Tuesday, May 1. 2007
A few weeks ago I got a request from the editors of
Destination Out for
a top-ten list of the 1990's. They wanted to construct a successor
to a Village Voice Best of the 1980s Jazz Poll. The ballots were
due May 1. I wrote back and asked them to nag me later, which they
didn't do. Fortunately, I remembered for once, and the basic task
wasn't hard: I just cribbed from my
Jazz A-List file, then sorted
the results from memory:
- Pharoah Sanders: Welcome to Love (1990, Timeless)
- James Carter: The Real Quietstorm (1995, Atlantic)
- David Murray: Long Goodbye: A Tribute to Don Pullen (1996, DIW)
- Nils Petter Molvaer: Solid Ether (1999, ECM)
- David Sanchez: Obsesion (1998, Columbia)
- Billy Jenkins: True Love Collection (1998, Babel)
- Massimo Urbani: The Blessing (1993, Red)
- George Coleman: My Horns of Plenty (1991, Birdology)
- Vandermark Five: Target or Flag (1997, Atavistic)
- Harry Allen: Blue Skies (1994, John Marks)
- David Murray/George Arvanitas: Tea for Two (1990, Fresh Sound)
- Chris Barber: Panama! (1991, Timeless)
- David Murray: Creole (1998, Justin Time)
- Don Pullen: Ode to Life (1993, Blue Note)
- David Murray: Shakill's Warrior (1991, DIW/Columbia)
- Lee Konitz: Jazz Nocturne (1992, Evidence)
- Barney Wilen: New York Romance (1994, Sunnyside)
- Marian McPartland: Plays the Benny Carter Songbook (1990, Concord)
- Stan Getz/Kenny Barron: People Time (1991, Verve Gitanes, 2CD)
- Joe Lovano: From the Soul (1991, Blue Note)
- James Carter: Conversin' With the Elders (1996, Atlantic)
- Abraham Burton: The Magician (1995, Enja)
- Yusef Lateef/Archie Shepp: Tenors of Yusef Lateef and Archie Shepp (1992, YAL)
- Eddie Harris: There Was a Time (Echo of Harlem) (1990, Enja)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel: Black and Blue (1992, Amadeo)
- William Parker: The Peach Orchard (AUM Fidelity)
- Billy Harper: Live on Tour in the Far East, Volume 2 (1991, Steeplechase)
- David Murray: Jazzosaurus Rex (1993, Red Baron)
- Kenny Barron/Mino Cinelu: Swamp Sally (1995, Verve)
- Ernie Wilkins: K.a.l.e.i.d.o.d.u.k.e. (1990, Birdology)
- Lester Bowie: The Fire This Time (1992, In+Out)
- Stephen Scott: Aminah's Dream (1993, Verve)
I've been griping about limiting top records lists to ten for
a long time now. Ten records a year leaves out most of the really
interesting ones. Ten records for a whole decade is just one per
year. The curious thing about this list is how it converges onto
a single type of album: it's not just that saxophonist dominate
(8 of 10, 22 of 32), but that they converge on gorgeous ballad
albums. It's fitting then to note that Welcome to Love is
the most stupendously gorgeous sax ballad album ever.
The non-saxophonists include: 2 trumpets (Molvaer, Bowie);
1 trombone (Barber); 2 guitars (Jenkins, Muthspiel); 4 pianos
(Pullen, McPartland, Barron, Scott), and 1 bass (Parker). Just
from memory, I think you'll find saxophones on 6 of those 10.
Scott is the only piano trio. Another artifact is that only
Vandermark, Parker, and Jenkins would be considered avant at
this point, although Murray, Pullen, and Bowie have been there
and done that. (Jenkins is odd in another way: it's the only
vocal album.)
A far wider range of material shows up in the A- lists. To
some extent this is a matter of design: one of the questions
I ask myself when deciding between A and A- is whether someone
not especially inclined toward the record type would still go
for it. That rarely happens with avant-garde jazz -- note, for
instance, that after Murray the artist with the most '90s A-
records in my database didn't make the cut: that was David S.
Ware. I'll include the full 1990's A-List in the extra text.
