Fave music of 2021

 Just days before 2021 turned to 2022, the results for the 2021 edition of the annual Jazz Critics Poll were posted. Earlier than usual, if memory serves, and after a few years being sponsored and hosted by NPR, this year The Arts Fuse is hosting the poll.

I mention the Jazz Critics Poll partly because I have been a voter in it since 2011, but additionally because although I have kept lists of favorite albums since the inception of this blog (though much less diligently in recent years), once Francis Davis' invitation to vote in the Jazz Critics Poll lands in my inbox, usually near the end of November, that's when I really start to scratch my head to figure out which albums I want to highlight form the past year. This year was no different, and although the ballot I provided for the poll is arbitrary for several reasons, colored by whatever felt or seemed "right" on that particular day, the 10 albums I ended up voting for (my ballot is available here, by the way) will be very similar to those at the top end of the list below. 

Though there is at least one key difference: I've long since quit ranking my fave albums in any strict sense, and rather sort them into tiers. And although I'm sympathetic to the writer (I forget who at the time of typing) who argued that (and I'm paraphrasing from memory) although ranking should never be taken to be set in stone (fully agreed), doing so is a service to the reader in signaling that, if this list piques your interest, maybe start here. I myself will argue that all of those albums in the top tier contain terrific, singular and are all worth your time. For each of these I've written about why I think so in print, albeit only in Norwegian. 

But to try and offer a couple words of guidance on at least a couple of these albums here. For airy searching tenor sax melodies accompanied by a malleable rhythmic push in supple interplay sounds intriguing, try Mariá Grands reflections on motherhood on the magnificent Reciprocity. For rugged, freewheeling but determined explorations both fiery and soulful, James Brand Lewis / Red Lily Quintet's terrific Jesup Wagon should hit the sweet spot. For a jubilant, celebratory, open minded musical travelogue that dances along on influences from, among other places, Chicago, Austin, Amsterdam and Oppdal (Norway), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten's celebratory Exit (Knarr) has you covered. And if music that soars towards the skies with an alternately shimmering and screaming guitar and a bass and drums combo that boom and propel as if they were the engines of a rocket ship, that's part of the excitement of William Parker's stellar Mayan Space Station.

Those four, along with several more, where highlights of my music listening in 2021, lifting the spirits and mood, providing for for thought, inspiration and much more during yet another odd year. I've listed a total of 30 albums below, because I had to stop somewhere. Many more albums are worthy of a mention, but these were the ones I chose to highlight today. A longer, if not very up-to-date and by no means complete or final list of music that tickled my fancy in 2021 can be found here. And with that. I'm wishing you all the best for the new year!

Voyager Golden Record

• Maria Grand: Reciprocity (Biophilia) 
• Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: (Exit) Knarr (Odin)
• James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet: Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms) 
• Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & Ole Morten Vågan: Plastic Wave (Odin)
• The Source: . . . But Swinging Doesn't Bend Them Down (Odin)
• William Parker: Mayan Space Station (AUM Fidelity)
• Irreversible Entanglements: Open the Gates (International Anthem)

Profound, lasting impression

• Anthony Joseph: The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives (Heavenly Sweetness)
  
• Flukten: Velkommen håp (Odin)
• Mariá Portugal: Erosão (Staatsakt Rec.)
• John Zorn: New Masada Quartet (Tzadik)
  
• Aki Takase-Christian Weber-Michael Griener: Auge (Intakt)
• Wadada Leo Smith's Great Lakes Quartet: The Chicago Symphonies (TUM)
  

• Mach Hommy: Pray For Haiti (Griselda Records) 
• Marthe Lea Band: Aura (Motvind)
• Luís Vicente Trio, Gonçalo Almeida, Pedro Melo Alves: Chanting In the Name Of (Clean Feed)
• Dry Cleaning: New Long Leg (4AD)  
• Madlib: Sound Ancestors (Madlib Invazion) 
• Tim Berne - Chris Speed - Reid Anderson - Dave King: Broken Shadows (Intakt)
• Andreas Røysum Ensemble: Fredsfanatiker (Motvind)

