Best Jazz Albums of the Decade

25. Steve Nelson
Fuller Nelson, 2004 (Sunnyside Records)

The vibraphonist's first solo set in five years features his trio laying out lovely ballads and mid-tempo numbers. Nelson, who had a long tenure with Dave Holland, has no problem  letting his notes hang in the air -- they're one of the most beautiful sounds in existence -- yet his solos never lose focus or energy.








24. Bob French
Marsalis Music Honors Bob French, 2007 (Marsalis Music)

Drummer/vocalist Bob French is a New Orleans musical institution, but this life-affirming tour of Big Easy staples was a rare chance for him to go international. Fellow native sons Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr., play throughout with an easy/breezy old-school sense of joy that is missing on their more ambitious solo projects. Jazz has always been about the body and spirit as much as the mind -- this one just makes you feel good.  







17. Alan Broadbent
Every Time I Think of You, 2006 (Mack Avenue/Artistry Music Group)

Alan Broadbent has been a fantastic jazz pianist and arranger for decades, but only now is he starting to earn recognition as a solo artist. This release showcases his talents as a creative musician and orchestrator; Broadbent's ideas are endlessly creative, yet melodic and approachable. Anyone interested in understanding how improvisation works should listen to the old standard "Autumn Leaves" and then check out Broadbent's opening "Autumn Variations." Bassist Brian Bromberg's solo on Bill Evans' "Blue in Green" is just one standout.




16. Vinicius Cantuaria
Cymbals, 2007 (Koch Records)

Vinicius Cantuaria may be the most talented and innovative of a group of young Brazilians who are once again experimenting with bossa nova. A songwriter, vocalist and singularly expressive guitarist, he avoids nostalgia and uses the sun-flecked 1960s Rio sound for his own personal explorations. The fact that Cantuaria works at levels that match those of his collaborators (which include the pianist Brad Mehldau, guitarist Marc Ribot and cellist Erik Friedlander) should clue you in to his abilities.





15. Brian Lynch and Bill Charlap
Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap, 2004 (Sharp Nine Records)

Horn player Brian Lynch and pianist Bill Charlap have a long association, playing together with saxophone legend Phil Woods. Here, the two stretch out on a set of welcome standards and Lynch originals ("Before the First Cup" is a real keeper). Both Lynch and Charlap are dynamic players whose superb execution of often-complex musical ideas is always tied to the emotion of the piece at hand. There's narrative logic -- and beauty -- in every note they play.







14. Melody Gardot
My One and Only Thrill, 2009 (Verve Records)

This young singer-songwriter seemed to arrive fully formed on her debut, yet this follow-up shows that Melody Gardot's abilities have grown richer in an incredibly short amount of time. Where she once recalled early (booze-free) Tom Waits, Gardot puts her own spin on rain-streaked jazz torch songs, sensual sambas and uptown blues. This album is structured along the lines of the film noir masterworks of Shirley Horn and Frank Sinatra, but Gardot keeps focused on her own style and sound. She even adds an upbeat reading of "Over the Rainbow" to counterbalance her chiaroscuro, Vertigo vibe.



13. Ted Nash
The Mancini Project, 2008 (Pametto Records)

Saxophone player Ted Nash's father and uncle (also named Ted) were two West Coast jazz musicians who frequently recorded with the great Hollywood composer Henry Mancini. Here, Nash pays tribute to his family, who turned him onto jazz, and the Mancini songbook he grew up with. He wisely avoids obvious choices while mixing lesser-known tunes in with a number of universally beloved songs that have become jazz standards ("Two for the Road," "Soldier in the Rain" and "Dreamsville"). Accompanying pianist Frank Kimbrough also released  a number of fine solo albums this decade.




12. Jack DeJohnette & Bill Frisell
The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers, 2006 (Golden Beams/Kindred Rhythm)

Drummer Jack DeJohnette, who also plays piano here, and guitarist Bill Frisell (employing a galaxy of pedal loops and effects) both have expansive, often-otherworldly playing styles. It's hard to imagine their meeting coming off any better than it does here, on a set that will please old hippies, young herbalists and adventurous music lovers of all ages.









11. James Carter
Chasin' the Gypsy, 2000 (Atlantic Jazz)

Always unpredictable -- and ever amazing -- James Carter also released this invigorating, feel-good tribute to guitarist Django Reinhardt as the avant-garde electro funk set Layin' in the Cut. He even breaks out the bass sax (which sounds like Bluto with a chest cold) on a couple of numbers. Top honors go to Reinhardt's evergreen "Manoir de Mes Reves."









10. Robert Glasper
In My Element, 2007 (Blue Note)

Robert Glasper's 2005 debut was so fresh and compelling that the young jazz pianist shot to the top of Rhapsody's Ones to Watch list. On this 2007 follow-up, Glasper continues exploring the boundaries of lyrical post bop, which is a fancy way of saying that he can experiment and play pretty at the same time. Glasper wrote most of the instrumentals (the last one, "Tribute," contains a wonderful audio sample of a reverend's sermon) but he also has the moxie to weave a sublime medley out of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" and Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place."