I also made some quick comparisons to the 1970s and 1980s
(details in the extra text). The main thing this shows is that
the full 1990s A-list (294 records) is more than double the
corresponding 1980s A-list (141 records). The 1980s list is
only marginally longer than the 1970s list (134 records). The
difference in A/A+ records is less striking (32 to 21 to 28),
but still significant, especially given how time validates
the upper end of the list. It's harder to do something similar
for the '60s, at least quickly, given how many compilations
show up in my data, but weeding them out I get about 50 A/A+
and 265 A-List.
As everyone knows, the '20s were officially the Jazz Age, and
jazz remained immensely popular up to around 1945 when Charlie
Parker and Louis Jordan started to split the ranks, but recorded
jazz didn't really peak, at least artistically, until 1960. The
'60s saw a decline as founders like Armstrong, Ellington, and
Hawkins passed, as well as important postwar artists like John
Coltrane. Business suffered and important labels died, leaving
younger musicians -- Andrew Hill is a prime example -- with few
opportunities to record. So the 1970-95 period is regarded as
relatively fallow, but jazz held on in its refuges -- Europe,
academia, the lofts of downtown NYC -- and started to recover
in the 1990s. How much is attested to by these numbers. It's
still not terribly popular, let alone big business, but there
are more jazz musicians recording more albums now than ever
before. The one conclusion I draw from my 2000s-to-date list
(also in the extra text) is not that the numbers are still
climbing -- that's partly sample bias, since I'm listening
to more stuff sooner -- but that the records on the new list
are much more stylistically diverse than on the 1990's list
or its predecessors.
Here's my entire Jazz A-List for the 1990s, listed by artist then
by recording date. All records are A- except as noted (1 A+, 31 A,
262 A-).
- Rabih Abou-Khalil: Blue Camel (1992, Enja)
- Rabih Abou-Khalil: Tarab (1992, Enja)
- Aesop Quartet: Fables for a New Millennium (1999, 8th Harmonic Breakdown)
- Affinity: Plays Nine Modern Jazz Classics (1993, Music & Arts)
- Affinity: A Tribute to Eric Dolphy (1995, Music & Arts)
- Howard Alden: Your Story -- The Music of Bill Evans (1994, Concord)
- Harry Allen: A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 (1993, Nagel Heyer)
- Harry Allen: Blue Skies (1994, John Marks) [A]
- Arild Andersen: Hyperborean (1996, ECM)
- Ray Anderson: Wishbone (1991, Gramavision)
- Ray Anderson/Han Bennink/Christy Doran: Cheer Up (1995, Hat Art)
- Ray Anderson/Mark Helias/Gerry Hemingway: BassDrumBone (Hence the Reason) (1997, Enja)
- Reid Anderson: Abolish Bad Architecture (1999, Fresh Sound New Talent)
- Ginger Baker: Falling Off the Roof (1996, Atlantic)
- Ballin' the Jack: Jungle (1999, Knitting Factory)
- Billy Bang/Sun Ra: A Tribute to Stuff Smith (1992, Soul Note)
- Billy Bang: Bang On! (1997, Justin Time)
- Chris Barber: Panama! (1991, Timeless) [A]
- Patricia Barber: Modern Cool (1998, Premonition)
- Guy Barker: Into the Blue (1994, Verve)
- Joey Baron: Down Home (1997, Intuition)
- Kenny Barron/Mino Cinelu: Swamp Sally (1995, Verve) [A]
- Gordon Beck: For Evans' Sake (1991, JMS)
- Bob Berg: Another Standard (1997, Stretch)
- Dick Berk: Bouncin' With Berk (1990, Nine Winds)
- David Berkman: Handmade (1998, Palmetto)
- Art Blakey/Dr. John/David "Fathead" Newman: Bluesiana Triangle (1990, Windham Hill)
