By Arnaldo DeSouteiro, Jazz Station
Acoustic Piano
Gonzalo Rubalcaba (“Viento Y Tiempo – Live At Blue Note Tokyo” w/ Aymée Nuviola –Top Stop Music/Sony Music Latin
Fima Chupakhin (“Water” – self release)
Sam Hirsh (“Quite Frankly – Introducing Sam Hirsh” – Umadas Music)
Mike Bond (“The Honorable Ones” – Bounce Castle)
Electric Piano
Shedrick Mitchell (“My Left Hand Man” w/ Richie Goods – self release)
Organ
Shedrick Mitchell (“The Path” w/ Chien Chien Lu – self release)
Acoustic bass
Richie Goods (“My Left Hand Man – A Tribute To Mulgrew Miller” – self release);
Electric Bass
Richie Goods (“My Left Hand Man” – self release);
Drums
Lil John Roberts (“My Left Hand Man” w/ Richie Goods & The Goods Project” – self release);
Vibes/Marimba
Chien Chien Lu (“The Path” – self-release);
Joe Locke (“The Latin Jazz Project” w/ Spanish Harlem Orchestra);
Violin
Regina Carter (“Swing States: Harmony In The Battleground” – Tiger Turn/eOne)
Trumpet
Shunzo Ohno (“Runner” – Pulsebeats)
Brian Lynch (“Onward & Upward” w/ Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy – Onyx Music);
Jeremy Pelt (“The Path” w/ Chien Chien Lu – self release);
Josh Evans (“Water” w/ Fima Chupakhin – self release)
Flugelhorn
John Daversa (“Swing States: Harmony In The Battleground” w/ Regina Carter Freedom Band – Tiger Turn/eOne);
Trombone
Papo Vázquez (“Chapter 10: Breaking Cover” – Picaro);
Mariel Bildsten (“Backbone” – Outside In)
Soprano Sax
Dave Liebman (“The Rise Up” w/ Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & Whatsnext? – Dunya);
Steve Wilson (“The Honorable Ones” w/ Mike Bond – Bounce Castle);
Kazuhiro Kondo (“Viento Y Tiempo – Live At Blue Note Tokyo” w/ Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola – Top Stop Music/Sony Music Latin);
Alto Sax
T.K. Blue (“Deep Blue Love” w/ Sarah Thorpe)
Yainer Horta (“Viento Y Tiempo – Live At Blue Note Tokyo” w/ Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola – Top Stop Music/Sony Music Latin)
Tenor Sax
Sergey Avanesov (“Water” w/ Fima Chupakhin – self-release)
Male Singer
JD Walter (“Dressed In A Song” – JWAL)
John Minnock (“Herring Cove” – Dot Time)
Female singer
Lauren Henderson (“The Songbook Session” – Brontosaurus)
Sarah Thorpe (“Deep Blue Love” – Dot Time)
Robin McKelle (“Alterations” – Doxie/Membran)
Vuyo Sotashe (“Water” w/ Fima Chupakhin – self release)
Aubrey Johnson (“Unraveled” – Outside In Music)
Thana Alexa (“ONA” – self-release)
Instrumental Group
Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy (“Onward & Upward” – Onyx Music)
Richie Goods & The Goods Project (“My Left Hand Man – A Tribute To Mulgrew Miller”)
Bigband/Jazz Orchestra
Spanish Harlem Orchestra (“The Latin Jazz Project” – ArtistShare)
Pacific Mambo Orchestra (“The III Side”)
Composer
Shunzo Ohno (“Runner” – Pulsebeats)
Fima Chupakhin (“Water” – self-release)
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol (“The Rise Up: Stories of Strike, Struggle and Inspiration” – Dunya)
Chien Chien Lu (“The Path” – self release)
Engineer
Kostadin Kamcev/Doug Beavers/David Darlington (“The Latin Jazz Project” w/ Spanish Harlem Orchestra – ArtistShare)
Alex Conroy (“The Path” w/ Chien Chien Lu – self-release)
Cover Artwork
Jhonatan González Sandoval (“The Latin Jazz Project” w/ Spanish Harlem Orchestra – ArtistShare)
Miriam Castillo/Justin Brettman (“ONA” w/ Thana Alexa – self release)
Nicole Wang (“The Path” w/ Chien Chien Lu)
Top Instrumental Jazz Albums
Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy: “Onward & Upward” (Onyx Music)
Richie Goods & The Goods Project: “My Left Hand Man – A Tribute To Mulgrew Miller”
Shunzo Ohno: “Runner” (Pulsebeats)
Spanish Harlem Orchestra: “The Latin Jazz Project” (ArtistShare)
Pacific Mambo Orchestra: “The III Side” (Pacific Mambo)
Chien Chien Lu: “The Path” (self-release)
Fima Chupakhin: “Water” (self-release)
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & Whatsnext? Featuring Dave Liebman: “The Rise Up: Stories of Strike, Struggle and Inspiration” (Dünya)
César Orozco & Kamarata Jazz: “Rooted Forward” (self release)
Top vocal Jazz Cds
Sarah Thorpe: “Deep Blue Love” (Dot Time)
Aubrey Johnson: “Unraveled” (Outside In Music)
Aymée Nuviola & Gonzalo Rubalcaba: “Viento Y Tiempo – Live At Blue Note Tokyo” (Top Stop Music/Sony Music)
Robin McKeele: “Alterations” (Doxie/Membran)
Thana Alexa: “ONA” (self-release)
JD Walter: “Dressed In A Song” (JWAL)
Top Historical Albums
The Brecker Brothers: “Live And Unreleased” (Piloo)
Dave Brubeck: “Time OutTakes – Previously Unreleased Takes From The Original 1959 Sessions” (Brubeck Editions)
Lennie Tristano: “The Duo Sessions” (Dot Time)