDSIMAGES.COM Smith and —created more tracks than any label could have been expected to issue around the time they were recorded. During Mobley’s last years in the studio, his work also included covers of r&b hits, like the Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” as well as original compositions that emphasized immedi- ately attractive melodies with repeating motifs, such as “The Flip.” In some ways, these tracks show that after 20 years of invention, he never lost Mobley with pianist McCoy Tyner at the his feel for r&b. recording sessions for on March 18, 1966 , who played on the saxo- the next 15 years he would record extensively for throughout the 1960s. Fortunately, as Blue Note phonist’s 1970 Blue Note , Thinking the label. The fervor in his playing and writing Sessions shows, Mobley’s record company stood Of Home, said Mobley’s compositional skills while he was in his mid to late twenties remains by him, despite such episodes. remained honed, regardless of the distractions astonishing. Mobley recorded one of his land- On 1964’s No , Mobley or hardships he faced. “With both Hank and Lee mark albums, , in 1960, highlight- conveyed quiet authority while allowing ample Morgan, their genius was so great that in spite ing how, as the sole horn player, he engaged with room for an especially spirited quintet. The of their addictions, they would write out most a formidable of Blakey, bassist group’s unison lines on his “Three Way Split” of the tunes for the record date in the cab on the and pianist . The give way to shifting rhythms in a fierce exchange way to rehearsal,” Bass recalled. “That genius was results are a triumph, especially the group’s mod- among Mobley, bassist and drummer unheard of at that particular time.” ern-leaning take on Irving Berlin’s “Remember” . In 1972, Mobley recorded his last album, and Mobley’s assertiveness on his own “This I Mobley extended his musical palette for the Breakthrough!, a collaboration with pianist Cedar Of You.” sextet LP (recorded in 1965). Walton. (It was released on the Cobblestone label Mobley gained much wider attention when His waltz “The Morning After” sounds like it was and later reissued by Muse). he joined ’ group in 1961. He plays written specifically for pianist McCoy Tyner. Mobley continued his peripatetic lifestyle in on the trumpeter’s album Someday My Dippin’ (also recorded in 1965) featured pia- the years that followed, but with the possibili- Will Come, as well as two live LPs recorded nist , whose robust blues feeling ty of new music always out there. At the time of at The Blackhawk in San Francisco. Mobley’s was a quality he shared with the leader. Mabern, his 1973 DownBeat interview, Chicago was his earlier experience with Chambers and Kelly, who spoke to DownBeat about two weeks prior to home and he had started working with pianist Davis’ rhythm section stalwarts, proved valu- his Sept. 17 death, somewhat agreed with a con- Muhal Richard Abrams. No recording of the able. The saxophonist’s tone highlighted what he sensus that Mobley could be personally with- two is known to exist, which is a shame. Mobley’s described as “not a big sound, not a small sound, drawn. But he described the saxophonist as far final years remain mysterious, but he was known but a round sound,” most vividly on ballads. This from distant. to have suffered from lung cancer and bouts of approach blended impeccably with the bandlead- “Hank was a joy to be around, he never creat- homelessness. It’s conceivable that he saw how er’s muted tone. ed problems, never got loud and boisterous,” his advanced ideas for composing and arrang- In the Davis biography So What, writer John Mabern said of the sessions that produced ing on A Slice Of The Top became part of the lexi- Szwed noted that with Mobley’s blues inflec- Dippin’, the only album the two musicians made con for some of the groups coming out of Abrams’ tions, “There was a hipness to his playing that together. “He was pure in heart. Those are the Association for the Advancement of Creative reinforced Davis’ popularity in black commu- things that made the date easy for us, but he Musicians. nities across America.” But Davis did not speak was no pushover: He knew what he wanted; you As Bob Blumenthal writes in the liner notes to so favorably about the saxophonist, and Coltrane couldn’t jive him.” Blue Note Sessions, Mobley did achieve a moment and ’s roles with the trumpeter Mobley did not always adhere to a standard of acclaim shortly before his death. When Blue historically have overshadowed Mobley’s short format, as illustrated by his 1966 octet recording, Note experienced its rebirth in 1985, the label tenure in the band. A Slice Of The Top. His sharp timing and com- invited him to participate in a relaunch concert Just after leaving Davis, Mobley said that he mand of all registers remained steadfast while at New York’s Town Hall. Mobley appeared at the delved into a recurring drug addiction that fre- he created long choruses for a distinctive brass event, but he chose to speak to the audience, rath- quently kept him away from performing and section that included euphonium and . er than perform. In some regard, he didn’t have recording. While incarcerated for drug posses- While was nominally in charge to, as everyone present seemed to acknowledge sion, he used prison time to compose, and his of the , they flowed from Mobley’s that the label, and jazz itself, had thrived because sound continued to evolve after each setback instructions. The tracks range from a waltz in 6/8 of Mobley’s contributions. DB

38 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 39 84 READERS POLL C. ANDREW HOVAN

JAZZ ARTIST JAZZ ALBUM

Wayne Shorter40 DOWNBEAT won three DECEMBER categories 2019 in the 2019 DownBeat Readers Poll, including Jazz Artist. Wayne Shorter ‘PROBING INTO THE UNLIMITED’

Members of Wayne Shorter’s quartet have heard some intriguing anecdotes over the years. “Miles believed in so much of Wayne’s orchestral writing, his large-form writing,” said bassist , referring to Shorter’s stint in Miles Davis’ band. “Not long before Miles passed, he kept saying to Wayne, ‘You gotta expose yourself.’ Because he wanted him to expose all his orchestrational power, and all the large-form things that he’d been working on all his life, sketches and things.

