86! 85! 100!
No, those aren’t the cadenced numbers an NFL quarterback calls out just before the ball is hiked in a game. Rather, they are the ages of three storied jazz saxophonists — Charles Lloyd, Charles McPherson and Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen — who each released standout albums this year.
Some might use the phrases “lions in winter” or “creative elders” to describe this mighty triumvirate of artists, and both have validity. But it’s more accurate to hail Lloyd, 86, McPherson, 85, and Allen, 100, as vibrant purveyors of America’s greatest homegrown music.
Each has elevated and expanded that music for more than half a century, on recordings and concert stages alike. All three released memorable albums this year and performed near and far. And all three continue to collaborate with gifted young musicians, the better to move the music forward and ensure jazz continue to be a tradition that constantly expands while building on its rich past.
Without further ado, these are some of my favorite albums of the past year.
Charles Lloyd, “The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow”: After releasing three albums in 2022 alone, Memphis-born, Montecito-based tenor saxophonist, flutist, composer and band leader Charles Lloyd returned with this expansive double-album. Deftly accompanied by pianist Jason Moran, bassist Larry Grenadier and drum marvel Brian Blade, he performs six new pieces and reanimates seven older ones, imbuing each note with warmth, depth and poignancy.
Sun Ra Arkestra,” Lights On a Satellite”: Alto saxophonist Marshall Allen joined the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1957. He has tirelessly led the group since 1995, following Sun Ra’s death, and concluded an eight-country concert tour of Europe and Asia with the 24-piece ensemble in November. Mirroring his 100th birthday this year, the music on “Lights” stretches a century, from the newly composed title track to spirited reinventions of 1991’s “Friendly Galaxy” and 1922’s “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans.” Allen plays with poise and vigor throughout, as do his mostly much younger bandmates.
Charles McPherson, “Reverence”: A longtime San Diego resident, revered alto saxophonist Charles McPherson celebrated his 85th birthday this year with concerts everywhere from North Park and La Jolla to New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. This six-song album, recorded last year at the Big Apple’s Smoke Jazz Club, is dedicated to the late pianist Barry Harris, a key McPherson mentor. It’s a vital testament to the saxophonist’s sterling musicianship on an instrument that, in his hands, sounds both steeped in tradition and as fresh as yesterday.
Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, “Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens”: Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianist/organist Amina Claudine Myers are both illustrious alums of Chicago’s seminal Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. This seven-song album pays tribute to New York’s famed park with some of the most lovely and absorbing music I heard all year in any genre.
The Kris Davis Trio, “Run the Gauntlet”: Kris Davis has been a formidable keyboard force since not long after leaving her native Canada for New York in 2001. Her latest album, “Run the Gauntlet,” is a tribute to six women pianists who inspired her: Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier and Renee Rosnes. With bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jonathan Blake providing wonderfully flexible support throughout the album’s 11 songs, all but one written by Davis, she delivers an album whose qualitative excellence is matched by her inviting sense of adventure.
Immanuel Wilkins, “Blues Blood”: At 27, Philadelphia native Immanuel Wilkins is fast becoming one of the leading alto saxophonists and composers of his generation. “Blues Blood” teams him with such stellar vocal talents as Cecile McLorin Salvant, June McDoom, Ghana’s Yaw Agyemen and Ganavya Doraiswamy, a ferociously talented Indian-American singer. The results are by turns mediative and celebratory, intense and cathartic.
Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh & Tyshawn Sorey, “Compassion”: The degree of musical empathy and seeming telepathy that pianist Vijay Iyer, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey achieve together is stunning and then some.
Also highly recommended: Hermeto Pascoal, “Pra você, Ilza”; Patricia Brennan Septet, “Breaking Stretch”; Miguel Zenon, “Golden City”; The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, “The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis”; Steph Richards, “Power Vibe”; Tyshawn Sorey Trio, “The Susceptible Now”; Mark Dresser & Paul Nicholas Roth, “”signal_Blur”; Melissa Aldana, “Echoes of the Inner Prophet”; Fred Hersch, “Silent Listening”; John Hollenbeck & NDR Big Band, “Colouring Hockets.”
