I've been looking at Jazzmatazz's list of upcoming CD releases. Here are the 2005 albums that look the most promising, with their release dates:

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - A Love Supreme (Palmetto): Jan. 11th. Strange that Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" hadn't been re-recorded by anyone for 40 years — until November when a new version was released by Branford Marsalis and his quartet. Now, another is on its way from Wynton and his big band. Is there a little brotherly rivalry going on? I'm curious to see whether a piece originally performed so freely can be effectively played by a big band that thrives on structure.

Stefano Di Battista - Parker's Mood (Blue Note): Jan. 25th. I actually have this already. It is a tribute to Charlie Parker, on which Di Battista plays with conviction and an obvious love for Bird's music. Add to that an all-star rhythm section with Kenny Barron and you can't go wrong.

Dave Douglas & Nomad - Mountain Passages (Koch): Jan 25th. I'm unsure who is in the band, but Douglas's playing is explosive and incorporates jazz, classical, and pop. On his last record, he was able to break loose and create new music by playing in a style akin to 70's Miles Davis.

Albums with Unanounced Release Dates
Miguel Zenon (Marsalis Music): Spring. Recently, Zenon has been taking the jazz world by storm. I saw him with the SFJazz Collective playing the music of Ornette Coleman. Despite his first CD on Marsalis Music, Ceremonial, being straight-ahead, he was able to attack Coleman's music with emotion and familiarity.

Jacky Terrasson - Solo (Blue Note): I've been hooked on Terrason since I saw him co-lead a band with Stefon Harris a few years ago.

Dave Holland Big Band (Dare 2): The bassist's last big band album, What Goes Around, was incredibly swinging; his band members are all great performers in there own right (Chris Potter, Gary Smulyan, and Steve Nelson, oh my!). It will be exciting to see what Holland does with his first album on Dare 2, his new label.

Joe Lovano/Paul Motian/Bill Frisell (ECM): I'm not crazy about Frisell, but I just can't resist Joe Lovano's warm tone and his free-moving improvisational style.

Brian Blade (Marsalis Music): I've been waiting for Blade to record his Marsalis Music debut for a while now. I've seen everybody's favorite drummer with Wayne Shorter, the SFJazz Collective, Bill Frisell and lots of others. It's about time he takes center stage again — Blue Note, stupidly, dropped him a couple years ago.

Sonny Rollins (Milestone): That's right, SONNY ROLLINS. The greatest saxophonist alive and perhaps the greatest one ever. It's too bad he doesn't play more of the straight-ahead music he perfected in the '50s and '60s. And it's too bad he doesn't play with a better band. But still, it's amazing the things he can do with a calypso.