iles was the one who gave strated by singing the opening theme. Then he dents of orchestration.” They typically study “M Wayne the idea to [record translated the phrase into a rhythmic pattern: Shorter’s scores and then collaborate on the Shorter’s of] “Danga-dang, danga-dang, danga-dang-dang,” final piece: “Wayne trusts us to come up with ‘Vendiendo Alegría,’ which was on the Alegría making it sound like a skip-ride beat. “I’ll just our own stuff. So, Danilo will get the score, a record,” Patitucci added. “We played it live a lot throw it out there: Mozart was probing into the reduction. Sometimes I’ll look at that, but too, with orchestras.” unlimited. I’ll also have the orchestral bass part, and will It’s clear that the orchestral portion of “In classical, there is an extreme, a desire to improvise around that, writing in aspects of Shorter’s Emanon (Blue Note)—which won increase what you’d call musical vocabulary,” the piano part, if needed. Brian will look at the Jazz Album of the Year in both the 2019 Shorter continued. “And then in jazz, you have bass part or the score ... and Danilo will write DownBeat Readers Poll and Critics Poll—has a kind of vocabulary which, when increased, or in parts of the orchestration coming from the been a long time coming. (Shorter also topped expounded, or blown up, you have the birth of woodwinds or whatever, lines that he might the Jazz Artist and Soprano Saxophone catego- avant-garde, a birth of this, a birth of fusion, want to double. in those situations ries in the Readers Poll.) a birth of that. But the actual musical vocab- is carve out our own parts, to complement what The iconic saxophonist has been perform- ulary, and what jazz was driving at, was the Wayne has written.” ing with symphony orchestras for years with democratic gateway to increasing the expres- Screenwriter Monica Sly worked on a dif- his quartet, which, in addition to Patitucci, sive vocabulary of what you’re doing. Not just ferent aspect of Shorter’s writing: the graph- includes pianist and drummer doing jazz.” ic novel that provides the visual element of the . “We did stuff with the St. Louis “He has his style,” Patitucci said of Shorter’s Emanon package. Sly framed the narrative arc Symphony, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, a orchestral compositions. “We have the bene- around the four orchestral compositions on the lot of European [orchestras],” Patitucci said. fit of poring over the scores, and being inside recording. (The graphic novel’s illustrations are “There are a lot of recordings that exist, I’m that music for many years—whether it’s direct- by Randy DuBurke.) sure, but they have not come out. We were ly related to that piece or many others that he’s “You have four different songs, with four thrilled that Emanon could happen, frankly.” written and performed with orchestras all different meanings,” she explained. “Each song The hurdles for having a project like around the world.” is going to be a different journey to overcome Emanon come to fruition involve not only the Many aspects of Shorter’s orchestral writ- fear. Wayne’s biggest thing in life, what he’s cost of recording a large ensemble, but the fact ing seem vertical in structure; for instance, always trying to get people to do, is to face their that jazz and classical are seen by many as sep- “the way he stacks harmonies up,” according fears and embrace the unknown—which is a arate poles in music culture. Shorter, however, to Patitucci. But what the bassist most admires very scary thing for most people.” frequently has understood and explored many are the horizontal elements. “There are a lot Although she’d never written text for a connections between the two genres. of lines—the woodwind line, the string line— graphic novel before, she found working on “It’s all wrapped up in forging ahead,” that shoot across horizontally, commenting on Emanon to be a deeply satisfying experience. Shorter said. “Like, do you know Mozart’s G those blocks of harmony that he lays out.” “Nothing I’ve done has ever been like writ- minor Symphony No. 40? That can be the cym- Patitucci emphasized that he, Pérez and ing with Wayne,” she said. “But that’s because bal beat in jazz, straight jazz.” He then demon- Blade, who are all composers, are “huge stu- there’s no one like Wayne.” —J.D. Considine

DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 41 84 READERS POLL 1. WAYNE SHORTER Emanon (Blue Note)

Shorter’s quixotic and nonlinear approach to music (and language) has made him an unlikely candidate for a high-profile spotlight. Yet he’s been in lofty situations for decades as a critical player and composer in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers dating back to the 1950s, in the of the ’60s and as cofounder of in 1970. This ambitious, three-disc set, recorded with both the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and his long-standing quartet, reinforces Shorter’s status as one of jazz’s paradoxical superheroes.

2. & DIANA KRALL 8.

Love Is Here To Stay (Verve) “Bolden” Original Soundtrack (Blue Engine) Bennett and Krall collaborate with pianist Bill If the notion of Marsalis’ tentet cutting loose Charlap on a collection of 12 Gershwin tunes that on “Tiger Rag” or an original piece designed conjure both animated and intimate moods. to evoke what Bolden’s band might have The material is suffused with vernacular—from sounded like is intriguing, then this wildly the opening “’S Wonderful” (which employs entertaining excursion into early styles of the the kind of street-corner slang of which the genre, expertly delivered by members of the Gershwins were fond) to the closing “Who Jazz at Orchestra, should be in Cares?” (which supplies plenty of attitude). your collection. 3. CHRIS POTTER 9. QUARTET

Circuits (Edition) The Secret Between The Shadow And The Soul (OKeh/Sony) Potter’s latest showcases some of the groove Whether leading his own groups; playing and r&b feel that marked his Underground alongside artists as diverse as Public Enemy, group. But this new trio was and the Grateful Dead; appearing assembled for a tour. Potter wanted to pursue on Broadway, in films and on TV; and pursuing an electric project, so he brought in drummer classical music, Marsalis’ ability to shape-shift , who in turn recommended pianist remains central not only to who he is, but James Francies. The live shows went so well, it who he’s becoming. The bandleader’s journey seemed as if studio time was in order. It was. continues here, with his inimitable quartet. 4. 10. JOEY DEFRANCESCO

Heaven And Earth (Young Turks) In The Key Of The Universe (Mack Avenue) Musical representations of struggle, love Organ virtuoso DeFrancesco takes on a and redemption, expressed through lush contemplative aura for his collaboration with orchestration and a malleable mix of styles, saxophonist , a celebration ranging from futuristic post-bop to fusion of “The Creator Has A Master Plan,” the and folk, constitute Washington’s most recent half-century-old song of praise that was longform recording. But Heaven And Earth the revelatory centerpiece of Sanders’ traces a personal evolution that speaks to earthshaking album, Karma. Everyone benefits larger issues around justice and unity. from this kind of musical exchange. 5. ORCHESTRA 11. ATUNDE ADJUAH All About That Basie (Concord) Ancestral Recall (Ropeadope) The Count Basie Orchestra was founded in 1936 in Kansas City, Missouri, and continues 12. to this day, decades after its namesake ,QƓQLW\ (HighNote) bandleader died in 1984 at the age of 79. Just don’t call it a repertory, or worse, “ghost” band. And while the troupe plays true to its roots, it 13. handles everything from Adele’s “Hello” to Finding Gabriel (Nonesuch) ’s “Hallelujah” with aplomb. 14. 6. CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT 12 Little Spells (Concord) The Window (Mack Avenue) 15. TRIO In many ways vocalist Salvant is, first, an actor. Live In Europe (Palmetto) She knows that actors are dependent upon their roles and that, for her, the song is the role. She chooses carefully from high-end theater 16. and cabaret songs, sometimes unexpectedly Combo 66 (Verve) if not always successfully. But her repertoire mixes the safety of the familiar with the risks of the obscure. 17. Origami Harvest (Blue Note) 7. 18. CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS + LUCINDA WILLIAMS (GroundUP) (Blue Note) There’s usually a thematic conceit to Snarky Puppy records, and when writing the tunes 19. for Immigrance, was thinking (Nonesuch) about migration and movement. Snarky has Come What May developed as a live band, driven by a studio technician’s ethic, and during the past dozen 20. MELISSA ALDANA years, its music has become a genre of its (Motéma) own—one with remarkable popular appeal. Visions

42 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 43 84 READERS POLL 1. JOHN COLTRANE Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album (Impulse!)

