13 EXCELLENT 2010 JAZZ RELEASES

Hank Shteamer, a writer I know, posted a list of 10 jazz releases he felt were making 2010 a particularly good year for the music, along with a bunch of honorable mentions. I agree with a bunch of his choices, but the year has in fact been so strong that I've got a list of 13 of my own, which doesn't overlap with his primary 10 at all. (A couple of his honorable mentions make my list, though.)

Here we go:

Carlos Bica, Carlos Bica + Matéria-Prima (Clean Feed)
Regina Carter, Reverse Thread (E1)
Decoy, Vol. 1: Spirit/Vol. 2: The Deep (Bo’Weavil)
Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group, Blood of the Earth (ugEXPLODE)
Amir ElSaffar/Hafez Modirzadeh, Radif Suite (Pi)
Fight the Big Bull, All is Gladness in the Kingdom (Clean Feed)
John Hébert Trio, Spiritual Lover (Clean Feed)
Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare2)
Lawnmower, West (Clean Feed)
Earl MacDonald, Re:Visions – Works for Jazz Orchestra (Death Defying)
Dan Pratt Organ Quartet, Toe the Line (Posi-Tone)
David Weiss & Point of Departure, Snuck In (Sunnyside)

SATURDAY MAILBAG

Because I'm sure everyone is just fascinated by this.

Darkthrone, Circle the Wagons (Peaceville)
First Meeting, Cut the Rope (Libra)
Satoko Fujii Ma-Do, Desert Ship (Libra)
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo, Zakopane (Libra)
Gato Libre, Shiro (Libra)
Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare2)
The Infesticons, Bedford Park (Big Dada)
Jahcoozi, Barefoot Wanderer (Bpitch Control)
Poirier, Running High (Ninja Tune)
Six Gallery, Breakthroughs in Modern Art (Superball/Century Media)
Soulfly, Omen (Roadrunner)
Various Artists, Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas: Tropicalia Psychedelic Masterpieces 1967-1976 (Tropicalia in Furs)

Also, two books (both of which I paid for):

Joe Hill, Horns
Elijah Wald, Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas