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Best of Jazz – Year 2002

Listen and enjoy the 2002 selection (playlist hereunder, after the detailed list) with 20 amazing tracks extracted from 20 amazing jazz albums.

Best Jazz 2002

Spaceways Inc.

Best Jazz 2002 - Spaceways-Inc.-Version-Soul
Spaceways Inc.
“Back Of A Cab (For Jackie Mittoo)”
from Version Soul
(Atavistic)

“These threee players have a powerfully intuitive relationship that transforms simplicity into ecstasy”
AllAboutJazz

Ken Vandermark: tenor and baritone saxophone, Bb and bass clarinet | Nate McBride: acoustic and electric bass | Hamid Drake: drums
Released May 2002
Free Jazz

Website Bandcamp


Cecil Taylor

Best Jazz 2002 - Cecil-Taylor-The-Willisau-Concert
Cecil Taylor
“Willisau Concert Part 2”
from The Willisau Concert
(Intakt Records)

“When Taylor sits at the grand piano, there is no longer any distance, no mellow, cool interpretation. It is a direct fight. He wrests his sounds from the material, from the piano, and practically melds them with himself. “
Meinrad Buholzer

Discover next The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert

Cecil Taylor: piano
Released 2002
Free Improvisation

Wikipedia

Arthur Blythe

Best Jazz 2002 - Arthur-Blythe-Focus
Arthur Blythe
“Night Creeper”
from Focus
(Savant)

“They’ve spent careers redefining jazz, and the fruits of their labor result in music that is relaxed and understated, yet emotive and powerful”
Jon Wagner

Arthur Blythe: alto saxophone | Gust William Tsilis: marimba | Bob Stewart: tuba | Cecil Brooks III: drums
Released July, 2002
Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz

Wikipedia

Medeski Martin & Wood

Best Jazz 2002 - Medeski-Martin-Wood-Uninvisible
Medeski Martin & Wood
“Uninvisible”
from Uninvisible
(Blue Note)

“Back to the GROOVE! Horns. Turntables. Classic MMW with a future twist. Uninvisible will take you many places, none of which expect to go.”
MM&W

John Medeski: keyboards | Billy Martin: drums | Chris Wood: bass | +Guests
Released in April 2002
Future Jazz, Experimental

Website Twitter


Willem Breuker Kollektief

Best Jazz 2002 - Willem-Breuker-Kollektief-Misery
Willem Breuker Kollektief
“Hap Sap”
from Misery
(BV Haast Records)

Misery is the final part of the trilogy Hunger, Thirst , and Misery.

Willem Breuker: Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone | Hermine Deurloo: Alto Saxophone, Harmonica | Arjen Gorter: Double Bass | Rob Verdurmen: Drums | Henk de Jonge: Piano, Organ, Electronics | Maarten van Norden: Tenor Saxophone | Andrew Bruce: Trombone | Bernard Hunnekink: Trombone, Tuba | Andy Altenfelder, Boy Raaymakers: Trumpet
Released in November 2002
Contemporary Jazz, Free Jazz, Baroque

Wikipedia

Jason Moran

Best Jazz 2002 - Jason-Moran-Modernistic
Jason Moran
“Planet Rock Postscript”
from Modernistic
(Blue Note)

“Moran burns the rule book and presents something so thoroughly individual as to be practically without precedent.”
David R. Adler

Jason Moran: piano, mini piano
Released in September 2002
Avant-garde Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Fusion

Website Twitter


Dave Holland Big Band

Best Jazz 2002 - Dave-Holland-Big-Band-What-Goes-Around
Dave Holland Big Band
“The Razor’s Edge”
from What Goes Around
(ECM)

What Goes Around won Holland his first Grammy Award as a leader, in the category Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

Dave Holland: bass | Billy Kilson: drums | Antonio Hart: alto saxophone, flute | Steve Nelson: vibraphone | Duane Eubanks, Alex Sipiagin, Earl Gardner: trumpet, flugelhorn | Josh Roseman, Andre Hayward, Robin Eubanks: trombone | Gary Smulyan: baritone saxophone | Chris Potter: tenor saxophone | Mark Gross: alto saxophone
Released in September 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Website Twitter


Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter
“Aung San Suu Kyi”
from Footprints Live!
(Verve Records)

“It was Shorter’s first official live album released under his own name and the first album to feature the ‘Footprints Quartet’ of Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade”
Wikipedia

Wayne Shorter: saxophones | Danilo Perez: piano | John Patitucci: bass | Brian Blade: drums
Released in 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Website Twitter


Tomasz Stanko Quartet

Tomasz Stanko Quartet
“I”
from Soul Of Things
(ECM)

“He triggers memories of his first heroes – memories of Miles, memories of Chet Baker – in his lonesome, soulful soliloquies.”
ECM

Tomasz Stanko: Trumpet | Marcin Wasilewski: Piano | Slawomir Kurkiewicz: Double-Bass | Michal Miskiewicz: Drums
Released in March 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Website

Misha Mengelberg Quartet

Misha Mengelberg Quartet
“Hypochristmutreefuzz”
from Four In One
(Songlines Recordings)

“”Hypochristmastreefuzz” was written (as Misha put it) “to set Eric Dolphy a little off balance”, and can be found on Dolphy’s Last Date from 1964; this time it’s Douglas’ turn to try the convoluted theme”
BBC

Misha Mengelberg: Piano | Dave Douglas: Trumpet | Brad Jones: Bass | Han Bennink: Percussion
Released 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Wikipedia

John Surman, Jack DeJohnette

John Surman, Jack DeJohnette
“Mysterium”
from Invisible Nature
(ECM)

“The first duo album by John Surman and Jack DeJohnette in more than 20 years is an exultant, highly atmospheric disc recorded live at the jazz festivals of Berlin and Tampere. “
ECM

John Surman: Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Synthesizers | Jack DeJohnette: Drums, Electronic Percussion, Piano
Released in February 2002
Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz

Website Website


Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette
“Paradox”
from Always Let Me Go
(ECM)

“Keith himself has described the music as “a volcanic eruption” and feels it is their best and most concentrated work to date”
ECM

Keith Jarrett: Piano, Production | Gary Peacock: Double bass | Jack DeJohnette: Drums
Released in October 2002
Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz

Website

Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lytton

Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lytton
“Double Trouble Too”
from Odyssey
(Intakt Records)

“5 stars”
Everyone

Barry Guy: Bass/Composer | Marilyn Crispell: Piano | Paul Lytton: Percussion
Released in November 2002
Free Improvisation

Bandcamp Website


Anouar Brahem

Anouar Brahem
“Pique-nique À Nagpur”
from Le Pas Du Chat Noir
(ECM)

“Half of the magic, as he notes, resides in the not-played, in the marvelous mingling of overtones, sounds that rise from the piano to blend with the warm tones of the oud and the breath of the accordion’s bellows.”
ECM

Anouar Brahem: Oud | François Couturier: Piano | Jean-Louis Matinier: Accordion
Released in June 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Bandcamp Website


Andrew Hill

Andrew Hill
“Divine Revelation”
from A Beautiful Day
(Palmetto Records)

“With its wide array of available textures and juxtapositions, the big band proves an ideal vehicle for Hill’s powerful, unclassifiable music”
David R. Adler

Andrew Hill: piano | John Savage: flute, alto saxophone | Marty Ehrlich: clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone | Aaron Stewart, Greg Tardy: tenor saxophone | J. D. Parran: baritone saxophone | Dave Ballou, Laurie Frink, Ron Horton, Bruce Staalens: trumpet | Mike Fahn, Joe Fielder, Charlie Gordon: trombone | Jose D’avila: tuba | Scott Colley: bass | Nasheet Waits: drums
Released in July 2002
Live Jazz

Wikipedia Website


Akosh S. Unit

Akosh S. Unit
“Adatott”
from Lenne
(Universal Music Jazz France)

Lenne is the second part of the free jazz trilogy made with Kebelen (2000) and Vetek (2003); 2nd trilogy of Akosh S. Unit after Imafa, Omeko, and Élettér.