Above all, Both Directions At Once works as a snapshot of a wondrous band on the cusp of revolution. The 14 studio performances, all recorded March 6, 1963, by engineer at his New Jersey studio, fill out the history of Trane’s classic quartet, the song selection offering fresh insight into the way the group developed and grew. There are four takes of “Impressions” (each strikingly unique in terms of tempo and approach), three untitled originals and two versions of “One Up One Down.” Basically, this is a Coltrane fan’s fantasy come true.

2. 8.

The White Album (Anniversary Edition) The Music Never Stops (Blue Engine) (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe) Blue Engine Records, the recording arm of Jazz Sgt. Pepper’s might be The Beatles’ most at Lincoln Center, launched singer Betty Carter’s feted recording, but an argument for The first posthumous album, a live 1992 recording. White Album being the group’s most feral is She’s backed alternately by a jazz orchestra, a easy to make. Adding to the darkness, joviality string section, and three different piano trios, and rough-hewn blues are new stereo mixes, and her distinctive melodic alterations engage the 27-track Esher Demos, overseen by Paul, both musically and emotionally. It’s hard to Ringo and George Martin’s son, Giles. remain detached while listening. 3. JOHN COLTRANE 9.

Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings (Craft) Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio (Resonance) The eight-LP set Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Sessions Recordings captures the saxophonist at a Whether wielding alto sax, flute or bass , pivotal point in becoming one of jazz’s most Dolphy was a godsend to those who were on influential leaders and soloists. The seven a mission to expand the language of jazz. He sessions he cut as a leader for Prestige were but might never attain the stature and notoriety a fraction of the 20 studio dates on his calendar that Trane has, but the previously unreleased in 1958, just a year before recording both Kind music from 1963 on this three-disc set goes a Of Blue with Miles Davis and . long way toward bolstering Dolphy’s legacy. 4. 10.

Evans In England (Resonance) Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (60th Anniversary Edition) (Capitol) Having just formed a trio with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell the year If the title and cover weren’t enough to convey before, as well as temporarily kicking his heroin the album’s theme, its somber torch songs habit, ’69 marked Evans entering a new era of did the trick, propelling the disc to chart- stability and exploratory creativity. And it’s topping success in 1968. Included on Capitol’s this nascent self-discovery that’s documented anniversary edition are the original 12-song on this double album of Evans’ trio playing at program in both a mono and a new stereo mix, London’s Ronnie Scott’s club that year. as well as four bonus tracks. 5. THE 11. Back On Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings (Resonance) The Art Ensemble Of Chicago And Associated Ensembles (ECM) 12. QUARTET Prepared in acknowledgment of ECM’s Tokyo 1975 (Elemental) 50th anniversary in 2019, this sizable 21- disc collection counts albums under the Art Ensemble banner, some helmed by Lester 13. Bowie, Wadada Leo Smith, Roscoe Mitchell Tokyo 1981 (Elemental) and Jack DeJohnette. There’s even a recording headed up by U.K. improviser . 14. Mønk (Gearbox) 6. 15. // Sparks, Nevada 1964! (Dot Time) When Will The Blues Leave (ECM) A stop at the Circus Room of the Nugget Casino in Sparks, Nevada, is typical of what 16. Armstrong’s All Stars brought to audiences in Take Another Look: A Career Retrospective (Mack Avenue) 1964. The program touches on his roots, showcases the musicians’ chops and 17. & BRAD MEHLDAU peaks with a couple of energetic vocal turns by (Impulse!) Jewel Brown. And, of course, the show gives Long Ago And Far Away ample room for Pops to just be Pops. 18. DUKE ELLINGTON 7. In Coventry, 1966 (Storyville)

The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967–1970 (Rhino) 19. Jazz In /Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden (BBE) Spanning one of Franklin’s most fruitful periods, this collection finds The First Lady of Soul getting comfortable on her new label after 20. leaving Columbia. Compiling 34 cuts issued La Fenice (ECM) from the beginning of her relationship with the imprint, hits that would elevate Franklin 21. beyond “crossover star” status are plentiful, as (Widow’s Taste) are covers of Sam Cooke, The Band and others. Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. 10: Bourbon Street—Toronto, June 16,1977

44 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 45 (1969–2018) Batiste and , who delivered a mov- ing solo-piano rendition of “The Nearness Of You,” which Jones told the crowd she had learned by listening to Hargrove. The trumpeter was raised in and relocated to New York in 1990, and was a prodigy from the start, moving easily among different sounds, styles and generations. His band, the RH Factor, was a loud, funky vehi- cle, while his quintet was a smooth-running, straightahead machine. He won two Grammys, one for his 1997 Latin jazz album, Habana, and another for Directions In Music: Live At Massey Hall, his famed collaboration with and , released in 2002. In the late 1990s, he became involved with the Soulquarian movement, working with stars 84 from hip-hop and r&b, such as D’Angelo and . READERS POLL Hargrove released more than 20 albums as a leader, and his 2008 release—Earfood, the second-to-last recording he led—is one of his most highly regarded. He performed on

