Number 71. Not a ringer, although you would not be blamed for thinking so.
People sometimes ask me, "What music are you listening to?" or "What kind of music do you like to listen to?" and a lot of the time when I tell them they're like, "Wha?" So for some reason I thought if I made a list of what I got into this year it might....clear some things up? Anyway, via the below list, which is neither ranked nor alphabetical but in more or less te order I heard them, I unequivocally endorse all the following:
- Oren Ambarchi, Shebang (Drag City): As self-advertised
- Arto Lindsay, Charivari (Corbett Vs. Dempsey): The man and his guitar can still get their freak on, and hotly, after all these years
- Tim Berne and Matt Mitchell, One More Please (Intakt): Bracing duets
- Ivo Perelman, Ray Anderson, Joe Morris, Reggie Nicholson, Molten Gold (Funacja Sluchaj): Spectacular ensemble improvisation
- John Cale, Mercy (Double Six): Not about tunes anymore
- Yo La Tengo, This Stupid World (Matador): As self-advertised
- The Necks, Travel (Northern Spy): Another apt title
- John Zorn/New Masada Quartet, Volume 2 (Tzadik): Incredible momentum and invention
- Avram Fefer Quartet, Juba Lee (Clean Feed): As self-advertised
- Marc Ducret, Palm Sweat: Marc Ducret Plays The Music of Tim Berne (Screwgun): Real blow-out-the carburetor sonics
- Paul Dunmall Ensemble, It’s A Matter of Fact (Discus): Britain's most prolific living blower wrangles a remarkable ensemble
- John Zorn, Multiplicities II (Tzadik): Acoustic (instruments) alchemy
- Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, In The Dark (ESP-Disc): Three discs of prodigious feeling and invention
- Peter Brötzmann, Heather Leigh, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Naked Nudes (Insel): The dynamic duo invites a third player to the rumpus
- Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily, Love in Exile (Verve): Transcendental materialism
- Henry Threadgill Ensemble, The Other One (Pi): It's Threadgill
- Nuria Andorra and Fred Frith, Dancing Like Dust (Klang): An unusually cogent and attractive dual improve
- Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, America: The Rough Cut (ESP-Disk): A good primer for the triple set among other things
- Pere Ubu, Trouble on Big Beat Street (Cherry Red): Crocus' self-regard can be annoying but the guy does get the job done
- Dietrichs, Catch the Leaves (Relative Pitch): The damnedest father-daughter musical pairing ever
- Peter Brotzmann, Majid Bekkas, Hamid Drake, Catching Ghosts: Live At Jazzfest Berlin (The Act Company): Sublime
- Evan Parker, NYC 1978 (Relative Pitch): So fresh and inspired
- John Zorn, Quatrain (Tzadik): Julian Lage and Gyan Riley never miss
- Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Continuing (Pi): A friend writes: "Holy shit, the glory of this. Of this groove."
- Bill Lowe and the Signifyin’ Natives Ensemble, Sweet Cane: Suites and Other Pedagogical Prompts (Pi): A revelation
- Marc Ducret, Ici (Ayler): Acerbic in all the best ways
- PJ Harvey, I Inside The Old World Dying (Partisan): I always knew she had a grand folk-horror record in her
- Frank Zappa, Funky Nothingness (Zappa): Just wow.
- John Zorn, Bagatelles Vol. 4 (Tzadik): Just wow again.
- John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (Impulse!): Just wow with Elvin Jones at the front of the room.
- Claire Chase, Density 2036 (New Focus): One more once with just wow.
- Alan Skidmore, A Supreme Love (Confront): A great compilation of the protean British sax man, chronicling his Trane love and his originalityy.
