Musicians and critics gathered at the WNPR studios recently to talk about the best jazz of 2016 on the Colin McEnroe Show.
One of the songs is called "Request Potato," by Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family. It's the first album Wilson has released since his wife died of leukemia in 2014, and it's a tribute to her.
"Matt Wilson is a wonderful drummer, composer and band leader," said pianist Noah Baerman. "He is, among living jazz musicians, probably the one who most epitomizes joy in music."
One of music critic Gene Seymour's favorite picks of the year was this tune by the Kenny Baron Trio called Cook's Bay.
"There's always one person, one living pianist who is regarded as the master," Seymour said. "The living master -- Kenny Baron probably has that title now."
Seymour said the entire album, Book of Intuition, sucks you in.
"I don't want to use the word immaculate, because that implies that there's, there's nothing to grab onto," he said. "That it's just too smooth. But it isn't. I mean, it's immaculate in a very absorbing and, uh, it gets into you. It seeps into you."
Pianist Jen Allen chose a song called "Galapagos" by Renee Rosnes as one of her favorites of the year.
"Her playing is powerful and beautiful and everything she's ever done I've loved," Allen said. "I like this because it has, it evokes parts of nature, and it has just a lot of inspiration from the world, and I guess that was part of her idea when she was trying to write this suite."
All three guests agreed that jazz in 2016 could be defined by collaborations and fusion with other genres, such as soul, hip hop, and rock, most notably in the late David Bowie's last album, Blackstar.
