My Favorite Vocal Jazz CDs in 2013

I have sorted through the piles and from them selected my favorite jazz CDs of 2013, categorizing separately vocalists as well as re-releases or historical CDs. So to kick things off, here are my favorite 9 vocal CDs of 2013, After numbers one through three the remaining six are in no particular order.

#1 Chicago Jazz Orchestra, with Cyrille Aimee, "Burstin' Out" (Origin 2013): Cyrille Aimee is spectacular, with a host of awards from prestigous competitions including the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2007, the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2012, and a bronze at the 2010 Thelonious Monk Competition. Her "Live at Smalls" recording was a favorite of mine a couple of years ago. Now with the backing of  a stellar jazz orchestra she is simply out of sight, singing and scatting her way into my heart. Lots of classic sounds, and a lot of smiles will be yours.

#2 Roberta Gambarini, "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Groovin High 55 Records 2013): Had to purchase this as a Japanese import but well worth it. Gambarini has been my favorite female singer since her initial release, and her recordings with Hank Jones were sublime. Her she doesn't miss a beat with the wonderful backing of George Cables on piano, John Webber on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, and Justin Robinson on alto sax and flute. Style and grace to burn on such classics and "Fly Me To The Moon", Someone to Watch Over Me", "Satin Doll", and many many more, fourteen songs in all.

#3 Cecile McLorin Salvant, "Womanchild" (Mack Avenue 2013): Heaps of praise have been awarded to this CD during the past year for the 2010 Thelonious Monk competition winner. Poise, elegance, and an voice that oozes personality, swagger, and a freshness that is truly impressive. Old songs like  "St. Louis Gal" and "Jitterbug" charm, ballads like "I Didn't Know What Time it Was" melt in her mouth, and her blues wring every drop of emotion from the lyrics. Fantastic -- really easy to join this bandwagon.

As for the rest, numbers 4 through 9, there are no slouches here either just a lot of wonderful music. In no particular order:

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• Tierney Sutton, "After Blue" (BFM 2013): Twelve songs by Joni Mitchell, the last a pastiche of "Free Man in Paris" with Vernon Duke's "April in Paris."
• Barbara Morrison featuring Houston Person, " A Sunday Kind of Love" (Savant 2013): Perfectly balanced music from two classic musicians.  
• Giacomo Gates, "Miles Tones" (Savant 2013): Impeccable taste, ten Miles tunes by a laid back and relaxed Gates in stunning fashion. 

• Madeleine Peyroux, "The Blue Room" (Universal 2013): Sneaks up on you after a couple of listens that she can do this, infuse country with a jazz inflection. Ten songs, many associated with Ray Charles. Saw this one live at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the love shook the house.
• Gregory Porter, "Liquid Spirit" (Blue Note 2013): Big time third recording from Porter, almost as much rhythm and blues as jazz but who cares? the titel of the last song "I Fall in Love Too Easy" says it all -- its easy to love this music. 
• Judy Wexler "What I See", (Jazzed Media 2013): Rich and sensuous singing, lovely arrangements. Her fourth and her best. Too talented to be such a hidden gem. 

A Label To Know: Smalls Live

A second jazz club with its own house label, Smalls Live, is the brainchild of Spike Wilner, club owner and pianist extraordinaire of Smalls, who every night produces one to three outstanding sets, including Christmas Eve, as I know from the xperience of being there the past few years.

Spike has gone beyond the production of CDs and MPs this year and is now live stremaing his shows for those who wish to subscribe but cannot always be there; and keeps an archive second to none of shows for the past few years that one can enjoy from home.

To date there are 31 productions availabel from Smalls Live, from the initial CD of Ryan Kisor to the most recent release this year of David Schnitter, Grant Stewart, and Tyler Mitchell.

I posted this past Friday (December 7th) about the Grant Stewart release, which I have been enjoying all weekend and expect to wear out in the near future, but that is only one of many that I own and love to listen and re-listen to. Smalls features straight-ahead jazz fror the most part, and these live performances can be electric, creating the ambience of sitting at this small cellar club surrounded by the music and appreciative audience. The sound balance on each has been great, which is hard to achieve sometimes in such small settings, the combinations often different and exciting, and the music first rate.

I have quite a collection of the 31 CDs, not quite all but at least half of them, and recommend all. Among those I consider special are as follows:

• Grant Stewart, "Live at Smalls" I posted December 7th on this.
• Jesse Davis Quintet, "Live at Smalls"  with Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Spike Wilner on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Billy Drumond on drums. You don't get much better than that quintet, which blows strong throughout the set.
• Joel Frahm, "Live at Smalls", with Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Joe Martin on bass, and Otis Brown III on drums. A chance to hear an under-appreciated sax player in a part blowing session, part ballad session, showing his prowess. Another guy who should not be under the jazz listener's radar.
• Bruce Barth, "Live at Smalls", with Vincente Archer on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. More great piano work by Barth, not his only one this year but wonderful to hear him live on htis one.
• Cyrille Aimee, "Live at Smalls" with Roy Hargrove, Joel Frahm, Spike Wilner, Philip Kuen, and Joseph Saylor as the band backing this marvellous jazz singer.  I didn't know her so I am glad to have gotten to hear her on this disc. Now I need to see her live.
• Ethan Iverson, Tootie Heath, and Ben Street, "Live at Smalls" a very special inter-generational trio that shows Iverson in a different light than his work with Bad Plus, and features outstanding support and solos by Heath and Street.

But again, picking these seven is like tryinig to do the 10 Best of 2012 list -- tomorrow I could drop any one of these to add maybe David Kikoski, Ian Hendrick-Smith, Kevin Hays, Peter Bernstein...and the list goes on.

Order these discs or downloads directly from the Smalls site and support the club in any way you can so the music will go on. It's great that places like Smalls or the Cellar in Vancouver are producing these CDs and MPs, or live streaming, but it is always best to hear the music in person.