- Terrence Blanchard: Jazz in Film (1998, Columbia)
- Hamiet Bluiett: Young Warrior, Old Warrior (1995, Mapleshade)
- Hamiet Bluiett: Makin' Whoopee: Tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio (1997, Mapleshade)
- Arthur Blythe: Retroflection (1993, Enja)
- Lester Bowie: My Way (1990, DIW)
- Lester Bowie: The Fire This Time (1992, In+Out) [A]
- Ruby Braff/Ellis Larkins: Calling Berlin Vol. 1 (1994, Arbors)
- Anthony Braxton: Willisau (Quartet) 1991 (1991, Hat Art)
- Anthony Braxton: Charlie Parker Project 1993 (1993, Hat Art)
- Anthony Brown/Asian American Jazz Orchestra: Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire (1998, Asian Improv)
- Dave Burrell/David Murray: In Concert (1991, Victo)
- Abraham Burton: Closest to the Sun (1994, Enja)
- Abraham Burton: The Magician (1995, Enja) [A]
- Don Byron: Music for Six Musicians (1994, Elektra/Nonesuch)
- Uri Caine: Toys (1995, JMT)
- Uri Caine: The Sidewalks of New York: Tin Pan Alley (1999, Winter & Winter)
- Ernie Carson: Every Man a King (1993, GHB)
- Benny Carter: Harlem Renaissance (1992, Musicmasters)
- Benny Carter: Elegy in Blue (1994, Musicmasters)
- James Carter: JC on the Set (1994, DIW)
- James Carter: Jurassic Classics (1995, DIW/Columbia)
- James Carter: The Real Quietstorm (1995, Atlantic) [A]
- James Carter: Conversin' With the Elders (1996, Atlantic) [A]
- James Carter: In Carterian Fashion (1998, Atlantic)
- Thomas Chapin: Insomnia (1992, Knitting Factory)
- Thomas Chapin: Haywire (1996, Knitting Factory)
- Doc Cheatham/Nicholas Payton: Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton (1996, Verve)
- Cyrus Chestnut: Revelation (1993, Atlantic)
- Clusone Trio: Soft Lights and Sweet Music (1993, Hat Art)
- Ornette Coleman/Joachim Kühn: Colors (1996, Verve/Harmolodic)
- George Coleman: My Horns of Plenty (1991, Birdology) [A]
- Steve Coleman: Rhythm in Mind (1991, Novus)
- Steve Coleman: The Tao of Mad Phat/Fringe Zones (1993, Novus)
- Ravi Coltrane: Moving Pictures (1997, RCA)
- Marilyn Crispell: Contrasts: Live at Yoshi's (1995, Music & Arts)
- James Dapogny: Original Jelly Roll Blues (1993, Discovery)
- James Dapogny: Hot Club Stomp: Small Group Swing (1994, Discovery)
- Jack DeJohnette: Dancing with Nature Spirits (1995, ECM)
- Robert Dick: Third Stone from the Sun (1993, New World)
- Robert Dick: Jazz Standards on Mars (1998, Enja)
- Bruce Ditmas: What If (1994, Postcards)
- Pierre Dřrge: Music from the Danish Jungle (1995, Dacapo)
- Dave Douglas: Constellations (1995, Hat Art)
- Dave Douglas: In Our Lifetime (1995, New World)
- Dave Douglas: Soul on Soul (1999, RCA)
- Kenny Drew Jr./Lynn Seaton/Marvin "Smitty" Smith: Secrets (1995, TCB)
- Marty Ehrlich: Malinke's Dance (1999, Omnitone)
- Either/Orchestra: The Calculus of Pleasure (1990, Accurate)
- Kahil El'Zabar/David Murray/Fred Hopkins: Love Outside of Dreams (1997, Delmark)
- Ellery Eskelin: Figure of Speech (1991, Soul Note)
- Ellery Eskelin/Andrea Parkins/Jim Black: One Great Day (1996, Hatology)
- Tommy Flanagan: Sunset and the Mockingbird (1998, Blue Note)
- Ricky Ford: American-African Blues (1991, Candid)
- Michael Formanek: Wide Open Space (1990, Enja)
- Sonny Fortune: Monk's Mood (1993, Konnex)
- Sonny Fortune: Four in One (1994, Blue Note)
- Von Freeman: Never Let Me Go (1992, Steeplechase)
- Bill Frisell: Good Dog Happy Man (1999, Elektra)
- Hal Galper: Just Us (1993, Enja)
- Jan Garbarek/Ustad Fateh Ali Khan: Ragas and Sagas (1990, ECM)
