My top 20 albums of the year ended up as follows:
1. Michel Camilo – Live at the Blue Note (Telarc)
2. Gerardo Frisina – Hi Note (Schema)
3. One Million Dollars – Energy State (Sugarlicks)
4. Bob Belden – Black Dahlia (Blue Note)
5. Van Morrison – What’s Wrong With This Picture (Blue Note)
6. John Schofield Band – Up All Night (Verve)
7. Nathan Haines – Squire For Hire (FMR)
8. Elvis Costello – North (Deutsche Grammophon)
9. Oumou Sangare – Oumou (World Circuit)
10. Ray Brown – Walk On (Telarc)
11. Truby Trio – Elevator Music (Compost)
12. Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadours – Carnival in San Juan (CuBop)
13. Al Green – I Can’t Stop (Blue Note)
14. Roy Ayers – Virgin Ubiquity (BBE Music)
15. Ibrahim Ferrer – Buenos Hermanos (World Circuit)
16. RH Factor – Hard Groove (Verve)
17. Hiromi – Another Mind (Telarc)
18. Mark de Clive-Lowe – Melodius Beats Vol. 1 (Antipodean)
19. McCoy Tyner – Land of Giants (Telarc)
20. Twinset – Mystical Soul (LOOP)
The judge’s decision is final and entirely subjective.
