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John Pietaro's Best In Jazz And New Music 2021

By John Pietaro
January 4, 2022
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Artists will make art��and have. The outcome of this year's anxious output has been something special, and this much we can revel in. And should.

This year in which we celebrated the return of live performance and simultaneously foresaw a rise in virus numbers and the resumption of show and venue closings, the pervasive issue remains on the anti-vax know-nothings affecting the lives of the careful, caring and compliant. Health regs and advisories as simple as getting a lifesaving vaccine are not too much to ask for, yet conservative talking heads retain their manipulative stronghold over the frightened Right, conveniently confounding vaccine mandates as anti-liberty. That's a rancid swill of "states' rights," xenophobia, guns-lobbies, white citizens' councils (spelled with three Ks), sexist old boys' clubs and corporate dollars. While the effects of this on the creative community shouldn't be first in the complaint line, the fact is, artists and arts institutions have been decimated and the prospect of yet another lockdown has already seen tours cancelled and records labels rethinking contracts. Still, artists will make art—and have. The outcome of this year's anxious output has been something special, and this much we can revel in. And should.

And then going forward, let's simply close out anyone who selfishly risks YOUR life and the lives, health and lifestyles of everyone around us. The arts are about healing and such ignorant, self-centered arrogance should not be tolerated by artists and art-lovers of conscience.

Now then, the following is my personal best by category.

Musicians

alto saxophone:

Miscellaneous Instruments

banjo:

Up-and-Comers

Lee Odom

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Odom (soprano saxophone)

Luke Stewart

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Luke Stewart (upright and electric bass)

Large Ensembles

Mingus Big Band / Afro-Yaqui Music Collective /

Maria Schneider

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Maria Schneider Orchestra

Small Groups

Three Layer Cake / Ceramic Dog / The Fringe

Concerts of the Year

Mingus Big Band, November 19, the Django at the Roxy Hotel, NYC
Anne Waldman (with William Parker and James Brandon Lewis), September 30, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Brooklyn
Andrew Lamb
saxophone, tenor
b.1958
" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Lamb's Circadian Spheres of Light Project, December 1, Roulette, Brooklyn NY
Ceramic Dog/the Messthetics, October 2, the Bell House, Brooklyn NY

Comebacks of the Year
Bush Tetras, November 13, Le Poisson Rouge / Ivan Julian-new album and performance

Lifetime Achievement

Warren Smith
drums
b.1934
" data-original-title="" title="">Warren Smith /
Sheila Jordan
vocals
1928 - 2025
" data-original-title="" title="">Sheila Jordan /
Dick Griffin
trombone
b.1939
" data-original-title="" title="">Dick Griffin / Legs McNeil

Venues
Manhattan: Le Poisson Rouge, Clemente Soto Velez Center, The Django
Brooklyn: Roulette, Barbes, Mama Tried

Record Labels
ESP-Disk / Rare Noise / 577

New Album Releases
Ceramic Dog, Hope (Northern Spy)
James Brandon Lewis
saxophone, tenor
b.1983
" data-original-title="" title="">James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet, Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)
Three Layer Cake, Stove Top (Rare Noise)
Benjamin Boone
saxophone
b.1963
" data-original-title="" title="">Benjamin Boone, The Poets Are Gathering (Origin)
New Muse 4Tet, Blue Lotus (Muffymarie)
Sarah Bernstein
violin
" data-original-title="" title="">Sarah Bernstein, Exolinger (577)
Francisco Mela
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Francisco Mela featuring
Matthew Shipp
piano
b.1960
" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Shipp and
William Parker
bass
b.1952
" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker, Music Frees Our Souls (577)

Solo Album

Sarah Bernstein
violin
" data-original-title="" title="">Sarah Bernstein, Exolinger (577)

Unearthed Gem

Sheila Jordan
vocals
1928 - 2025
" data-original-title="" title="">Sheila Jordan: Comes Love (Capri)

Boxed Sets
Bush Tetras, Rhythm and Paranoia (Wharf Cat)

Radio Station (broadcast)
WFMU-FM / WKCR-FM

Radio Station (streaming)
Give The Drummer (WFMU.org)
Sheena's Jungle Room (WFMU.org)
Maker Park Radio (MakerParkRadio.NYC)
Tags

Year in Review John Pietaro David Lee Jones Darius Jones Devin Brahja Waldman James Brandon Lewis Andrew Lamb Claire Daley Dave Sewelson Gary Smulyan Nicole Mitchell Cheryl Pyle Kirk Knufke Mac Gollehon Ingrid Jensen Steve Swell Chris McIntyre Sam Bardfield Sarah Bernstein Gwen Laster Melanie Dyer Joanna Mattrey Lester St. Louis STEPHANE WREMBEL Aurelien Budyack Vernon Reid Bill Frisell Ken Filiano William Parker Cameron Brown Jamaaladeen Tacuma Bill Laswell Steve Swallow Vijay Iyer Helen Sung Mara Rosenbloom Ches Smith Hamid Drake Cindy Blackman-Santana Warren Smith Bobby Sanabria Joel Ross Elliot Sharp Daniel Carter Sheila Jordan Fay Victor Anne Waldman Patricia Smith NGOMA HILL Brandon Seabrook Arnt Arntzen Zeena Parkins Newman Taylor Baker Ikue Mori Lee Odom Luke Stewart Maria Schneider Dick Griffin Legs McNeil Benjamin Boone Francisco Mela Matthew Shipp

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