Because the outstanding titles rolled out with almost clockwork regularity over the course of the twelve months, it wasn’t hard in the least to compile a ‘Best of Jazz’ list for 2018. In fact, these most noteworthy of releases were self-evident from the very beginning of the year, their distinction(s) readily apparent upon release. And while the Nolatet and John Medeski Mad Skillet records, even with their duly acknowledged New Orleans roots, were singular unto themselves, each of the ten reminds both the jazz aficionado and the novice musiclover how to expand their respective personal libraries simply by delving into the discographies of the individual musicians involved. And not just the frontmen either: there’s much to savor in both Mike Dillon’s and Will Bernard’s bodies of work. Diversity may be this ‘Best of”s most memorable quality, even with superficially comparable titles from guitarists Julian Lage and John Scofield (not to mention a pair each from pianist/bandleaders Jamie Saft and Brad Mehldau), but there’s continuity here too: every album is worth going back to because each one offers a growing (and ever-so-slightly different) set of pleasure(s) with successive hearings.
Jamie Saft: Solo A Genova – Renaissance man Saft’s comparatively simple solo playing here is as refreshing as it is engrossing.
Julian Lage: Modern Lore – The virtues of substance and style on this LP are all the more impressive because each attribute grows with every record the guitarist makes.
The Jamie Saft Quartet: Blue Dream – This is a sterling exercise in humility and generosity of spirit, in which each of the musicians, leader included, offers as much space as apt response.
Brad Mehldau: After Bach – This brilliant pianist’s own compositions here are virtually indistinguishable from his chosen excerpts from the classical giant.
Nolatet: No Revenge Necessary – This quirky quartet embraces its influences and its innate instrumental connection(s) without slavish devotion to its Crescent city roots.
The Nels Cline Four: Currents, Constellations – Understated and unpredictable, the work of this eclectic bandleader’s quartet becomes more listenable each subsequent hearing.
The Fred Hersch Trio: Live In Europe – This is a sterling encapsulation of the group’s abiding chemistry as well as a vivid illustration of balance between interpretation and musicianship.
The Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads The Constitution – It’s a tribute to Mehldau’s willingness to collaborate that he functions as masterfully in the trio context as in a solo setting.
John Scofield: Combo 66 – It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a record in any genre so simultaneously relaxed and provocative as this one led by the veteran guitarist/composer.
John Medeski: Mad Skillet – With two members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in tow, plus guitarist Will Bernard, the leader/keyboardist leader makes The Big Easy a point of departure.