• Little Simz: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Age 101)
• Kari Ikonen: Impressions, Improvisations and Compositions (Ozella)
• Emily D'Angelo: enargeia (Deutshce Grammofon)
  
• Punkt. Vrt. Plastik. (Kaja Draksler, Peter Eldh, Christian Lillinger): Somit (Intakt) 
• Turnstile: Glow On (Roadrunner Records)
• Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee (Dead Oceans)  
  
• Henry Threadgill Zooid: Poof (Pi Recordings)
• No-no Boy: 1975 (Smithsonian Folkways)
• Miguel Zenon: Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Miel)
• Claire Rosay: a softer focus (American Dream Records)

A quick 2021 1st quarter round-up: Bandcamp friday is a Good Friday

Three elder statesmen of jazz and improvised music, one resolutely productive "mayor", the continued emergence of a singular talent of the alto saxophone, fascinating takes on solo albums and latin associated musicans takes on Ornette Coleman all feature among my fave recordings of 2021 so far (adding one album released today). Below, a quick and easy list of 20 of those favorite releases, and since it's Bandcamp Friday, I've added links to the relevant Bandcamp pages where such are available. I'll be posting a round-up of my published writing from January through March, many featuring some of the music mentioned below, later this week.

• Kari Ikonen: Impressions, Improvisations and Compositions (Ozella Music)
  
• Mats Eilertsen: Solitude Central (Hemli)
  
• Christopher Hoffman: Asp Nimbus (Out Of Your Head Records)
• Signe Emmeluth: Hi Hello I'm Signe (Relative Pitch)
• Miguel Zenón, Ariel Bringuez, Demian Cabaud & Jordi Rossy: Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Miel Music)
  
• Thumbscrew: Never Is Enough (Cuneiform)
• Madlib: Sound Ancestors (Madlib Invazion) 
• Aki Takase - Christian Weber - Michael Greiner: Auge (Intakt)
• Skarbø Skulekorps: Dugnad (Hubro)
• William Parker: Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World [Volumes 1–10] (Centering/AUM Fidelity)
  

• Butcher/Weston/Storesund/Knedal Andersen: Mapless Quiet (Motvind Records)
• Gary Bartz, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 6 (Jazz Is Dead)
• Calle Neumann / Ketil Gutvik / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love: New Dance (PNL)
  
• Sana Nagano: Smashing Humans (577 Records)
  
• Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra: Promises (Luaka Bop)
• Paul Dunmall / Percy Pursglove / Olie Brice / Jeff Williams: Palindromes (West Hill)
• Archie Shepp & Jason Moran: Let My People Go (Archieball)
• Johan Lindström Septett: On the Asylum (Moserobie Music Productions)
• Frode Haltli: Avant Folk II (Hubro)
• Patricia Brennan: Maquishti (Valley Of Search)
  

Published reviews and notable albums, 1st quarter, 2020

These are strange and worrying times, and even though we cannot go out and experience live music for the time being (that said, I quite enjoyed a fair share of sreamed "quarantine gig"), there is still a lot of great recorded music around. Below is a round-up of the music I've covered from January through March, as well as a list of 15 album favorites of the year so far. Stay safe, all, and wash your hands!

• Large Unit Fendika: Ethiobraz (PNL Records) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Jan. 13., 2020
  

• Keïta – Brönnimann – Niggli: Kalan Teban (Intakt Records) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Jan. 20., 2020

• JUNO: Young Star (Jazzland Recordings) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Jan. 27., 2020

• Jeff Parker: Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Feb. 10., 2020

• Gard Nilssen Supersonic Orchestra: If You Listen Carefully the Music Is Yours (Odin Records/Grappa) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Feb. 10., 2020

• Sigurd Hole: Lys / Mørke (Elvesang/Musikkoperatøren) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, Feb 24., 2020

• Lisa Mezzacappa Six: Cosmicomics Queen Bee Records) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekamepn, Feb. 24., 2020