- Jan Garbarek: Star (1991, ECM)
- Jan Garbarek: Officium (1993, ECM)
- Kenny Garrett: Black Hope (1992, Warner Brothers)
- Giorgio Gaslini: Lampi (1994, Soul Note)
- Charles Gayle: Touchin' on Trane (1991, FMP)
- Herb Geller: Birdland Stomp (1990, Fresh Sound)
- Stan Getz/Kenny Barron: People Time (1991, Verve Gitanes, 2CD) [A]
- Rubén González: Introducing ... Rubén González (1997, World Circuit)
- Dusko Goykovich: Bebop City (1995, Enja)
- Georg Gräwe/Ernest Reijseger/Gerry Hemingway: Saturn Cycle (1994, Music & Arts)
- Don Grolnick: Nighttown (1991, Blue Note)
- Steve Grossman/McCoy Tyner: In New York (1991, Dreyfus)
- Marty Grosz/Keith Ingham: Unsaturated Fats (1990, Stomp Off)
- Charlie Haden: Dream Keeper (1990, Blue Note)
- Charlie Haden: Haunted Heart (1992, Verve)
- Charlie Haden/Hank Jones: Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns and Folk Songs (1995, Verve)
- Charlie Haden/Kenny Barron: Night and the City (1996, Verve)
- Scott Hamilton: East of the Sun (1993, Concord)
- Scott Hamilton: Organic Duke (1994, Concord)
- Roy Hargrove: With the Tenors of Our Time (1994, Verve)
- Billy Harper: Live on Tour in the Far East, Volume 2 (1991, Steeplechase) [A]
- Craig Harris: F-Stops (1993, Soul Note)
- Eddie Harris: There Was a Time (Echo of Harlem) (1990, Enja) [A]
- Michael Hashim: Lotus Blossom (1990, Stash)
- Michael Hashim: Keep a Song in Your Soul (1996, Hep)
- David Hazeltine: The Classic Trio (1996, Sharp Nine)
- Mark Helias: Loopin' the Cool (1994, Enja)
- Joe Henderson: The Standard Joe (1991, Red)
- John Hicks: Lover Man: A Tribute to Billie Holiday (1993, Red Baron)
- Tyrone Hill/Marshall Allen: Out of the Box (1997, CIMP)
- Susie Ibarra: Radiance (1999, Hopscotch)
- Abdullah Ibrahim: No Fear, No Die/S'en fout la mort (1993, Tiptoe)
- Sherman Irby: Big Mama's Biscuits (1998, Blue Note)
- Ethan Iverson: The Minor Passions (1999, Fresh Sound New Talent)
- D.D. Jackson/David Murray: Peace-Song (1994, Justin Time)
- D.D. Jackson: Rhythm Dance (1996, Justin Time)
- Javon Jackson: When the Time Is Right (1993, Blue Note)
- Guus Janssen: Zwik (1996, Geestgronden)
- The Jazz Passengers: (ndividually Twisted|1996, 32 Records)
- Billy Jenkins: Still . . . Sounds Like Bromley (1995, Babel)
- Billy Jenkins: True Love Collection (1998, Babel) [A]
- Leroy Jenkins: Live! (1992, Black Saint)
- J.J. Johnson: Heroes (1996, Verve)
- Marc Johnson: The Sound of Summer Running (1997, Verve)
- Hank Jones: Upon Reflection: The Music of Thad Jones (1993, Verve)
- Sheila Jordan: Lost and Found (1990, Muse)
- Steve Khan: Got My Mental (1996, Evidence)
- Lee Konitz/Barry Harris: Lullaby of Birdland (1991, Candid)
- Lee Konitz: Jazz Nocturne (1992, Evidence) [A]
- Lee Konitz: Another Shade of Blue (1997, Blue Note)
- Lee Konitz: Sound of Surprise (1999, RCA)
- Dianne Krall: Love Scenes (1997, Impulse)
- Yusef Lateef/Archie Shepp: Tenors of Yusef Lateef and Archie Shepp (1992, YAL) [A]
- Andy LaVerne: First Tango in New York (1993, Musidisc)
- Lou Levy: Lunarcy (1992, Emarcy)
- Dave Liebman: Setting the Standard (1992, Red)
- John Lindberg: Resurrection of a Dormant Soul (1995, Black Saint)
- Charles Lloyd: Voice in the Night (1999, ECM)
- Jon Lloyd: Four and Five (1998, Hatology)
- Joe Locke: Wire Walker (1992, Steeplechase)
- Joe Lovano: Landmarks (1990, Blue Note)
- Joe Lovano: From the Soul (1991, Blue Note) [A]
- Joe Lovano: Tenor Legacy (1993, Blue Note)