If you want to explore Akosh S. discography or complete your collection, then here are the five essential albums you should definitely go for: Five Essential Akosh Szelevényi Albums

Akosh Szelevényi: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Kalimba, Bombarde, Vocals | Bernard Malandain: Double Bass | Philippe Foch: Drums, Percussion, Djembe | Mokhtar Choumane: Flute | Joe Doherty: Violin, Viola, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute
Released in 2002
Avant Garde Jazz

Bandcamp Website


Bill Charlap

Bill Charlap
“The Nearness Of You”
from Stardust
(Blue Note)

Stardust is a tribute to the prodigious talents of Hoagy Carmichael by Bill Charlap.

Bill Charlap: piano | Peter Washington: bass | Kenny Washington: drums
Released in April 2002
Jazz

Website

William Parker Quartet Featuring Leena Conquest

William Parker Quartet Featuring Leena Conquest
“Hunk Pappa Blues”
from Raining On The Moon
(Thirsty Ear)

So good – so one of the best jazz 2002 – that since the original album, the name Raining on the Moon has also come to identify the group from this record.

William Parker: bass | Leena Conquest: vocals | Louis Barnes: trumpet | Rob Brown: alto saxophone, flute | Hamid Drake: drums
Released in May 2002
Contemporary Jazz

Website

Matthew Shipp

Matthew Shipp
“Nu-Bop”
from Nu Bop
(Thirsty Ear)

“The sheer breadth of Shipp’s ideas, the ingenuity of his writing and the individuality of his pianism make Nu Bop one of the more important releases of the year and reaffirm Shipp’s position at the forefront of jazz innovation.”
Chicago Tribune

Matthew Shipp: Piano | William Parker: Bass | Daniel Carter: Saxophone & Flute | Guillermo E. Brown: Drums | Flam: Synths & Programming
Released in January 2002
Free Jazz, Post Bop

Wikipedia

Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos

Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos
“Coco”
from Los Guachos III
(Sunnyside)

Coco is a beautiful introduction to the strange follow-up trip in between J.S. Bach and life in the Argentinian pampas.

Guillermo Klein: piano solo, guitar, voice, keyboards | Diego Urcola: trumpet, fluegelhorn | Taylor Haskins: trumpet, fluegelhorn | Chris Cheek: tenor sax, soprano sax | Bill McHenry: tenor sax | Miguel Zenon: alto sax, flute | Sandro Tomassi: trombone | Ben Monder: electric guitar | Fernando Huergo: electric bass | Jeff Ballard: drums, percussion | Marlon Browden: drums | Luciana Souza: voice | Matt Pavolka: double bass | Adrian Buono: guitar | Roman Giudice: guitar & percussion | Pablo Salzman: electric bass | Richard Nant: percussion
Released in August 2002
Latin Jazz, Post Bop

Bandcamp

Playlist Best Jazz 2002

Best Jazz 2002 – Albums List

Here is the entire list of the 20 albums we highlighted for this Best Jazz 2002 selection

  • Spaceways Inc.Version Soul
  • Cecil TaylorThe Willisau Concert
  • Arthur BlytheFocus
  • Medeski Martin & WoodUninvisible
  • Willem Breuker KollektiefMisery
  • Jason MoranModernistic
  • Dave Holland Big BandWhat Goes Around
  • Wayne ShorterFootprints Live!
  • Tomasz Stanko QuartetSoul Of Things
  • Misha Mengelberg QuartetFour In One
  • John Surman, Jack DeJohnetteInvisible Nature
  • Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnetteAlways Let Me Go
  • Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Paul LyttonOdyssey
  • Anouar BrahemLe Pas Du Chat Noir
  • Andrew Hill A Beautiful Day
  • Akosh S. UnitLenne
  • Bill CharlapStardust
  • William Parker Quartet Featuring Leena ConquestRaining On The Moon
  • Matthew ShippNu Bop
  • Guillermo Klein, Los GuachosLos Guachos III

2000’s

Discover all the other 2000’s jazz selections: 2000200120022003200420052006200720082009


Filed under: 2000s, Yearly Selection

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Hi, I am Paul, blogger at Best of Jazz and Jazz enthusiast since 1995.

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