Listening Booth: Music reviewed January through the first week of July, 2018 + first half and a bit faves

For a half-year update, this is of course a month late, but since my summer vacation came to an end this week it seems a good if belated moment to post an update of the records I've reviewed so far in 2018. I've also added a short list of "favorites" of the year's new releases up to the last week of July or so. By no means a comprehensive one -- the magnitude of great music to have crossed my path would lead to a much longer list than this, and there's still plenty more on the horizon that I'm not comfortable to rank in any way yet -- but it felt appropriate to give an extra shout out to a handful of the new recordings I've enjoyed the most thus far in 2018.

For Klassekampen's weekly music supplement Musikkmagasinet (all 2018 releases except where noted):

• Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity: Live in Europe (Clean Feed, 2017) - Reviewed Jan. 15th, 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• Shopping: The Official Body (Fatcat Records) - Reviewed Jan. 22., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• Sylvie Courvoisier Trio: D’Agala (Intakt Records) - Reviewed Feb. 5., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• Kris Davis & Craig Taborn: Octopus (Pyroclastic Records) - Reviewed Feb. 12., 2018. Orignal grade: 4,5/6

• Frode Gjerstad with Hamid Drake and William Parker: Frode Gjerstad with Hamid Drake and William Parker (NotTwo, 4CD) - as part of the article "Frode Gjerstad: Verdensklasse." Reviewed Feb. 19., 2018. Not graded.

• Various Artists: We Out Here (Brownswood Music) - Reviewed 4/6

• The Heat Death: The Glenn Miller Sessions (Clean Feed) - Reviewed March 5., 2018. Original grade: 4,5/6

• Erlend Olderskog Albertsen: RødssalG nEEn GlassdøR (Dugnad Rec) - Reviewed March 5., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• James Brandon Lewis & Chad Taylor: Radiant Imprints (Off Records)
  - Reviewed March 12., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• Mary Halvorsen: Code Girl (Firehouse 12) - Reviewed March 19., 2018. Original grade 4,5/6

• Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music)
  - Reviewed March 26., 2018. Not graded.

• Sons of Kemet: Your Queen Is a Reptile (Impulse!/Universal)
  - Reviewed April 9., 2018. Original grade 4,5/6

• Svein Finnerud Trio: Plastic Sun (ODIN/Musikkoperatørene)
  - Reviewed April 16., 2018. Not graded.

• Johan Lindström Septett: Music for Empty Halls (Moserobie Music Productions) - Reviewed April 23., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• The Ex: 27 Passports (Ex Records)
  - Reviewed May 7., 2018. Original grade: 5,5/6

• Dave Holland, Evan Parker, Craig Taborn & Ches Smith: Uncharted Territories (Dare2 Records)
  - Reviewed May 14., 2018. Original grade: 5/6

• Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg: Dirt... And More Dirt (Pi Recordings)
  - Reviewed May 28., 2018. Original grade: 5,5/6

• Henry Threadgill: Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus (Pi Recordings)
  - Reviewed May 28., 2018. Orignal grade: 4,5/6

• Angelika Niescier, Christopher Tordini & Tyshawn Sorey: The Berlin Concert (Intakt Records) - Reviewed June 4., 2018. Original grade: 5,5/6

• Bjørn Marius Hegge Trio: Assosiasjoner (Particular Recordings)
  - Reviewed June 11., 2018. Original grade 5/6

• Rodrigo Amado, Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler, Chris Corsano: A History of Nothing (Trost Records) - Reviewed June 18., 2018. Original grade 5/6

• John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Impulse!/Universal) - Reviewed for July2., 2018. Not graded.

• Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth (Shoto Mas/Young Turks/Playground)
  - Reviewed July 2., 2018. Original grade 4,5/6

• Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited (Passin’ Thru Records) - Reviewed July 2., 2018. Original grade 5,5/6

 For Jazznytt:

• Roswell Rudd: Embrace (RareNoiseRecords, rel. 2017), Jazznytt #245

• Wadada Leo Smith: Najwa (TUM, rel 2017), Jazznytt #245

• Wadada Leo Smith: Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk (TUM, rel. 2017), Jazznytt #245

• Joe McPhee/Pascal Niggenkemper/Ståle Liavik Solberg: Imaginary Numbers (Clean Feed), Jazznytt #246

• Håverd Wiik Trio: This Is Not a Waltz (Moserobie, rel. 2017), Jazznyt #246

 Other published writing:

• Murray i utvalg. Three highlights from David Murrays discography, for Musikkmagasinet, Feb. 12., 2018.
• Frode Gjerstad: Verdensklasse for Musikkmagasinet, Feb. 19., 2018.
• Carla Bley: Foreganskvinne for Musikkmagasinet, July 2., 2018.
• Fred Hersch: Inn ruslet Fred for Musikkmagasinet, July 2., 2018.
• Hittegods: Wilbur Ware: The Chicago Sound for Jazznytt #246
  

Fave music January through July (loosely ranked in order of preference):

• The Ex: 27 Passports (Ex Records)
• Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg: Dirt... And More Dirt (Pi Recordings)
• Parquet Courts: Wide Awake (Rough Trade)
• Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited (Passin' Thru)
• Superchunk: What a Time to Be Alive (Merge)
• Angelika Niescier, Christopher Tordini & Tyshawn Sorey: The Berlin Concert (Intakt Records)
• Toni Braxton: Sex & Cigarettes (Def Jam Recordings) 
• JPEGMAFIA: Veteran (Deathbomb Arc)
• Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Hope Downs (Sub Pop)
• Erlend Olderskog Albertsen: RødssalG nEEn GlassdøR (Dugnad Rec.)
• Tracey Thorn: Record (Unmade Road)
• Lori McKenna: The Door (CN Records) 
• Pusha T: Daytona (G.O.O.D. Music)
• Shopping: The Official Body (FatCat Records)
• Johan Lindström Septet: Music For Empty Halls (Moserobie Music Productions)
• Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore: After Caroline (Northern Spy Records)
• Dave Holland, Evan Parker, Craig Taborn & Ches Smith: Uncharted Territories (Dare2 Records)
• Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer (Bad Boy Records)
• Elza Soares: Deus É Mulher (Deckdisc) 
• Mia Dyberg Trio: Ticket! (Clean Feed)
• María Grand: Magdalena (Biophilia)
• Amy Rigby: The Old Guys (Southern Domestic Recordings)
• Sloan: 12 (Yep Roc Records) 
• Old Man Saxon: The Pursuit (Pusher, LLC)
• No Age: Snares Like a Haircut (Drag City)
• Skadedyr: Musikk! (Hubro) 
• Rodrigo Amado, Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler, Chris Corsano: A History of Nothing (Trost Records)
• James Brandon Lewis & Chad Taylor: Radiant Imprints (Off)
• The Young Fathers: Cocoa Sugar (Ninja Tune)
• Chris Pitsiokos CP Unit: Silver Bullet in the Autumn of Your Years (Clean Feed)

 Vault music:

• Frode Gjerstad with Hamid Drake and William Parker: Frode Gjerstad with Hamid Drake and William Parker (NotTwo, 4CD)
• Sonny Rollins: Way Out West (2LP, Craft) 
• John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Impulse!/Universal)
• Anthony Braxton: The Essential Anthony Braxton The Arista Years (Arista Records) 
• Svein Finnerud Trio: Plastic Sun (ODIN/Musikkoperatørene)
• Alan Braufman: Valley of Search (Valley of Search, original release on India Navigation, 1975)
• Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music)