- Joe Lovano: Quartets (1995, Blue Note)
- Joe Lovano: Trio Fascination (1998, Blue Note)
- Allen Lowe: New Tango '92 (1992, Fairhaven)
- Adam Makowicz: The Music of Jerome Kern (1992, Concord)
- Guido Manusardi: The Village Fair (1996, Soul Note)
- Rick Margitza: Work It (1994, Steeplechase)
- Rick Margitza: Hands of Time (1994, Challenge)
- Branford Marsalis: Requiem (1998, Columbia)
- Branford Marsalis: Contemporary Jazz (1999, Columbia)
- Wynton Marsalis: Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord (1999, Columbia)
- Christian McBride: Gettin' to It (1994, Verve)
- Ken McBride/Curt Newton/Ken Vandermark [Tripleplay]: Expansion Slang (1998, Boxholder)
- Jim McNeely: At Maybeck (Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume Twenty) (1992, Concord)
- Marian McPartland: Plays the Benny Carter Songbook (1990, Concord) [A]
- Marian McPartland: In My Life (1993, Concord)
- Joe McPhee: Linear B (1990, Hat Art)
- Joe McPhee: Impressions of Jimmy Giuffre (1991, CELP)
- Brad Mehldau: Introducing Brad Mehldau (1995, Warner Bros.)
- Myra Melford: Now and Now (1991, Enemy)
- Myra Melford: Above Blue (1998, Arabesque)
- Misha Mengelberg: No Idea (1996, DIW)
- Nils Petter Molvaer: Khmer (1996, ECM)
- Nils Petter Molvaer: Solid Ether (1999, ECM) [A]
- Jemeel Moondoc/William Parker: New World Pygmies (1998, Eremite)
- Michael Moore: Bering (1993, Ramboy)
- Ralph Moore: Who It Is You Are (1993, Denon)
- Jason Moran: Soundtrack to Human Motion (1999, Blue Note)
- Paul Motian: And the Electric Bebop Band (1992, JMT)
- David Murray: Special Quartet (1990, DIW)
- David Murray/George Arvanitas: Tea for Two (1990, Fresh Sound) [A]
- David Murray: Fast Life (1991, DIW)
- David Murray: Ballads for Bass Clarinet (1991, DIW)
- David Murray/Milford Graves: Real Deal (1991, DIW)
- David Murray: Shakill's Warrior (1991, DIW/Columbia) [A]
- David Murray: South of the Border (1992, DIW)
- David Murray: Shakill's II (1993, DIW)
- David Murray: For Aunt Louise (1993, DIW)
- David Murray: Jazzosaurus Rex (1993, Red Baron) [A]
- David Murray/Dave Burrell: Windward Passages (1993, Black Saint)
- David Murray: Quintet With Ray Anderson and Anthony Davis (1994, DIW)
- David Murray: Long Goodbye: A Tribute to Don Pullen (1996, DIW) [A]
- David Murray: Creole (1998, Justin Time) [A]
- Sunny Murray: We Are Not at the Opera (1998, Eremite)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel: Black and Blue (1992, Amadeo) [A]
- Keith Nichols: Henderson Stomp (1993, Stomp Off)
- Walter Norris/George Mraz: Hues of Blues (1995, Concord)
- Niels-Henning Řrsted-Pedersen/Renee Rosnes/Jonas Johansen: Friends Forever (1995, Milestone)
- Pago Libre: Wake Up Call: Live in Italy (1997, Leo)
- Eddie Palmieri: Palmas (1994, Elektra/Asylum)
- Paris Washboard: Love for Sale (1996, Stomp Off)
- Leon Parker: Belief (1996, Columbia)
- William Parker: Compassion Seizes Bed-Stuy (1995, Homestead)
- William Parker: The Peach Orchard (AUM Fidelity, 2CD) [A]
- Mario Pavone: Dancer's Tales (1996, Knitting Factory)
- Ivo Perelman: Sad Life (1996, Leo Lab)
- Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson: One With the Wind (1993, Muse)
- Bobby Previte: Weather Clear Track Fast (1991, Enja)
- Don Pullen: Random Thoughts (1990, Blue Note)
- Don Pullen: Kele Mou Bana (1992, Blue Note)
- Don Pullen: Ode to Life (1993, Blue Note) [A]
- Dewey Redman/Cecil Taylor/Elvin Jones: Momentum Space (1999, Verve)
- Joshua Redman: Joshua Redman (1992, Warner Bros.)