• Andreas Røysum Ensemble: Andreas Røysum Ensemble (Motvind Records) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klasssekampen, March 9., 2020

• Shabaka and The Ancestors: We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse! Record) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, March 16., 2020

• Irreversible Entanglements: Who Sent You? (International Anthem) Reviewed for Musikkmagasinet/Klassekampen, March 23., 2020 (Available online here. In Norwegian only)

• Stein Urheim: Downhill Uplift (Hubro) Reviewed for Jazznytt #254

15 notable recordings of the year so far:

Heavy rotation

• Gard Nilssen Supersonic Orchestra: If You Listen Carefully the Music Is Yours (Odin Records/Grappa)  
• Aly Keita, Jan Galega Brönnimann, Lucas Niggli: Kalan Teban (Intakt Records)
• Irreversible Entanglements: Who Sent You? (International Anthem)
• Superposition: Superposition (We Jazz Records)
• Andreas Røysum Ensemble: Andreas Røysum Ensemble (Motvind Records)

Thoroughly enjoying

• Lisa Mezzacappa Six: Cosmicomics (Queen Bee Records)
• Sigurd Hole: Lys/Mørke (Elvesang)
• Waxahatchee: Saint Cloud (Merge)
• Torbjörn Zetterberg & Den Stora Frågan: Are You Happy? (Moserobie Recordings)
• Shabaka and the Ancestors: We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse!)
• Horse Lords: The Common Task (Northen Spy) 
• Wako: Wako (Øra Fonogram)
• Jim Black Trio: Reckon (Intakt)
• Shopping: All or Nothing (Fatcat Records)
• Stein Urheim: Downhill Uplift (Hubro)

Fave music (i.e. mostly jazz/"jazz") of 2019

I've often been wary of posting year-end favorites until sometime into the new year, mainly since from experience something interesting invariably pops up at later dates that demands my consideration. Be that a late release that hits the sweet spot, or something that has flown under ones radar, the latter being an example of why -- in spite of the many groans they inspire -- I still find year-end lists useful: something might pique your interests when it's placed among other stuff you admire picked by a person whose taste you trust.

Whether I am to be trusted or not I'll leave up to you to decide. In any case, as years have gone by I've become less stressed out that such list should somehow be final. They are, for me, a report of how things stand at the time it is posted. And on that note, if you arrive at this list after the personal ballots for the NPR Jazz Critics Poll, in which I voted, have been published, and something doesn't quite square with my ballot, that's because this list has been posted at a later date and for whatever reason, something felt slightly different this time around. That said, even if album X placed slightly higher than Y on one compared to the other, chances are I still like them both a hell of a lot.

With that out of the way, here's a list of my favorite jazz and jazz adjacent albums released over the past year or so, stopping at 40 because I have to stop somewhere. Plus, with an additional list consisting 10 fave "other" releases, that makes 50.

The best of the best:

• James Brandon Lewis: An UnRuly Manifsto (Relative Pitch Records)
• Per 'Texas' Johansson/Torbjörn Zetterberg/Konrad Agnas: Orakel (Moserobie Music Production) 
• Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity: To Whom Who Buys a Record (ODIN)
• Anna Webber: Clockwise (Pi Recordings)

On heavy rotation:

• Taylor Ho Bynum 9-tette: The Ambiguity Manifesto (Firehouse Records)
• Avram Fefer Quartet: Testament (Clean Feed)
• Emmeluth's Amoeba: Chimaera (Øra Fonogram)
• Aki Takase Japanic: Thema Prima (Budapest Music Center Records) 
• Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn: The People I Love (Pi Recordings) 
• Federico Ughi: Transoceanico (577 Records)
• Matt Brewer w/Mark Shim and Damion Reid: Ganymede (Criss Cross Jazz)
• Dave Rempis, Brandon Lopes & Ryan Packard: The Early Bird Gets (Aerophonic Records)
• Gebhard Ullmann: mikroPULS (Intuition Records)
• DKV & Joe McPhee: The Fire Each Time (6CD, Catalytic Sound)
• jaimie branch: FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise (Internaional Anthem)
• Nature Work (Jason Stein/Greg Ward/Eric Revis/Jim Black): Nature Work (Sunnyside) 

