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)

MONDAY MAILBAG

Today's pile o' metal 'n' jazz:

Carlos Barretto Lokomotiv, Labirintos (Clean Feed)
Carlos Bica + Matéria-Prima, s/t (Clean Feed)
Bleeding Fist, Macabrum Bestia ex Abyssus (Moribund)
Coffinworm, When All Became None (Profound Lore)
Dodsferd/Mortovatis, Until Your World Go Down (Moribund)
John Hébert Trio, Spiritual Lover (Clean Feed)
The Howling Wind, Into the Cryosphere (Clean Feed)
Keefe Jackson Quartet, Seeing You See (Clean Feed)
Lawnmower, West (Clean Feed)
Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth, Deluxe (Clean Feed)
Rudresh Mahanthappa & Steve Lehman, Dual Identity (Clean Feed)
Order of Ennead, An Examination of Being (Earache)
Bernardo Sassetti Trio, Motion (Clean Feed)
Satan's Host, Assault of Evil...666 DVD (Moribund)
Twilight, Monument to Time End (Southern Lord)
Dan Willis and Velvet Gentlemen, The Satie Project (Daywood Drive)
Wormrot, Abuse (Earache)