TRUMPET many other artists’ recordings, but his greatest impact as a musician was perhaps at the inter- personal level. He was an avid club-goer, and often sat in at jam sessions throughout New FAREWELL TO A York, particularly at Smalls, the basement jazz hangout in the West Village that operates as a proving ground for young musicians. Such mingling kept Hargrove fresh, BELOVED MENTOR according to , a pianist/keyboard- ist who performed frequently with the trum- peter. “Because he was driven by a need to keep As the jazz world continues to mourn the death of Roy his chops together, and his love for the music, Hargrove, the bandleader has been given a posthumous he was out most nights in pursuit of that,” Cary honor, winning the category in the DownBeat said. “Because he communed so frequently with the young musicians, he could pass on his Readers Poll. wisdom of the music, the etiquette and the cor- rect changes to a composition.” Hargrove was a ubiquitous and outsized presence on the scene, with his stylish suits, oy Hargrove died suddenly on Nov. 2, magnetic quality. “When he played, everybody sunglasses and fedoras. In the months lead- R2018, at the age of 49, from cardi- just sat up a little bit straighter and there was ing up to his premature death, he could be ac arrest caused by kidney disease, an this excitement in the room,” said Rio Sakairi, found blowing away at clubs and embodying affliction with which he had long struggled. who since 2000 has served as the artistic direc- the tradition, helping to pass it along to young- Hargrove was, among many other things, a tor of the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan club er players. kind of binding agent in jazz, as trumpet- Hargrove founded with Lezlie Harrison and Sakairi said that no one’s yet risen to take ers are wont to be; artistically generous and Dale Fitzgerald in 1995. “He left a gaping hole.” Hargrove’s place as a kind of community orga- open-minded, he helped connect all sorts of That was apparent last January during a nizer capable of bringing everyone together musicians in a genre that has had its share of tribute concert held at ’s while also standing apart as one of the most aesthetic schisms. Rose Theater and hosted by bassist Christian talented musicians in the field. It was entirely uncontroversial—and also McBride. Around 200 performers lamented Although Hargrove leaves behind an extremely cool—to dig Roy Hargrove. He the loss of a musician who meant so much to acclaimed discography, Sakairi said it is unfor- stood apart from the neo-bop musicians who so many people. tunate that fans who are just discovering had preceded him by a decade or so—partic- There was Marsalis leading a traditional him—or are yet to discover him—won’t be able ularly Wynton Marsalis, who helped launch second line, summoning the feel of a New to experience the trumpeter in person. “It’s Hargrove’s career—in that he was part of the Orleans funeral. And here was Hargrove’s big disheartening to think that new audiences are jazz tradition but not stuffy about it. Hargrove band, along with different iterations of his cel- going to come to Roy only through his record- wasn’t supercilious about crossing genres or ebrated quintet. There was the ings,” said Sakairi, “and never understand blending styles or even moving away from jazz. All-Star band, in which Hargrove had played. what he was capable of in a live situation.” His nonchalant, unaffected air lent him a And there was , Jon —Matthew Kassel

46 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 ©HYOU VIELZ

84 READERS POLL

BEYOND ARTIST Dr. John (1941–2019) SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS

DownBeat devised the term “Beyond” to apply to music that defies easy categorization— and no one is a better example of that than Dr. John.

eah, Mac was ‘beyond’ even when first as a Bourbon Street strip-joint organist and makes perfect sense. “Y he was still with us,” observed gui- later as Dr. John The Night Tripper, the bone-and- Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit Of Satch (2014), tarist and Grammy award-winning bead bedecked stage persona he unveiled on his the last studio album Mac released before his producer Shane Theriot, who produced Dr. John’s 1968 debut, Gris-Gris. Inspired by a Senegalese death, salutes Louis Armstrong and follows trib- final gift to the world: the last album he recorded healer and conjurer who arrived in 19th centu- utes to Duke Ellington and Johnny and signed off on before his June 6 death at 77. ry New Orleans via Haiti, Dr. John soon became Mercer. Now, Williams joins that illustrious list. That as-yet unreleased album, which at press inseparable from Mac himself. “[T]hose songs were dear to his heart,” said time wasn’t attached to a label, caps a genre-bust- “Mac did incantations and chants before the Theriot, who helped Mac fulfill a dream of fol- ing career. Steeped in the funky second-line gigs,” recalled jazz keyboardist and bandlead- lowing ’ lead by making his own rhythms of his hometown of New Orleans— er David Torkanowsky, who played Hammond country album. “This record wasn’t intended to where he joined a pantheon of piano greats from B-3 with Dr. John on and off for several decades be posthumous; that’s just the way things hap- Professor Longhair to —Dr. John and accompanied Mac every year to get a New pened. It was a cohesive artistic statement Mac ranged far beyond his roots, without ever losing Year’s blessing and gris-gris bag from their spir- put together while he was here.” that deep connection, collecting six Grammys itual mentor, Frank Lastie. “It was sort of a spir- Like Dr. John’s concerts, the forthcoming along the way and earning his rightful place in itual reset.” album has some surprises. joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “It wasn’t a jive thing,” noted Theriot, a in for a joyous rendition of “(Give Me That) Old- Born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., he was Neville Brothers veteran who played guitar with Time Religion” and circled back still a kid when he started channeling Pinetop Dr. John on before signing on as Mac’s produc- to put a spell on “I Walk On Gilded Splinters.” Perkins on the keys and Lightnin’ Hopkins on er. “Everyone would hold hands in a circle, and I But even the country standards were “completely guitar. As a teen in the mid-’50s, he dove head- always felt different when we got done with that.” Rebennack-ed out,” as Torkanowsky put it. first into the steamy cauldron of r&b boiling over Those spiritual resets carried even more “Mac basically channeled ancestry, which is in New Orleans, wrote a couple of regional hits weight when Theriot and Torkanowsky were what great jazz players do,” Torkanowsky said. himself, and was touring the South as a guitar- both working on what they sensed would be “Every time you played music with him, you were ist when he sacrificed the tip of one finger to the Mac’s swan song. And while some fans might be speaking to several of his ancestral griots at the gods in a Florida motel altercation. surprised that the as-yet untitled album invokes same time. That’s why his music was so deep. It That fortuitous mishap reignited Mac’s the spirit of and other coun- was informed by history and a deep reverence for uncanny ability to “radiate the 88s,” as he put it, try pioneers, taken in context of Mac’s career, it those who came before him.” —Cree McCree

DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 47 84 READERS POLL COMPLETE RESULTS

Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom .. 309 Brian Blade & The Fellowship Hank Mobley ...... 855 Band ...... 306 ...... 582 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Bob ...... 555 Quintet ...... 306 ...... 546 Christian McBride’s New Jawn 303 TAKEHIKO TOKIWA Jack DeJohnette ...... 531 Tom Harrell Quintet ...... 267 Tito Puente ...... 507 Trio ...... 264 Mel Tormé ...... 507 Yellowjackets ...... 261 ...... 486 Esperanza Spalding Group ...... 231 Dr. John ...... 480 & Orleans Carmen McRae ...... 477 Avenue ...... 216 ...... 414 John McLaughlin ...... 387 ...... 387 Maria Schneider ...... 381 Orchestra ...... 1,131 ...... 381 Jazz at Lincoln Center Les Paul...... 363 Orchestra ...... 1,068 Maria Schneider, winner of the Composer, Charles Lloyd ...... 354 Arranger and categories Count Basie Orchestra ...... 729 Guy ...... 321 Christian McBride Big Band ....667 ...... 318 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Roy Hargrove Big Band ...... 489 ...... 318 Ancestral Recall (Ropeadope) ...312 Vanguard Jazz Orchestra ...... 447 John Coltrane, Both Directions Pharoah Sanders ...... 312 Tom Harrell, Infinity (HighNote)...306 WDR Big Band ...... 426 At Once: The Lost Album James Moody ...... 306 Brad Mehldau, Mingus Big Band ...... 423 (Impulse!) ...... 2,988 Allan Holdsworth ...... 300 Finding Gabriel (Nonesuch) .....306 John Beasley’s MONK’estra ....363 The Beatles, The White Album Grant Green...... 285 Esperanza Spalding, Anat Cohen Tentet ...... 351 (Anniversary Edition) (Apple Corps ...... 273 12 Little Spells (Concord) ...... 303 Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Fred Hersch Trio, Ltd./Capitol/UMe) ...... 702 Big Band ...... 345 Live In Europe (Palmetto) ...... 291 John Coltrane, Coltrane ’58: The Darcy James Argue’s Secret John Scofield, Prestige Recordings (Craft) ...... 684 Wayne Shorter ...... 648 Society ...... 342 Combo 66 (Verve) ...... 282 Bill Evans, Evans In England Chris Potter ...... 498 Arkestra ...... 321 Ambrose Akinmusire, (Resonance) ...... 543 Wynton Marsalis ...... 456 Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band ..312 Origami Harvest (Blue Note) ....270 The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Cécile McLorin Salvant ...... 423 Gordon Goodwin’s Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lu- The Art Ensemble of Chicago And ...... 417 Big Phat Band ...... 306 cinda Williams, Vanished Gardens Associated Ensembles (ECM) ..540 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah ..366 with Charlie Haden’s (Blue Note)...... 270 Louis Armstrong, Sparks, Nevada Christian McBride ...... 363 Liberation Music Orchestra Joshua Redman, 1964! (Dot Time) ...... 489 Kamasi Washington ...... 354 Big Band ...... 300 Come What May (Nonesuch) ...261 Aretha Franklin, The Atlantic Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 321 Bob Mintzer Big Band...... 270 Melissa Aldana, Singles Collection 1967-1970 Brad Mehldau ...... 288 Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Orchestra ...249 Visions (Motéma) ...... 258 (Rhino) ...... 462 ...... 270 DIVA Jazz Orchestra ...... 243 Christian McBride, Betty Carter, The Music Never Tom Harrell ...... 264 Christian McBride’s New Jawn Stops (Blue Engine) ...... 390 Kenny Barron ...... 249 (Mack Avenue) ...... 249 Eric Dolphy, Musical Prophet: The Anat Cohen ...... 249 Wayne Shorter, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, Expanded 1963 New York Studio Fred Hersch...... 249 Emanon (Blue Note) ...... 840 Glitter Wolf (Royal Potato Sessions (Resonance) ...... 390 Esperanza Spalding ...... 246 Tony Bennett & Diana Krall, Family) ...... 246 Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Sings Joey DeFrancesco ...... 231 Love Is Here to Stay (Verve) .....591 , (ECM) ..240 For Only The Lonely (60th Anniver- Kurt Elling ...... 231 Chris Potter, Circuits (Edition) ..531 Ingrid Jensen & Steve Treseler, sary Edition) (Capitol) ...... 378 ...... 231 Kamasi Washington, Heaven And Invisible Sounds: For Kenny Wes Montgomery, Back On Indi- Tony Bennett ...... 225 Earth (Young Turks) ...... 456 Wheeler (Whirlwind) ...... 228 ana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Count Basie Orchestra, All About , Recordings (Resonance) ...... 372 That Basie (Concord) ...... 444 (Blue Note)...... 222 Dexter Gordon Quartet, Snarky Puppy ...... 762 Cécile McLorin Salvant, , One Night Only: Tokyo 1975 (Elemental) ...... 357 Wayne Shorter Quartet ...... 558 The Window (Mack Avenue) ....402 Live At The Royal Albert Hall Woody Shaw, Branford Marsalis Quartet ...... 486 Snarky Puppy, Immigrance (Blue Note)...... 222 Tokyo 1981 (Elemental) ...... 348 ...... 405 (GroundUP) ...... 381 Yellowjackets, Raising Our Voice Thelonious Monk, Wynton Marsalis Quintet ...... 393 Wynton Marsalis, “Bolden” Origi- (Mack Avenue) ...... 219 Mønk (Gearbox) ...... 336 Chick Corea Band ...... 387 nal Soundtrack (Blue Engine) ...366 Miguel Zenón, Yo Soy La Tradición Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Brad Mehldau Trio ...... 387 Branford Marsalis Quartet, (Miel Music) ...... 201 Motian, When Will The Blues Charles Lloyd Quartet ...... 369 The Secret Between The Shadow Cyrille Aimée, Move On: A Sond- Leave (ECM) ...... 270 Chris Potter Underground ...... 354 And The Soul (OKeh/Sony) ...... 345 heim Adventure (Mack Avenue) ..183 Gary Burton, Take Another Look: Fred Hersch Trio ...... 351 Joey DeFrancesco, In The Key Of Person & , A Career Retrospective SFJAZZ Collective ...... 315 The Universe (Mack Avenue) ...336 Remember Love (HighNote) ....183 (Mack Avenue) ...... 234

48 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 ULLI GRUBER JIMMY & DENA KATZ

Chris Potter, winner of the Tenor Saxophone category COURTESY OF ARTIST

Gary Smulyan, winner of the Baritone Saxophone category Anat Cohen, winner of the Clarinet category

