Home » Jazz Articles » Year in Review » Eyal Hareuveni's Best Releases of 2011

Eyal Hareuveni's Best Releases of 2011

By Eyal Hareuveni
December 30, 2011
View read count

A list that represent only the tip of many excellent releases that I have listened to in 2011. In no particular order...

New Releases:

Amir ElSaffar

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Amir ElSaffar

Inana

Pi

Another great release by the excellent trumpet player and composer who weaves modal music of the Iraqi maqam with the rhythms and aesthetics of modern jazz

KAZE

Rafale #2

Libra/Circum Disc

Japanese pianist

Satoko Fujii

piano
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Satoko Fujiiand trumpet player

Natsuki Tamura

trumpet
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Natsuki Tamura team with French trumpet player Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins.

S?ren Kj?rgaard/

Ben Street

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Street/

Andrew Cyrille

drums
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Cyrille

Femklang

Ilk Music

Third release by this excellent, unorthodox piano trio, focusing on weightless sound world.

Hera

Where My Complete Beloved Is

MultiKulti

Magical and timeless music by the Polish ensemble, headed by reed player Waclaw Zimpel.

Nina de Heney

Three

Found You Recordings

Formidable Swedish double-bassist who dances on her third solo release. She deserves much more attention.

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2000

" data-original-title="" title="">Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & ?yvind Br?kke

Migrations

MNJ

This great orchestra always surprises. This time with Composer-trombonist ?yvind Br?kke, TJO offer a poetical reflections on wars and their aftermaths, after the 2008 war in Gaza.

Sonore

Oto

Trost

Three sax titans:

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann,

Ken Vandermark

saxophone
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Vandermark &

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson, playing live. Say no more.

The Swedish Radio Jazz Group

" data-original-title="" title="">The Swedish Radio Jazz Group

azz Apeal

Not Two

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson pays tribute to the 50's golden age of the Swedish jazz.

Tarfala Trio

" data-original-title="" title="">Tarfala Trio

SYZYGY

No Business

Barry Guy

bass, acoustic
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Guy,

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson and

Raymond Strid

drums
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Raymond Strid in an explosive, masterful improvisations.

Huntsville

For Flowers, Cars And Merry Wars

Hubro Music

This improvisational Norwegian trio reinvents its sound and attitude with every new release, this time with darker, electrified sound.

Ola Kvernberg

violin
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Ola Kvernberg

Liarbird

Jazzland

Excellent compositions by this Norwegian violinist, excellent arrangements, excellent performances.

Jen Shyu

vocals
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Jen Shyu +

Mark Dresser

bass, acoustic
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Dresser

Synastry

Pi

Master vocalist Shyu and master bassist Dresser expand the languages of their instruments.

Henry Kaiser

guitar
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Kaiser

A Little Stroke of Light—Live Solo Guitar 2010

There

Majestic solo guitar improvisation.

Dave Douglas

trumpet
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Douglas/

So Percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">So Percussion

Greenleaf Portable Series, Volume 3: Bad Mango

Greenleaf Music

One of the great releases of

Dave Douglas

trumpet
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Douglas this year, with healty doses of humor, elegance and invention.

BassDrumBone

The Other Parade

Clean Feed

Three wise men:

Gerry Hemingway

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Hemingway,

Mark Helias

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Helias &

Ray Anderson

trombone
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Anderson keep rocking on their 34th anniversary.

DVD's:

In honor of German sax hero

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann's 70th birthday two excellent documentaries were released.

Bernard Josse in collaboration with G��rard Rouy (directors)

Soldier of the Road

Soldier of the Road

Ren�� Jeuckens, Thomas Mau & Grischa Windus (Directors)

Br?tzmann

Siegersbusch

Music that deserve your attention:

Japanese pianist and composer

Ryuichi Sakamoto

composer / conductor
1952 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Ryuichi Sakamoto's Kizuna World project of musical, cinematic and visual collaboration to benefit the Japanese community of Fukushima that suffered from a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, this year.

A similar project of the musicians vocalist Michiro Endo, sound sculptor

Otomo Yoshihide

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Otomo Yoshihide and poet Ryoichi Wago, Project Fukushima! offer most interesting Japanese musical collaborations who contributed their compositions to benefit Fukushima.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Mathias Eick: The Lyrical Dimension
< Previous

Jazz XL
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.