Top Picks for 2006
Five of six RJA board members responded to a poll asking for their favorite albums of 2006. Some picked 10; others 5. Some ranked their choices; others didn't. Top honors went to the album that appeared on the greatest number of lists, Kenny Werner's "Democracy." Second place fell to two members' #1 album, Andrew Hill's magnificent "Time Lines." Remaining rankings were determined by total number of appearances, with ranked listings outweighing unranked ones.
- Kenny Werner, "Democracy" (High Note)
- Andrew Hill, "Time Lines" (Blue Note)
- Dave Douglas, "Meaning and Mystery" (Greenleaf Music)
- Dave Holland Quintet, "Critical Mass" (Dare 2/Sunnyside)
- Odean Pope Saxophone Choir, "Locked and Loaded" (High Note)
- Chris Potter, "Underground" (Sunnyside)
- Ornette Coleman, "Sound Grammar" (Sound Grammar)
- Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, "Port Chicago" (Noir)
- Nels Cline, "New Monastery: A View Into the Music of Andrew Hill" (Cryptogramophone)
- Drew Gress, "7 Black Butterflies" (Premonition/Koch)
Honorable Mentions:
- Dan Aldag: Ray Charles & the Count Basie Orchestra, "Ray Sings, Basie Swings"; Lee Konitz, "New Nonet"
- Michael Eldridge: Ben Allison, "Cowboy Justice"; David Binney, "Cities and Desire"
- Thomas Fossier: Joe Lovano, "Streams of Expression" (Blue Note); Mulgrew Miller, "Live at the Kennedy Center"
- Michael Quam: Randy Weston, "Zep Tepi"; Dee Dee Jackson, "Serenity Song"
- David Stacey: Tomasz Stanko, Lontano (ECM); John McNeil, "East Coast Cool"