Charlie Haden & Brad Mehldau, ...... 762 ...... 210 Long Ago And Far Away Bill Watrous ...... 684 Walter Smith III ...... 210 (Impulse!) ...... 222 ...... 516 ...... 1,281 JD Allen ...... 198 Duke Ellington, In Coventry, ...... 504 Miguel Zenón ...... 603 Donny McCaslin ...... 186 1966 (Storyville) ...... 201 ...... 495 ...... 600 Charles Mingus, Jazz In Detroit/ Jennifer Wharton ...... 348 ...... 543 Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden ...... 315 Paquito D’Rivera ...... 498 ...... 1,359 (BBE) ...... 192 ...... 309 Dick Oatts ...... 483 ...... 1,206 Keith Jarrett, La Fenice (ECM) .189 ...... 306 ...... 441 ...... 753 Art Pepper, Unreleased Art Natalie Cressman ...... 294 ...... 441 Scott Robinson ...... 708 Pepper, Vol. 10: Bourbon Street— Marshall Gilkes ...... 291 ...... 312 ...... 693 Toronto, June 16,1977 (Widow’s ...... 270 Steve Wilson ...... 294 Claire Daly ...... 486 Taste) ...... 189 ...... 261 ...... 285 Stephen “Doc” Kupka ...... 444 Ryan Keberle ...... 225 ...... 276 ...... 429 Nils Landgren ...... 225 ...... 255 Lauren Sevian ...... 402 Roy Hargrove ...... 1,809 John Fedchock ...... 216 ...... 255 Denis DiBlasio ...... 336 Wynton Marsalis ...... 963 Nick Finzer ...... 192 Ted Nash ...... 255 Lisa Parrott ...... 315 Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 879 Alan Ferber ...... 186 ...... 255 Frank Basile ...... 294 Tom Harrell ...... 699 ...... 234 ...... 255 Ingrid Jensen ...... 519 Charles McPherson ...... 210 Ken Vandermark ...... 255 ...... 486 Wayne Shorter ...... 1,851 ...... 207 Tim Berne ...... 252 ...... 471 Branford Marsalis ...... 1,215 ...... 198 Mats Gustafsson ...... 228 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah 423 ...... 822 Paula Henderson ...... 189 ...... 369 ...... 621 Howard Johnson ...... 186 ...... 351 Chris Potter ...... 573 Chris Potter ...... 948 Patience Higgins ...... 165 ...... 324 Kenny Garrett ...... 552 Wayne Shorter ...... 705 Adam Schroeder ...... 153 Terell Stafford ...... 249 Jane Ira Bloom ...... 513 Melissa Aldana ...... 657 Dave Douglas ...... 240 Joshua Redman ...... 510 Joe Lovano ...... 612 Avishai Cohen ...... 228 ...... 435 Joshua Redman ...... 588 Anat Cohen ...... 2,967 Marquis Hill ...... 222 Joe Lovano ...... 360 Branford Marsalis ...... 576 Paquito D’Rivera ...... 1,269 Wadada Leo Smith ...... 195 Steve Wilson ...... 330 Kamasi Washington ...... 453 Eddie Daniels ...... 882 ...... 165 Tia Fuller ...... 318 Charles Lloyd ...... 423 Don Byron ...... 720 Bria Skonberg ...... 165 Sonny Fortune ...... 309 Eric Alexander ...... 417 Ken Peplowski ...... 618 ...... 159 Jane Bunnett ...... 273 Scott Robinson ...... 387 Victor Goines ...... 510 Etienne Charles ...... 156 Lee Konitz ...... 267 Jimmy Heath ...... 285 Shabaka Hutchings ...... 219 ...... 156 James Carter ...... 249 Pharoah Sanders ...... 246 Chris Speed ...... 195 Ted Nash ...... 246 ...... 222 Jeff Lederer ...... 183 Roxy Coss ...... 198 ...... 216 Ben Goldberg ...... 177 Trombone Shorty ...... 1,206 Jimmy Greene ...... 186 Joel Frahm ...... 213 Evan Christopher ...... 153 ...... 1,068 Sam Newsome ...... 177 ...... 213 Marty Ehrlich ...... 153

DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 49 JOHN PEDEN ERNEST GREGORY

Marcus Miller, winner of the Electric Bass category Pat Methey, winner of the Guitar category , winner of the category

Gabriele Mirabassi ...... 150 Greg Tardy ...... 150 Bob Wilber ...... 147 Herbie Hancock ...... 2,085 Beth Custer ...... 144 Chick Corea ...... 1,911 ANNA WEBBER Michael White ...... 144 ...... 864 Aurora Nealand ...... 141 ...... 459 DOUGLAS KIRKLAND Gianluigi Trovesi ...... 138 ...... 384 Louis Sclavis ...... 132 ...... 360 Hiromi ...... 351 Eddie Palmieri ...... 342 Herbie Hancock, winner Christian McBride, of the Piano and Keyboard categories winner of the Bass category ...... 1,179 ...... 330 Patrice Rushen ...... 267 Charles Lloyd ...... 837 Gary Versace ...... 255 Nicole Mitchell ...... 681 Julian Lage ...... 483 Jason Lindner ...... 249 Elena Pinderhughes ...... 615 John McLaughlin ...... 450 Marc Cary ...... 231 Marcus Miller...... 1,083 Lew Tabackin ...... 546 Mary Halvorson ...... 432 Zaccai Curtis ...... 225 ...... 936 Ted Nash ...... 483 ...... 429 Booker T. Jones ...... 207 ...... 873 Tia Fuller ...... 462 John Pizzarelli ...... 354 ...... 198 Christian McBride ...... 855 Dave Liebman ...... 462 Dave Stryker ...... 318 Henry Butler ...... 192 ...... 837 Jane Bunnett ...... 357 Al Di Meola ...... 312 ...... 186 Esperanza Spalding ...... 795 Steve Wilson ...... 345 Mimi Fox...... 276 ...... 177 John Patitucci ...... 666 Henry Threadgill ...... 279 Vic Juris ...... 273 Jamie Saft ...... 165 ...... 528 Jamie Baum ...... 270 ...... 270 ...... 390 ...... 270 ...... 267 ...... 339 Anne Drummond ...... 243 ...... 261 Tim Lefebvre ...... 303 T.K. Blue ...... 240 Joey DeFrancesco ...... 3,301 ...... 255 Tony Levin ...... 252 Holly Hofmann ...... 219 Dr. Lonnie Smith ...... 1,167 ...... 249 Avishai Cohen ...... 237 Ali Ryerson ...... 207 Larry Goldings ...... 957 Charlie Apicella ...... 243 ...... 210 Andrea Brachfeld ...... 204 Booker T. Jones ...... 450 ...... 207 Tal Wilkenfeld ...... 210 John Medeski ...... 414 ...... 198 Carla Bley ...... 378 Felix Pastorius ...... 198 Gary Versace ...... 321 Herbie Hancock ...... 846 Christian McBride ...... 1,818 ...... 192 Mike LeDonne ...... 315 Brad Mehldau ...... 723 Ron Carter ...... 1,167 Jimmy Haslip...... 177 ...... 273 Kenny Barron ...... 714 Esperanza Spalding ...... 810 ...... 171 Chick Corea ...... 684 ...... 234 Dave Holland ...... 723 Fred Hersch...... 444 Pat Bianchi ...... 219 Linda May Han Oh ...... 561 Keith Jarrett ...... 438 Akiko Tsuruga ...... 213 Stanley Clarke ...... 429 McCoy Tyner ...... 384 Sam Yahel ...... 204 John Patitucci ...... 429 Regina Carter ...... 2,889 Joey Alexander ...... 366 Craig Taborn ...... 177 John Clayton ...... 372 Jean-Luc Ponty ...... 1,098 Vijay Iyer ...... 261 Roberta Piket ...... 176 Larry Grenadier ...... 315 Jenny Scheinman ...... 600 Bill Charlap ...... 246 Amina Claudine Myers ...... 156 Avishai Cohen ...... 291 Sara Caswell ...... 528 Sullivan Fortner ...... 246 Tony Monaco ...... 153 ...... 285 ...... 480 Ahmad Jamal ...... 243 Jared Gold...... 144 Victor Wooten ...... 276 ...... 354 ...... 231 Brian Charette ...... 138 Luques Curtis ...... 222 Mark O’Connor ...... 288 Robert Glasper ...... 219 Rhoda Scott ...... 123 Mark Wade ...... 219 Jerry Goodman ...... 246 ...... 186 ...... 216 Mat Maneri ...... 207 Aaron Parks ...... 180 Gary Peacock...... 177 Nils Økland ...... 195 ...... 177 Pat Metheny ...... 1,164 William Parker ...... 174 Christian Howes ...... 150 ...... 171 Bill Frisell ...... 801 ...... 165 Miri Ben-Ari ...... 147 Hiromi ...... 171 John Scofield ...... 543 ...... 159 Michal Urbaniak ...... 141 ...... 168 Peter Bernstein ...... 540 Carlos Henriquez ...... 144 Karen Briggs ...... 138