- Joshua Redman: Wish (1993, Warner Bros.)
- Marc Ribot: Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos (The Prosthetic Cubans) (1998, Atlantic)
- Perry Robinson: Angelology (1996, Timescraper)
- Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins + 3 (1996, Milestone)
- Renee Rosnes: As We Are Now (1997, Blue Note)
- Ned Rothenberg: Real and Imagined Time (1993, Moers)
- Gonzalo Rubalcaba: The Blessing (1991, Blue Note)
- Roswell Rudd: The Unheard Herbie Nichols, Vol. 1 (1996, CIMP)
- Hilton Ruiz: A Moment's Notice (1991, Novus)
- David Sanborn: Upfront (1991, Elektra)
- David Sanchez: Obsesion (1998, Columbia) [A]
- Pharoah Sanders: Welcome to Love (1990, Timeless) [A+]
- Pharoah Sanders: Crescent with Love (1992, Evidence)
- SaxEmble: SaxEmble (1996, Qwest/Warner Bros.)
- John Scofield: Groove Elation (1994, Blue Note)
- John Scofield: Quiet (1996, Verve)
- Stephen Scott: Aminah's Dream (1993, Verve) [A]
- Stephen Scott: Renaissance Suite (1994, Verve)
- Bud Shank: Lost in the Stars (1990, Fresh Sound)
- Bud Shank: I Told You So! (1992, Candid)
- Sonny Sharrock: Highlife (1990, Enemy)
- Archie Shepp: I Didn't Know About You (1990, Timeless)
- Mark Shim: Mind Over Matter (1997, Blue Note)
- Matthew Shipp/William Parker: Zo (1993, Thirsty Ear)
- Matthew Shipp: The Multiplication Table (1998, Hatology)
- Matthew Shipp: Expansion, Power, Release (1999, Hatology)
- Silver Leaf Jazz Band: New Orleans Wiggle (1999, GHB)
- Sonny Simmons: Transcendence (1996, CIMP)
- Tommy Smith: Blue Smith (1999, Linn)
- Tomasz Stanko: Bosanossa and Other Ballads (1993, Gowi)
- Tomasz Stanko: Leosia (1996, ECM)
- Tomasz Stanko: Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda (1997, ECM)
- Bobo Stenson: Serenity (1999, ECM)
- Lew Tabackin: I'll Be Seeing You (1992, Concord)
- Lew Tabackin: What a Little Moonlight Can Do (1994, Concord)
- Aki Takase/David Murray: Blue Monk (1991, Enja)
- Horace Tapscott: Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam (1997, Arabesque)
- Martin Taylor: Spirit of Django (1994, Linn)
- Henri Texier: Respect (1997, Label Bleu)
- Three of a Kind/Stanley Turrentine: Meets Mr. T. (1994, Minor)
- Mark Turner: Yam Yam (1994, Criss Cross)
- James Blood Ulmer: Black and Blues (1990, DIW)
- Massimo Urbani: The Blessing (1993, Red) [A]
- Ken Vandermark [Steelwool Trio]: International Front (1994, Okka Disk)
- Ken Vandermark [Vandermark Five]: Single Piece Flow (1996, Atavistic)
- Ken Vandermark [Vandermark Five]: Target or Flag (1997, Atavistic) [A]
- Ken Vandermark: Straight Lines: Ken Vandermark's Joe Harriott Project (1998, Atavistic)
- Ken Vandermark: Design in Time (1999, Delmark)
- Tom Varner: The Window Up Above (1998, New World)
- Roseanna Vitro: Catchin' Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles (1997, Telarc)
- Bennie Wallace: The Old Songs (1993, Audioquest)
- Bennie Wallace/Tommy Flanagan/Eddie Gomez/Alvin Queen: Bennie Wallace (1998, Audioquest)
- Bennie Wallace: Someone to Watch Over Me (1999, Enja)
- Jack Walrath: Serious Hang (1992, Muse)
- Cedar Walton: Manhattan Afternoon (1992, Criss Cross)
