We've created several best of lists for 2003 ranging from the best live shows to the best reissues. Enjoy!

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Best New Releases Of 2003
Musicians Of The Year
Musicians To Watch
Best Vocal Releases
Best Latin Releases
Unearthed Gems
Best Reissues
Best Shows Of 2003
Best Record Labels
Books Of The Year

Meet the AAJ:NY Staff

BEST NEW RELEASES OF 2003

• Tim Berne, The Sublime And... Science Friction Live (Thirsty Ear)
• Dave Douglas - Freak In (BMG)
• Either/Orchestra - Neo-Modernism (Accurate)
• Robert Glasper - Mood (Fresh Sound New Talent)
• Fred Hersch - Live at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto)
• Pat Metheny - One Quiet Night (Warner)
• Mario Pavone - Orange (Playscape)
• Ben Perowsky - Camp Songs (Tzadik)
• Jean-Michel Pilc - Cardinal Points (Dreyfus)
• Angelica Sanchez - Mirror Me (OmniTone)

~ David Adler

• Art Ensemble of Chicago "" The Meeting (Pi)
• Daniel Carter/Reuben Radding "" Luminescence (AUM Fidelity)
• Mark Helias/Open Loose "" Verbs of Will (Radio Legs)
• Ahmad Jamal "" In Search Of Momentum (Dreyfus)
• John Lindberg - Ruminations on Ives and Gottschalk (Between The Lines)
• Peter Madsen "" Sphere Essence: Another Side of Monk (Playscape)
• Kevin Norton "" Dream Catcher (for Wilber Morris) (CIMP)
• Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear)
• Clark Terry/Max Roach "" Friendship (Eighty-Eights-Columbia)
• Jessica Williiams - All Alone (MAXJAZZ)

~ Laurence Donohue-Greene

• Kevin Norton/Joelle Leandre/Tomas Ulrich - Oceans of Earth (Barking Hoop)
• Art Ensemble of Chicago - Tribute to Lester (ECM)
• Josh Abrams "" Cipher (Delmark)
• Spring Heel Jack "" Live (Thirsty Ear)
• Anthony Braxton - Solo (NYC) 2002 (Parallactic)
• Loren Connors - The Departing of a Dream Volume II (Family Vineyard)
• Fred Frith/Lesli Dalaba/Eric Glick Rieman/Carla Kihlstedt (Accretions)
• Barry Guy/Evan Parker - Birds and Blades (Intakt)
• Rova Saxophone Quartet - Resistance (Victo)
• William Parker/Joe Morris/Hamid Drake - Eloping With The Sun (Riti)

~ Kurt Gottschalk

• Gordon Beck - Gyroscope (Art of Life)
• Peter Brïtzmann - More Nipples (Atavistic UMS)
• Bill Frisell/Marc Ribot/Tim Sparks - Masada Guitars (Tzadik)
• Abdullah Ibrahim - African Magic (Enja-Justin Time)
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom (Hyena)
• Peter Kowald/William Parker - The Victoriaville Tapes (Victo)
• Willam Parker/Billy Bang/Hamid Drake - Scrapbook (Thirsty Ear)
• Howard Riley/John Tilbury/Keith Tippett - Another Part of the Story (Emanem)
• John Surman - Free and Equal (ECM)
• Alexander von Schlippenbach - Globe Unity Orchestra 2002 (Intakt)

~ Andrey Henkin

• Art Ensemble of Chicago "" Tribute to Lester (ECM)
• Michael Brecker "" Wide Angles (Verve)
• Ravi Coltrane "" Mad 6 (Eighty Eights-Columbia)
• Kenny Garrett "" Standard of Language (Warner)
• Joe Lovano "" On this Day: At the Vanguard (Blue Note)
• Branford Marsalis "" Romare Bearden Revealed (Marsalis Music)
• Mulgrew Miller "" The Sequel (MAXJAZZ)
• Eric Reed "" E-Bop (Savant)
• Wayne Shorter "" Alegria (Verve)
• David S. Ware "" Threads (Thirsty Ear)

~ Russ Musto

MUSICIANS OF THE YEAR

• Henry Grimes
• Dave Holland
• Vijay Iyer
• Matthew Shipp
• John Zorn

MUSICIANS TO WATCH

• Liberty Ellman (guitar)
• Mary Halvorsen (guitar)
• Jeremy Pelt (trumpet)
• Matana Roberts (reeds)
• Miguel Zenon (reeds)

BEST VOCAL RELEASES

• Devorah Day "" Light of Day (Abaton)
• Sheila Jordan - Little Song (HighNote)
• Abbey Lincoln - It's Me (Verve)
• Maroon - Who the Sky Betrays (Head Fulla Brains)
• Dianne Reeves - A Little Moonlight (Blue Note)

BEST LATIN RELEASES

• Ray Barretto - Homage to Art Blakey (Sunnyside)
• Either/Orchestra - Afro-Cubism (Accurate)
• David Murray Latin Big Band - Now is Another Time (Justin Time)
• Poncho Sanchez - Out of Sight (Concord)
• Papo Vïsquez - Carnival in San Juan (Cubop-Ubiquity)

UNEARTHED GEMS

• Albert Ayler - The Copenhagen Tapes (Ayler)
• Lenny Breau "" Hallmark Sessions (Art of Life)
• Allen Eager - In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee (Uptown)
• Andrew Hill - Passing Ships (Blue Note)
• Jimmy Lyons - The Box Set (Ayler)