- Ceramic Dog, Connection (Knockwurst): My kind of protest music
- Los Toscos + Peter Brotzmann/Tony Malaby, La vigilia de las flores (Matik Matik): Adventurous Spanish blowers seek ace horn players
- Jason Kao Hwang Critical Response, Book of Stories (True Sound): A fusion trio with a gorgeously wide range
- Soft Machine, Other Doors (MoonJune): A more anodyne sound than they've evr had, and its' beter than fine, it's resplendent
- John Zorn, Full Fathom Five (Tzadik): I like a lot of Zorn
- Mat Maneri Quartet, Ash (Sunnyside): The violin of sloe unease
- Tu-ner, Contact Information (7D Media): Twenty First Century prog: It's good
- David Tamura and Toadal Package, Final Entrance (self-released): Great clamor with an Electric Miles feel
- Kresten Osgood, Bob Moses, Tisziji Muñoz, Spiritual Drum Kingship (Gotta Let It Out): Two drummers and Tiszij go profitably nuts
- Quinos, Lune de Miel, Heavy Single Jet Wash…,Live Au Lab_49 (CEM): French guitarist on a creative jag
- Evelyn Davis, Fred Frith, Phillip Greenlief (Lankstap Logic), Hidden Danger Lets Me In (Clean Feed): The Mills College trio reunites
- John Zorn, Homenaje A Remedios Varo (Tzadik)
- AMM, Last Calls (Matchless): Heartbreaking and heart-filling
- John Butcher, Marjolaine Charbin, Ute Kenngiesser, Eddie Prevost, The Art of Noticing (Matchless): Four players who know how to be free
- Eddie Prevost et. al., A Company of Others (Matchless) A few more players
- London Workshop, Widdershins (Matchless) And more still
- Fowler, Cartwright, Parker, Hurt, Stewart, Hirsh, Amba, Miserere (Mahakala): A supersession that retains soulful coherence
- Matthew Shipp, The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp (Mahakala): Solo piano, highest order
- The Feelies, Some Kinda Love (Bar/None): But of course
- Nevaris, Reverberations (M.O.D.): Groove and dub, heavy and brisk
- Live at Plus-Etage, Volume 1 (A New Wave of Jazz): Strong simple silences, and more
- François Carrier Ensemble featuring Mat Maneri, Tomasz Stanko, Gary Peacock, Michel Lambert, Openness (Fundacja Sluchaj): Just wow
- Emergency Group, Venal Twin (CF): A quartet featuring my friend Dave Mandl, "Emergency" as in Tony Williams
- Diego Caicedo, Seis Amorfismos (Burning Ambulance): BA label head digs metal and avant garde, releases album exemplary in both respects
- Kate Gentile, Find Letter X (Pi): Jaw-dropping three-disc prog-fusion-glitch music of unflagging invention and energy
- Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio, Pith (S/R): Bracing lyricism
- Zoe Amba,Chris Corsano, Bill Orcutt, The Flower School (Palilaila): If you know any one of the players you'll love this
- Jimmy Agren, Scott Colby, Henry Kaiser, Trouble With The Treble (Fractal promo): A romp of covers
- Scott Amendola, Henry Kaiser,Michael Manring, Haunted By Eternity (Fractal): A wider-ranging romp of originals
- John Zorn, Nothing is as Real as Nothing (Tzadik): Beckett-inspired heads, you can almost tell without being told
- Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet, Hear the Light Singing (Rogue Art): Five women make the title idea come alive
- Elliott Sharp, The Collapsed Wave (S/R): Sharp's tribute to Jeff Beck. No really.
- Wilco, Cousins (D8Pm): First Wilco record to hook me in a while
- Alan Courtis and David Grubbs, Braintrust of Fiends and Werewolves (Husky Pants): Inspired guitar duets.
- Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids, Afro Futuristic Dreams (Strut): A truly magical record!
- Bill Laswell and Pete Namlook, Outland (Cold Spring): Chilly.
- Univers Zero, Leuer (Sub Rosa): These cats still slap.
- Florian Arbenz, Conversations 10: Inland (Hammer): A terrific drummer with truly open ears and great taste in conversationalists.
- 100 Gecs, 10,000 Gecs (Atlantic/Dog Show): You've heard of this.
- Olivia Rodrigo, Guts (Geffen): Check the record check the record check the girl's rock record
- John Zorn, Parhesiastes (Tzadik): Fusion with Zorn heads, always a good idea
- Marjolaine Charbin and Eddie Prevost, The Cry of a Dove Announcing Rain (Two afternoon concerts at Cafe OTO) (Matchless)
- John Butcher and Eddie Prevost, Unearthed (Matchless) ARE YOU READY EDDIE (he's over 80 year's old for God's sake)
- Ivan Vukosavlievic, Slow Roads (elsewhere): Unique organ music recorded in rural Netherlands churches.
- Graham Lambkin and James Rushford, Gondolas (erstwhile): Not quite hypnotic soundscapes between the jazz club and the field recording.
I'm just amazed that you soak up so many movies, books and records in a year! Are these actual CDs? Vinyl LPs? Or are you streaming away?
Posted by: [email protected] | December 16, 2023 at 10:55 AM
Kiler list. I discovered Emergency Group this year and I can't stop telling everyone I know about this group. Just phenomenal.
Posted by: Bobby | December 24, 2023 at 09:15 AM
Zorn is insanely prolific. Judging from his discography at Wikipedia, he must release a new album every month.
Posted by: George | December 26, 2023 at 11:57 AM