50 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 Brian Blade, co-winner of the Drums category LURAH BLADE ESTEVAN ORIOL

Poncho Sanchez, winner of the Percussion category ANNA WEBBER

Banjo player Béla Fleck, winner of the Miscellaneous Instrument category

Susie Hansen ...... 135 ...... 531 Scott Tixier ...... 135 Jerry Gonzalez ...... 516 Tomoko Omura ...... 120 Pedrito Martinez ...... 462 Kurt Elling, winner of the Male Vocalist category Andy Stein ...... 117 Bobby Sanabria ...... 459 Aaron Weinstein ...... 117 ...... 432 Hendrik Meurkens ...... 138 Eyvind Kang ...... 111 Trilok Gurtu ...... 381 Matt Moran ...... 129 Dan Weiss ...... 327 ...... 126 Cécile McLorin Salvant ..1,350 ...... 294 Diana Krall ...... 1,059 Brian Blade ...... 849 (TIE) ...... 264 Esperanza Spalding ...... 804 Jack DeJohnette ...... 849 (TIE) Marilyn Mazur...... 255 Dee Dee Bridgewater ...... 624 ...... 453 Hamid ...... 243 Béla Fleck (banjo) ...... 1,023 ...... 600 ...... 450 Susie Ibarra ...... 240 Chris Potter () ...... 675 Cyrille Aimée ...... 453 ...... 435 Famoudou Don Moye ...... 213 Scott Robinson ...... 438 Antonio Sanchez ...... 396 Pete Escovedo ...... 201 (bass saxophone) ...... 498 Jazzmeia Horn ...... 366 Peter Erskine ...... 390 Jon Batiste (melodica/ Lizz Wright ...... 288 Allison Miller ...... 354 harmoniboard) ...... 423 Catherine Russell ...... 255 Jeff Hamilton ...... 339 Stefon Harris ...... 1,665 Wycliffe Gordon (tuba) ...... 417 Sheila Jordan ...... 246 ...... 300 Joe Locke ...... 840 James Carter (bass saxophone) ...387 ...... 243 Matt Wilson ...... 282 Warren Wolf ...... 783 Gary Versace (accordion) ...... 354 ...... 198 Eric Harland...... 264 Terry Gibbs ...... 717 Steve Turre (shells) ...... 339 René Marie ...... 183 Jeff “Tain” Watts ...... 243 Joel Ross...... 648 Chris Thile (mandolin) ...... 333 Kate McGarry ...... 183 ...... 225 Steve Nelson ...... 609 (oud) ...... 324 ...... 180 ...... 204 ...... 534 David Murray (bass clarinet) ....321 Sara Gazarek...... 174 Johnathan Blake ...... 192 Dave Samuels ...... 480 (harp) ...... 318 Patricia Barber ...... 162 ...... 180 Jason Marsalis ...... 450 Joe Lovano (aulochrome) ...... 306 Diane Schuur...... 162 Kenny Washington ...... 177 Cecilia Smith ...... 285 Grégoire Maret (harmonica) .....291 ...... 159 Mark Guiliana ...... 174 ...... 225 Richard Galliano (accordion) ....270 Luciana Souza...... 159 ...... 171 Sasha Berliner ...... 198 Howard Johnson (tuba) ...... 231 Mike Dillon ...... 195 Peggy Lee (cello) ...... 228 Jason Adasiewicz ...... 189 Anoushka Shankar (sitar) ...... 225 Kurt Elling...... 1,836 Poncho Sanchez ...... 813 Kenny Wollesen...... 156 Tomeka Reid (cello) ...... 222 Tony Bennett ...... 1,695 Sheila E ...... 684 Mulatu Astatke ...... 153 Edmar Castaneda Gregory Porter ...... 1,440 ...... 672 Jim Hart ...... 138 (Colombian harp) ...... 216 Bobby McFerrin ...... 873

DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 51 Barbara Blue, Fish In Dirty H2O (Big Blue) ...... 93 Cedric Burnside, Benton County Relic (Single Lock) ...... 93 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, The Traveler (Concord) ...... 93