9. Wynton Marsalis & Willie Nelson
Two Men with the Blues, 2008 (Blue Note)

This delightful concert collaboration is about the most fun you can have without breaking any laws. Natural, romantic and relaxed -- but truly energized -- there is a whiff of old-world danger about it. Nelson has always been a fan of classic swing and blues, and he lets loose here, even playing some sly honky-tonk and Gypsy jazz guitar. For his part, Marsalis frees himself from any obligation he has to be "important" and just has a great time. You can't suppress the joy heard here -- if we could feel this way without music, this set wouldn't need to exist. Thank Nelson and Marsalis that it does.



8. Enrico Rava
New York Days, 2009 (ECM)

Enrico Rava, the master of moody post-bop trumpet, often plays with pianist (and fellow Italian) Stefano Bollani, but he traveled to New York to work with the brilliant American drummer Paul Motian, saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Larry Grenadier. The result was this sumptuous dream of an album. Rava's tunes are bright, surprisingly catchy and yet somehow elusive -- like watching trees or buildings pass by from the comfort of a train. "Thank You, Come Again" is good-humored, "Lulu" is darkly romantic and "Luna Urbana" keeps changing form and direction. A triumph.




7. Herbie Hancock 
River: The Joni Letters, 2007 (Verve)

Herbie Hancock chooses sublime selections from the Joni Mitchell songbook and matches them with Duke Ellington's "Solitude" and Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," two jazz classics that originally inspired her. Hancock's small group concentrates on showcasing the songs and backing such vocal contributors as Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and Tina Turner (who performs a revelatory "Edith and the Kingpin"). Mitchell herself steps up to the mic for "The Tea Leaf Prophecy," while Leonard Cohen ends things on a menacing note with an enigmatic reading of "The Jungle Line." An unqualified success for all involved.



6. Sonny Rollins
Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, 2005 (Milestone/Fantasy)

Sonny Rollins was at home on September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers collapsed a couple of short blocks away. Two days later, he got on stage, announced that the lyrics to "Without a Song" held more relevance than ever, and then proceeded to unite and excite the audience in ways that blowhard politicians never can. Even the lament "Why Was I Born?" becomes an incendiary flag waver.








5. Dave Holland Big Band
Overtime, 2005 (Sunnyside)

Dave Holland is a multiple Grammy and "Downbeat" award-winning bandleader, gifted tunesmith, bassist and composer. This set features his working quintet (which includes saxophonist Chris Potter and vibraphonist Steve Nelson), but more importantly, it includes Holland's usual positive energy and unstoppable musical sense of joy. On the shortlist for 2006's best jazz albums.








4. Joe Lovano
I'm All for You, 2004 (Blue Note)

The tenor-sax titan has always had a sumptuous way of melting into ballads, so it's surprising that he hasn't recorded an entire romantic set until now. Like Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz, Lovano builds narratives, not notes. The music he makes is so beautiful, you won't even notice when he departs completely from the famous melodies. Noted balladeer Hank Jones sits in on piano; now in his 90s, Jones could well be having the best decade of his storied career.







3. Andy Bey
American Song, 2004 (Savoy Jazz)

With a nocturnal, confessional pull similar to that of torch song masterworks by Frank Sinatra and Johnny Hartman, this sumptuous ballad set shot up the jazz charts, introducing the veteran singer to new generations. Like French actresses and good Scotch, Andy Bey just keeps getting better with age. Beautiful and true, with fine modernistic arrangements from Bey and pianist Geri Allen. Bey rarely gets the chance to record, but he's our greatest living male jazz singer; given the opportunity, he could be releasing a masterpiece like this each and every year.




2. Brad Mehldau
Largo, 2002 (Nonesuch)

The jazz pianist's collaboration with alternative rock producer Jon Brion was one of 2002's best releases. New fans may be drawn in by the Beatles and Radiohead covers, while old ones will find Largo's combination of piano, horn charts and electronics original, thought-provoking, strangely invigorating, and often just plain lovely. 









1. Paul Motian Band
Garden of Eden, 2006 (ECM)


Put aside all preconceived notions about showboat jazz drummers leading bands: this is Paul Motian we're talking about. He doesn't just pound the skins; he concentrates on being part of the group, locking into his band on gently flowing numbers and hot tunes alike. This would be described as off-kilter if the band didn't sound so right. One of the best albums of any genre in 2006, it also topped Rhapsody's jazz list of that year. It held up all the way to decades end, and like jazz in general, will continue to be discovered in the decades to come.

 

And, that's not all folks ... rounding out the Top 50:
 
Benny Golson, The Many Moods of Benny Golson
Wayne Shorter, Alegria
Karrin Allyson, Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane
Terence Blanchard, Flow
Stefon Harris, The Grand Unification Theory
Charles Lloyd, Lift Every Voice
Cassandra Wilson, Belly of the Sun
Hank Jones & Frank Wess, Hank & Frank
Poncho Sanchez, Out of Sight!
Roy Hargrove, Emergence
Marc Ribot, Muy Divertido! (Very Entertaining!)
Allen Toussaint, The Bright Mississippi
Esperanza Spalding, Esperanza
Nicholas Payton, Into the Blue
Dave Douglas, A Thousand Evenings
Till Bronner, Oceana
Christian McBride, Kind of Brown
Madeleine Peyroux, Careless Love
Dr. John, City That Care Forgot
Rudresh Mahanthappa, Codebook
Andrew Hill, Time Lines
Branford Marsalis, Eternal
Joshua Redman, Momentum
Stacey Kent, Breakfast on the Morning Tram
Enrico Pieranunzi, Play Morricone