- David S. Ware: Flight of I (1991, Columbia/DIW)
- David S. Ware: Third Ear Recitation (1992, DIW)
- David S. Ware: Godspelized (1996, DIW)
- David S. Ware: Go See the World (1997, Columbia)
- David S. Ware: Surrendered (1999, Columbia)
- David S. Ware: BalladWare (1999, Thirsty Ear)
- Tim Warfield: A Cool Blue (1995, Criss Cross)
- Tim Warfield: Gentle Warrior (1998, Criss Cross)
- Bobby Watson: Present Tense (1992, Columbia)
- Bobby Watson: Quiet as It's Kept (1998, Red)
- Ernie Watts: Unity (1995, JVC)
- Ernie Watts: Classic Moods (1998, JVC)
- Frank Wess: Tryin' to Make My Blues Turn Green (1993, Concord)
- Randy Weston: The Spirits of Our Ancestors (1991, Antilles)
- Randy Weston: Khepara (1998, Verve)
- Joe Wilder: Alone With Just My Dreams (1991, Evening Star)
- Barney Wilen: Sanctuary (1991, Ida)
- Barney Wilen: New York Romance (1994, Sunnyside) [A]
- Ernie Wilkins: K.a.l.e.i.d.o.d.u.k.e. (1990, Birdology) [A]
- Jessica Williams: Jessica's Blues (1996, Jazz Focus)
- Tom Williams: Straight Street (1993, Criss Cross)
- Matt Wilson: Going Once, Going Twice (1998, Palmetto)
- Francis Wong: Legends and Legacies (1997, Asian Improv)
- Reggie Workman: Summit Conference (1993, Postcards)
- World Saxophone Quartet: Selim Sevad: A Tribute to Miles Davis (1998, Justin Time)
- James Zollar: Soaring With Bird (1997, Naxos)
- Chucho Valdés: Briyumba Palo Congo (1999, Blue Note)
The top list from the 1970s is as follows, with a total of 134
albums down to A-:
- Roswell Rudd: Flexible Flyer (1974, Black Lion)
- Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1970, Columbia/Legacy)
- Jimmy Rushing: The You and Me That Used to Be (1971, RCA)
- Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson: Witchi-Tai-To (1973, ECM)
- Ornette Coleman: Dancing in Your Head (1973, Verve)
- Air: Lore (1979, Novus)
- Dudu Pukwana: In the Townships (1973, Earthworks)
- Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (1978, Koch)
- Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds (1972, ECM)
- Art Pepper: Living Legend (1975, Contemporary)
- Miles Davis: Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall (1974, Columbia)
- Michael Mantler/Robert Wyatt: The Hapless Child and Other Inscrutable Stories (1975, Watt)
- Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame (1971, Columbia)
- Zoot Sims: And the Gershwin Brothers (1975, Pablo)
- Keith Jarrett: Belonging (1974, ECM)
- Charles McPherson: Beautiful! (1975, Xanadu)
- Art Pepper: Straight Life (1979, Galaxy)
- Eastern Rebellion: Eastern Rebellion (1975, Timeless)
- Anthony Braxton: Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (1976, Arista)
- Abdullah Ibrahim: Voice of Africa (1976, Kaz)
- Charles Mingus: Mingus at Carnegie Hall (1974, Rhino)
- Sonny Stitt: Tune-Up! (1972, Muse)
- Archie Shepp/Horace Parlan: Goin' Home (1977, Steeplechase)
- Gene Ammons: Fine and Mellow (1972, Prestige)
- Marian McPartland/Jimmy McPartland: A Sentimental Journey (1972, Jazz Alliance)
- Willis Jackson: Bar Wars (1977, Muse)
- Charles Mingus: Changes One (1974, Rhino)