Dr. John ...... 615 Aretha Franklin ...... 531 Jeff ...... 522 ...... 336 Tedeschi Trucks Band ...... 321 Norah Jones ...... 303 ...... 294 Rhiannon Giddens ...... 276 Anderson .Paak ...... 267 ...... 255 Jacob Collier ...... 570 Michael Abene ...... 255 John Mayall ...... 174 Robert Glasper Experiment .....249 Michael Bublé ...... 519 ...... 249 Eric Bibb ...... 156 ...... 231 Theo Bleckmann ...... 477 Dave Holland ...... 240 Fantastic Negrito ...... 144 Björk ...... 204 John Pizzarelli ...... 333 John Zorn ...... 228 Elvin Bishop ...... 141 Erykah Badu ...... 195 Andy Bey ...... 321 Robert Glasper ...... 222 Irma Thomas ...... 129 ...... 189 José James ...... 288 John Beasley ...... 216 Otis Taylor ...... 126 Rubén Blades ...... 183 Leslie Odom Jr...... 264 ...... 213 North Mississippi Allstars ...... 117 ...... 171 Freddy Cole ...... 255 Slide Hampton ...... 210 Thornetta Davis ...... 108 Alabama Shakes ...... 162 Kenny Washington ...... 234 Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters ...108 Paul McCartney ...... 159 Jamie Cullum ...... 201 Sonny Landreth ...... 108 Laurie Anderson ...... 141 Allan Harris ...... 201 Blue Note ...... 2,265 ...... 141

Dhafer Youssef ...... 168 ECM ...... 1,257 ...... 159 Mack Avenue ...... 474 Buddy Guy, The Blues Is Alive Johnny O’Neal ...... 147 Sessions Records ...... 339 And Well (RCA) ...... 1,590 George Benson, Walking To Pete McGuinness ...... 144 Impulse! ...... 252 B.B. King Blues Band, The Soul New Orleans: Remembering John Boutté ...... 120 Verve...... 234 Of The King (Ruf) ...... 735 And Fats Domino Giacomo Gates ...... 120 Concord ...... 198 Joe Bonamassa, Redemption (Provogue) ...... 714 Resonance ...... 174 (J&R Adventures) ...... 687 Tedeschi Trucks Band, Signs ...... 171 Boz Scaggs, Out Of The Blues (Fantasy) ...... 531 Maria Schneider ...... 1,017 Origin ...... 153 (Concord)...... 468 Jon Batiste, Hollywood Africans Wayne Shorter ...... 831 Sunnyside ...... 153 Shemekia Copeland, America’s (Verve) ...... 498 Chick Corea ...... 642 Posi-Tone ...... 147 Child (Alligator) ...... 393 Norah Jones, Begin Again Pat Metheny ...... 447 Mosaic ...... 144 John Mayall, Nobody Told Me (Blue Note)...... 486 Wynton Marsalis ...... 438 ACT ...... 141 (Forty Below) ...... 246 Anderson .Paak, Ventura Carla Bley ...... 423 Nonesuch ...... 141 Jimmie Vaughan, Baby, (Aftermath/12 Tone) ...... 402 ...... 423 HighNote ...... 135 Please Come Home Van Morrison, The Prophet Speaks Kamasi Washington ...... 375 Pi Recordings ...... 135 (Last Music Co.) ...... 246 (Caroline) ...... 384 Terence Blanchard ...... 363 ArtistShare ...... 132 Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, , Look Now Jim McNeely ...... 297 SmallsLIVE ...... 132 Something Smells Funky (Concord)...... 348 Tom Harrell ...... 276 Motéma ...... 126 (Alligator) ...... 225 Willie Nelson, My Way (Legacy) .. 345 ...... 276 Ropeadope ...... 123 Billy F. Gibbons, The Big Bad Gary Clark Jr., This Land Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 261 The Royal Potato Family ...... 111 Blues (Concord) ...... 207 (Warner Bros.) ...... 330 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah 243 BluJazz ...... 99 Eric Bibb, Global Griot , We Get By John Zorn ...... 219 Truth Revolution ...... 99 (Stony Plain) ...... 192 (Anti-) ...... 330 Christian McBride ...... 207 SteepleChase ...... 90 Maria Muldaur, Don’t You Feel , In The Blue Light Jimmy Heath ...... 171 Clean Feed ...... 84 My Leg (Last Music Co.) ...... 180 (Legacy) ...... 324 Vijay Iyer ...... 171 Brooklyn Jazz Underground ...... 81 Fantastic Negrito, Please Don’t Rhiannon Giddens, There Is Robert Glasper ...... 168 ...... 81 Be Dead (Cooking Vinyl) ...... 165 No Other (Nonesuch) ...... 303 Bill Frisell ...... 162 Tzadik ...... 81 Beth Hart, Live At The Paul McCartney, Egypt Station Royal Albert Hall (Provogue/ (Capitol) ...... 243 Mascot) ...... 165 Medeski Martin & Wood, Maria Schneider ...... 1,266 Buddy Guy ...... 1,272 The Horns, Get Here Quick Omnisphere (Indirecto)...... 243 Wynton Marsalis ...... 699 ...... 789 (Severn) ...... 117 José James, Lean On Me Carla Bley ...... 465 Gary Clark Jr...... 648 Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, (Blue Note)...... 240 Jim McNeely ...... 420 Joe Bonamassa ...... 516 Killin’ It Live (Alligator) ...... 114 Beyonce, Homecoming: Jacob Collier ...... 417 Taj Mahal ...... 435 Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Live Album (Columbia) ...... 234 Kamasi Washington ...... 375 Keb’ Mo’ ...... 411 Kingfish (Alligator) ...... 114 Mimi Fox, The Bird Still Flies Christian McBride ...... 357 ...... 372 Ana Popovic, Like It On Top (Origin) ...... 204 Gordon Goodwin ...... 345 Robert Cray ...... 348 (artisteXclusive) ...... 111 Madeleine Peyroux, Anthem Bob Mintzer ...... 339 James Blood Ulmer ...... 252 Big Daddy Wilson, Deep In My (Universal/Decca/Verve) ...... 198 ...... 330 Shemekia Copeland...... 207 Soul (Ruf) ...... 99 , () ..192 John Clayton ...... 297 Marcia Ball ...... 183 Cash Box Kings, Hail To The , Celia Esperanza Spalding ...... 291 Charlie Musselwhite ...... 183 Kings! (Alligator) ...... 96 (Verve/Universal Music France) ..186

52 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2019 DECEMBER 2019 DOWNBEAT 53