C. Michael Bailey’s Best Releases of 2016

Shifting priorities in 2016 prevented me from either listening to or reviewing as much music as I have in the past. Thus, I did not take a swing at many fine recordings that by all accounts should be on this list like: John Scofield's Country for Old Men (Impulse!); Keith Jarrett's A Multitude of Angels (ECM); Frank Kimbrough's Solstice (Pirouet Records); Joe Lovano's Classic! Live at Newport (Blue Note Records); or Michael Formanek's Ensemble Kolossus' The Distance (ECM).

I cite my fellow All About Jazz colleagues because of a long relationship with them, their inherent erudition, and their uncanny ability to get me to listen to things I otherwise might miss. To them I say thank you. This next year will mark my 20th year writing for AAJ. Twenty years ago, I was 38 years old looking for an outlet for my music writing that had eluded me until I came across a call for articles from one Michael Ricci in Philadelphia. I emailed my review of Art Pepper's San Francisco Samba (Contemporary, 1997) and it magically appeared among these electrons at just the time the Internet was taking off. And here I am, 2,000 writing pieces later, richer for the people I have met through this website and grateful for them all.

Roswell Rudd & Heather Masse August Love Song (Red House Records)	Roswell Rudd/Jamie Saft / Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi Strength & Power (RareNoiseRecords)	Thad Jones & Mel Lewis All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard (Resonance Records)
Jane Monheit Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald (Emerald City Records)	Dida Pelled A Missing Shade of Blue Red Records	Shirley Horn Shirley Horn Live at the 4 Queen (Resonance Records)
Bobby Previte Mass (RareNoiseRecords)	Mike Neer Steelonious (Self Produced)	Alyssa Allgood Out of the Blue (Jeru Jazz Records)
Van Morrison It's Too Late to Stop Now...Volumes I-IV (SMG Records)	Tony Moreno Short Stories (Mayimba Music)	The Rolling Stones Blue and Lonesome (Polydor Records)

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