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Associated Press

Jazz fans have been treated to a range of gems during 2017, from the “new jazz” of Matt Mitchell to the ethnic-influenced sounds from the likes of Vijay Iyer. Here are the albums all jazz fans shouldn’t have missed this year.
Rez Abbasi
Unfiltered Universe
Whirlwind
There was some great jazz this year that drew on musical cultures beyond the United States. Unfiltered Universe seamlessly blends Carnatic music from India with jazz – and having Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa and Dan Weiss in the band is huge. This is the third in a series of recordings, and it is brilliant and exhilarating.
Linda May Han Oh
Walk Against Wind
Biofilia
Bassist May Han Oh is a young superstar – she is playing with Pat Metheny and Dave Douglas, yet the best music she’s making is her own. The quintet assembled for her fourth date is similarly young and thrilling, with Ben Wendel on saxophone, Matthew Stevens (recently with another astonishing bassist, Esperanza Spalding), Justin Brown on drums and Fabian Almazan on piano. The composing featured here is mature and wide-ranging, and it leaves gaping spaces that make the music airy but wise.
Steve Coleman’s Natal Eclipse
Morphogenesis
Pi
Coleman is making some of the best music of his striking career lately, and this recital is fascinating: based on the motions of boxing yet recorded without a drummer. Despite this absence, the music grooves, swings, pulses and jumps at every turn. Coleman’s collaborators remain impressive: Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Matt Mitchell on piano, Jen Shyu on vocals and many more.



Craig Taborn
Daylight Ghosts
ECM
Craig Taborn seems to be everyone’s favourite collaborator these days. His duets with pianist Kris Davis are free wonders, and his collaboration with Miles Okazaki is telepathic. His own music has been wonderful before, but Daylight Ghosts is the most mature of his own recordings.

Malaysian Indian folk music revival as torch is passed to a new generation
Kate Gentile
Mannequins
Skirl
The surprise of 2017 is this debut recording from drummer Kate Gentile. Gentile has been in New York for a while, and she seems to have a particularly fertile musical relationship with pianist Matt Mitchell (including playing on his 2017 masterpiece). But her own composing and band leading make her debut shine.



 
Ryan Keberle and Catharsis
Find the Common, Shine a Light
Greenleaf
Keberle is another trombonist/composer whose music is among the most accessible and warm-hearted of the year. Catharsis started as a chordless quartet (two brass plus rhythm), but then added the sinuous and limber voice of Chilean guitarist Camila Meza, turning it into a quintet capable of re-imagining standards, playing tricky modern jazz, or delving into music from South America. Find the Common is a protest album that does all this and more.
Bruno Mars talks about his 24K Magic World Tour and TV special ahead of his Hong Kong gigs
Nate Smith
Kinfolk, Postcards from Everywhere
Ropeadope
Smith has played the drums with Betty Carter, Dave Holland, Regina Carter, Chris Potter and many more. Kinfolk is a “jazz” record, however, that probably wouldn’t have been possible until recently – a collection that has plenty of authentic, harmonically complex improvising, but also uses soul grooves and vocals to forge a connection back to pop music.



Amy Winehouse’s father sues star’s friends for auctioning her clothes for US$970,000

Chopin Competition winner Eric Lu thrills Hong Kong with a night of mesmerising music

13 celebrities who channelled vintage vibes on the red carpet, from Ariana Grande to Sabrina Carpenter

Meet Ella Langley, the rising country music star whose song is on Landman and who swept the CMA Awards

Music

The nine best jazz albums released in 2017, from ‘new jazz’ to more ethnic beats

The best jazz albums of 2017 come from new and old faces alike.

Steve Coleman cover

Craig Taborn cover

kate Gentile cover

Vijay Iyer cover

Linda May Han Oh cover

Nate Smith cover

Rez Abbasi cover

Matt Mitchell cover

Ryan Keberle cover

Hong Kong’s youngest world champion harmonica player on a mission to ‘rebrand’ his humble instrument

Leo Ho, also known as CY Leo, was named the youngest ever World Solo Harmonica Champion in 2013, when he was 19 years old. Photo: Jonathan Wong

This handout image shows eo Ho Cheuk-yin won the highest honor of the world harmonica championship in 2013 at the age of 19. Photo: HANDOUT [04OCTOBER2017 FEATURES ARTS ONLINE]

This image shows Leo Ho Cheuk-yin, emerging musician and harmonica player in Hong Kong, poses for a photography at his home in Sha Tin. 20SEP17 SCMP / Jonathan Wong [FEATURES ARTS]

This handout image shows Leo Ho Cheuk-yin began learning the harmonica since the age of four. Photo: HANDOUT [04OCTOBER2017 FEATURES ARTS ONLINE]

This handout image shows (From left to right) Leo Ho Cheuk-yin, his father Ho Pak-cheong and younger brother Felix Ho Charm-yin are all harmonica world champions. Photo: HANDOUT [04OCTOBER2017 FEATURES ARTS ONLINE]

--LOW RES. IMAGE, ONLINE ONLY-- This handout image shows Leo Ho Cheuk-yin and pianist Wong Ka-jeng and saxophone player Timothy Sun performed to audience in London in July 2017. Photo: HANDOUT [04OCTOBER2017 FEATURES ARTS ONLINE]

Culture

Among the rich pickings are Vijay Iyer and his funky sextet, superstar bassist Linda May Han Oh, an impressive debut from drummer Kate Gentile, some soul grooves from Nate Smith and a mature solo effort by Craig Taborn


Among the rich pickings are Iyer and his funky sextet, superstar bassist Linda May Han Oh, an impressive debut from drummer Kate Gentile, some soul grooves from Nate Smith and a mature solo effort by Taborn