BEST REISSUES

• Gil Evans "" Gil Evans & Ten (Prestige-Fantasy)
• Jeanne Lee - Natural Affinities (Owl-Sunnyside)
• Grachan Moncur III - Mosaic Select (Blue Note-Mosaic)
• Pee Wee Russell - Ask Me Now (Impulse-Verve)
• Sonny Simmons - Burning Spirits (Contemporary-Fantasy)

BEST SHOWS OF 2003

• John Benitez Trio with David Liebman - Jazz Gallery, January 4th
• John Hollenbeck's "The Drum Major Instinct" - Symphony Space, January 17th
• Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd - Asia Society, May 10th
• Ornette Coleman Quartet - Carnegie Hall, JVC Jazz Festival, June 25th
• Renee Rosnes Quartet - Village Vanguard, July 13th
• Kurt Rosenwinkel - Joe's Pub, August 19th
• Dave Douglas/Roswell Rudd/Brad Jones/Barry Altschul - Tonic, August 23rd
• Charles Tolliver Big Band - Jazz Standard, September 28th
• Miguel Zenon's Rhythm Collective - Jazz Gallery, September 25th
• John McLaughlin and Remember Shakti - Town Hall, October 3rd

~ David Adler

• Michael Brecker/David Liebman/Joe Lovano Quintet - Birdland, January 16th
• John Hollenbeck's "The Drum Major Instinct" - Symphony Space, January 17th
• Sonny Fortune/Rashied Ali - Sweet Rhythm February 28th
• Steve Lacy/Danilo Perez - Sweet Rhythm, May 9th
• Ornette Coleman Quartet - Carnegie Hall, JVC Jazz Festival, June 25th
• 3 Altos: Gary Bartz/Sonny Fortune/Vincent Herring - Marcus Garvey Park, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, August 23rd
• Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell/Paul Motian Trio - Village Vanguard, September 3rd
• Masada String Trio - Tonic, September 4th
• Pharoah Sanders/Kenny Garrett Quintet - Blue Note, September 13th
• Charles Lloyd Quartet - Joe's Pub, November 18th

~ Laurence Donohue-Greene

• Wadada Leo Smith/Ikue Mori - Tonic, April 4th
• Derek Bailey/Cyro Baptista - Tonic, April 11th
• Dave Burrell - Tonic, April 17th
• Evan Parker/Alex von Schlippenbach/Paul Lytton - Tonic, April 20th
• Fred Anderson/Harrison Bankhead - The Center, Vision Festival, May 22nd
• Elliott Sharp solo acoustic guitar - Issue Project Room, June 27th
• Satoko Fuji Orchestra - Tonic, July 1st
• Cecil Taylor Trio - Knitting Factory, July 13th
• John Zorn/Milford Graves - Tonic, September 8th
• John Butcher/Rhodri Davies/Sean Meehan/Tim Barnes - Quakebasket/Lost Planet, September 13th

~ Kurt Gottschalk

• David Tronzo solo - Knitting Factory Old Office, January 10th
• Sonny Fortune/Rashied Ali - Sweet Rhythm February 28th
• Anat Fort Trio - Roulette, April 5th
• Evan Parker/Alex von Schlippenbach/Paul Lytton - Tonic, April 20th
• Alex Harding/Lucian Ban - Kavehaz, April 26th
• Masada String Trio - The Center, Vision Festival, May 25th
• Cecil Taylor Trio - Knitting Factory, July 12th
• Flip Barnes Quartet with Matana Roberts - Tonic, August 7th
• Dewey Redman/Joe Lovano Quartet - Birdland, November 6th
• Charles Lloyd Quartet - Joe's Pub, November 18th

~ Andrey Henkin

• Liberty Ellman Quartet - Jazz Gallery, April 3rd
• Steve Lacy/Danilo Perez - Sweet Rhythm, May 9th
• Jackie McLean Quintet - Iridium, May 13th
• Gary Bartz Quintet - Village Vanguard, June 22nd
• John Hicks Trio - Sweet Rhythm, August 9th
• Butch Morris Nu Blu Orchestra Conduction - Joe's Pub, September 3rd
• Abbey Lincoln Quartet - Blue Note, October 16th
• Mulgrew Miller Trio - Smoke, October 18th
• Frank Wess Quintet featuring Jimmy Cobb - Fat Cat, October 19th
• Orquesta Aragon - Birdland, November 4th

~ Russ Musto

BEST RECORD LABELS

• Ayler
• Pi
• Playscape
• Sunnyside
• Thirsty Ear

BOOKS OF THE YEAR

• The Cat on a Hot Thin Groove - Gene Deitch (Fantagraphics Books)
• Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott - David Ritz (Da Capo Press)
• Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz - Terry Gibbs and Cary Ginell (Rowman & Littlefield)
• A Life in the Golden Age of Jazz: A Biography of Buddy DeFranco - Fabrice Zammarchi & Sylvie Mas (Parkside Publications)
• Myself Among Others, A Memoir: A Life in Music - George Wein with Nate Chinen (Da Capo Press)

Meet some of the All About Jazz: New York staff:

David Adler - New York @ Night Editor
Laurence Donohue-Greene - Managing Editor
Kurt Gottschalk - Staff Writer
Andrey Henkin - Editorial Director, Production Designer
Russ Musto - Senior Contributor

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