Eric J. Iannelli looks back on a year full of the usual political and cultural ineptitude to find that there were indeed some very valuable highlights - 19 of them.

Joel Dorn has “been there, done that” in jazz for over 40 years. Ben Varkentine finds out about Fathead, Les McCann and… Michael Jackson?

December (Columbia). Review by Eric J. Iannelli.

Les Is More, A Tale of Two Cities, The Man Who Cried Fire, and Radio Nights (Hyena). Review by Ben Varkentine.

The Twelve Tribes (Label Bleu). Review by Carl F. Gauze.

Steve Stav finds himself tongue-tied when he engages his favorite chanteuse-next-door in a revealing Q&A.

Just the Best Party (Gern Blandsten). Review by Daniel Mitchell.

Live at the Quick (Columbia). Review by Eric J. Iannelli.

Nize Baby (Burnbarrel). Review by David Whited.

Souled Separately (Melatone). Review by Bettie Lou Vegas.

Herbie Hancock at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC on March 28, 2002. Concert review by Bill Campbell.

Belly of the Sun (Blue Note). Review by David Whited.

Next (Blue Note). Review by Eric J. Iannelli.

The ubiquitous trombonist has finally busted out with his first solo record, Cherry. Now Josh Roseman talks to Matt Cibula about what it’s like to be a “sex symbol rock-star trombone player.”

Can You Smell the Rain Between (Tone Casualties). Review by Kiran Aditham.

Los Musicos (Moondo/Discipline Global). Review by Matt Cibula.

Walking With Strangers (Prana Entertainment). Review by Vanessa Bormann.

Jim Hall & Basses (Telarc Jazz). Review by James Mann.

Saints (Atlantic). Review by Marcel Feldmar.

Tom “Tearaway” Schulte joins our big happy family, and will be bringing us regular installments of Outsight! This time around he skips from angry oi to tribal drums to goth and makes it seem oh so easy.