- Art Pepper: Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard (1977, Galaxy)
The 1980s list:
- Sonny Rollins: Plays G-Man (1986, Milestone)
- Don Pullen/George Adams: Breakthrough (1986, Blue Note)
- Art Pepper: Winter Moon (1980, Galaxy)
- Ornette Coleman: In All Languages (1985, Caravan of Dreams)
- David Murray: Deep River (1988, DIW)
- Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings (1982, Antilles)
- Horace Tapscott: The Dark Tree: 1 (1989, Hat Art)
- James Blood Ulmer: Odyssey (1983, Columbia)
- Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman: Song X (1985, Nonesuch)
- David Murray: Ballads (1988, DIW)
- Steve Lacy: Morning Joy: Live at Sunset Paris (1986, Hat Art)
- Abdullah Ibrahim: Ekaya (1983, Ekapa)
- Don Pullen: New Beginnings (1988, Blue Note)
- Bobby Watson: Love Remains (1986, Red)
- David Murray: Ming (1980, Black Saint)
- Art Pepper: With Duke Jordan in Copenhagen 1981 (1981, Galaxy, 2CD)
- Bob Wilber: Dancing on a Rainbow (1989, Circle)
- Sonny Rollins: Falling in Love With Jazz (1989, Milestone)
- Vienna Art Orchestra: From No Time to Rag Time (1982, Hat Art)
- Mal Waldron/Jackie McLean: Left Alone '86 (1986, Evidence)
- Barney Wilen: Wild Dogs of the Ruwenzori (1988, Ida)
- Roswell Rudd: Regeneration (1982, Soul Note)
The expansion continues in the new decade, although my own data
may be inflated somewhat since I started covering jazz. So for what
it worth, here's how the 2000's are shaping up:
- James Carter: Chasin' the Gypsy (2000, Atlantic)
- David Murray: Like a Kiss That Never Ends (2001, Justin Time)
- Sonny Rollins: This Is What I Do (2000, Milestone)
- William Parker: Raining on the Moon (2001, Thirsty Ear)
- Ornette Coleman: Sound Grammar (2005, Sound Grammar)
- Sonic Liberation Front: Ashé a Go-Go (2004, High Two)
- William Parker: Scrapbook (2002, Thirsty Ear)
- Billy Bang: Vietnam: The Aftermath (2001, Justin Time)
- Spaceways Inc.: Version Soul (2002, Atavistic)
- Alex Von Schlippenbach: Monk's Casino (2003-04, Intakt, 3CD)
- Matthew Shipp: Harmony and Abyss (2004, Thirsty Ear)
- William Parker: Sound Unity (2004, AUM Fidelity)
- Jon Faddis: Teranga (2005, Koch)
- Tim Berne/Drew Gress/Tom Rainey: Pre-Emptive Denial (2005, Screwgun)
- Tommy Smith/Brian Kellock: Symbiosis (2004, Spartacus)
- Triage: American Mythology (2004, Okka Disk)
- Davis S. Ware: Corridors and Parallels (2001, AUM Fidelity)
- Michael Hashim: Green Up Time (2001, Hep)
- Craig Harris: Souls Within the Veil (2003, Aquastra, 2CD)
- Vandermark 5: Elements of Style . . . Exercises in Surprise (2003, Atavistic)
- Arthur Blythe: Focus (2002, Savant)
- Anthony Braxton: 20 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (2003, Leo, 4CD)
- Roberto Juan Rodriguez: El Danzon de Moises (2002, Tzadik)
- Zu/Spaceways Inc.: Radiale (2003, Atavistic)
- William Parker: . . . And William Danced (2002, Ayler)
- Vandermark 5: Free Jazz Classics Vols. 3 & 4 (2003-04, Atavistic, 2CD)
- David Murray: Gwotet (2004, Justin Time)
- World Saxophone Quartet: Political Blues (2006, Justin Time)
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