The best jazz of 2018 by The Guardian

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The best jazz of 2018: new heights scaled and legends revisited
John Coltrane’s previously unreleased 1963 recordings dominated, but Myra Melford took improv to new places, and the UK had its most diverse scene in years
In almost any year of its century-and-counting existence, the coolly cliffhanging art of jazz stays fascinating to its hardcore devotees, and in some years reaches an intrigued new crowd beyond. That happened in 2018, as a diverse and mostly young UK new wave accelerated their adventurous hitching of jazz ideas to urban dance grooves, R&B, grime, sampling, contemporary art-music and beyond. They brought a fresh frisson to the fascinating end-of-year game of weighing up of the legacies of departed giants, against the ways ingenious newcomers pull them out of shape.
June saw the PR-savvy unveiling of previously unreleased 1963 recordings by saxophone visionary John Coltrane, released in both boiled-down and full 14-track versions. The latter was a listening marathon, but its multiple takes of the same tunes revealed more tellingly how inspirational the early 60s Coltrane quartet was, for its attitude to ensemble musicmaking as much as for its revolutionary techniques.
From the tradition’s perspective, Ornette Coleman’s vivacious bluesiness was brilliantly celebrated by the sax/trumpet pairings of Joshua Redman and Ron Miles, with Still Dreaming, and by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas with Scandal, which also drew on Miles Davis and the still-active Wayne Shorter’s more enigmatic lyricism. The 85-year-old Shorter’s Emanon spliced jazz/classical mergers, live jazz-quartet tracks, and a rickety dystopia-to-utopia graphic novel, but the live takes made this somewhat bolted-together package soar. And the California pianist/composer Myra Melford added a delightful personal appraisal of postbop, free-jazz, avantist composition, and the keyboard influence of Cecil Taylor (the wayward legend who died in April) with The Other Side of Air.
John Fordham’s Top 10 jazz releases of 2018

1. Joe Lovano/Dave Douglas: Scandal
2. Joshua Redman: Still Dreaming
3. Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret: The Other Side of Air
4. John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album
5. Keith Jarrett: After the Fall
6. Binker and Moses: Alive in the East?
7. Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden: Long Ago and Far Away
8. Wayne Shorter: Emanon
9. Liran Donin’s 1000 Boats: 8 Songs
10. Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur: Wonder Trail

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snobb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Forum Admin Group Site Admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Vilnius Status: Offline Points: 28449	Post Options Post Reply Quote snobb Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: The best jazz of 2018 by The Guardian Posted: 21 Dec 2018 at 1:27pm
	The best jazz of 2018: new heights scaled and legends revisited John Coltrane’s previously unreleased 1963 recordings dominated, but Myra Melford took improv to new places, and the UK had its most diverse scene in years In almost any year of its century-and-counting existence, the coolly cliffhanging art of jazz stays fascinating to its hardcore devotees, and in some years reaches an intrigued new crowd beyond. That happened in 2018, as a diverse and mostly young UK new wave accelerated their adventurous hitching of jazz ideas to urban dance grooves, R&B, grime, sampling, contemporary art-music and beyond. They brought a fresh frisson to the fascinating end-of-year game of weighing up of the legacies of departed giants, against the ways ingenious newcomers pull them out of shape. June saw the PR-savvy unveiling of previously unreleased 1963 recordings by saxophone visionary John Coltrane, released in both boiled-down and full 14-track versions. The latter was a listening marathon, but its multiple takes of the same tunes revealed more tellingly how inspirational the early 60s Coltrane quartet was, for its attitude to ensemble musicmaking as much as for its revolutionary techniques. From the tradition’s perspective, Ornette Coleman’s vivacious bluesiness was brilliantly celebrated by the sax/trumpet pairings of Joshua Redman and Ron Miles, with Still Dreaming, and by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas with Scandal, which also drew on Miles Davis and the still-active Wayne Shorter’s more enigmatic lyricism. The 85-year-old Shorter’s Emanon spliced jazz/classical mergers, live jazz-quartet tracks, and a rickety dystopia-to-utopia graphic novel, but the live takes made this somewhat bolted-together package soar. And the California pianist/composer Myra Melford added a delightful personal appraisal of postbop, free-jazz, avantist composition, and the keyboard influence of Cecil Taylor (the wayward legend who died in April) with The Other Side of Air. John Fordham’s Top 10 jazz releases of 2018 1. Joe Lovano/Dave Douglas: Scandal 2. Joshua Redman: Still Dreaming 3. Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret: The Other Side of Air 4. John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album 5. Keith Jarrett: After the Fall 6. Binker and Moses: Alive in the East? 7. Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden: Long Ago and Far Away 8. Wayne Shorter: Emanon 9. Liran Donin’s 1000 Boats: 8 Songs 10. Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur: Wonder Trail