 Thoroughly enjoyed:

• Abdullah Ibrahim: The Balance (Gearbox Records)
• Steph Richards: Take the Neon Lights (Birdwatcher Records)
• Tomeka Reid Quartet: Old New (Cuneiform Records)
• The Big Yes: The Big Yes (Nakama Records) 
• Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom: Glitter Wolf (The Royal Potato Family)
• Rich Halley Quartet: Terra Incognita (Pine Eagle Records)
• Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi Recordings)
• Petter Eldh: Petter Eldh Presents Koma Saxo (We Jazz)
• The Attic (Rodrigo Amado, Goncalo Almeida, Onno Govaert): Summer Bummer (NoBusiness
• The Big Yes: The Big Yes (Nakama Records) 
• Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic Records)
• Nick Dunston: Atlantic Extraction (Out Of Your Head Records)
• Junius Paul: Ism (International Anthem
• William Parker/In Order to Survive: Live/ShapeShifter (AUM Fidelity)
  
• Fire! Orchestra: Arrival (Rune Grammofon)
• Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are On The Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (Pi Recordings)
• Somersaults (Tobias Delius / Olie Brice / Mark Sanders): Numerology of Birdsong (West Hill Records)
• Fredrik Ljungkvist Trio: Atlantis (Moserobie Music Productions)
• Gebhard Ullmann Basement Research: Impromptus and Other Short Works (WhyPlayJazz)
• Scheen Jazzorkester & Thomas Johansson: As We See It... (Clean Feed)
• Aila Trio: Aila Trio (Hoo-Ha Recordings)
• Nick Mazzarella Trio: Counterbalance (Astral Spirits)
• Christian Meaas Svendsen + Nakama + Rinzai Zen Center Oslo: New Rituals (Nakama)
• Burton Greene / Damon Smith / Ra Kalam Bob Moses: Life's Intense Mystery (Astral Spirits)

Vault/Re-issue:

• Griot Galaxy: Kins (Third Man Records)
• Clifford Jordan: Glass Bead Games (Purple Pleasure Records)
• The Quintet: Events: 1998-1999(PNL) [Disclaimer: I wrote liner notes for this release]
• Detail: Day Two (NoBusiness Records)
• Sam Rivers: Emanation (NoBusiness Records)

Non-jazz releases:

• Lightning Bolt: Sonic Citadel (Thrill Jockey)
• Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains (Drag City)
• Fontaines D.C.: Dogrel (Partisan) 
• Little Simz: GREY Area (Age 101)
• Ekiti Sound: Abeg No Vex (Crammed Disc)
• Eddy Current Suppression Ring: All In Good Time (Castle Face)
• Carly Rae Jepsen: Dedicated (Intercscope)
• Broen: Do You See the Falling Leaves (Su Tissue)
• black midi: Schlangenheim (Rough Trade)
• Jamila Woods: Legacy! Legacy! (Jagjaguwar)

Jazz favorites, January through July 7th, 2019

I'm well aware we are a couple of weeks past the half-year mark, but since I'm just now enjoying something of a break between having visited Kongsberg Jazz Festival and the smaller, more condensed and thus more focused sort of protest festival Motvind last week, and gearing up to next week's Molde Jazz Festival, doing a short and quick half-year round-up seemed appropriate. Below are some of the newly released recorded music that has grabbed my attention the most over the first six months plus a week of 2019, and a couple reissues and "vault music" releases of interest. An asterix denotes that I have had a published review of the release in question.


James Brandon Lewis magnificent An UnRuly Manifesto has been a favorite since its release, and seems like a major work in an already promising career. It channels the lessons of Ornette Coleman and cohorts like Charlie Haden while avoiding the trap of trying to sound like them, the odd musical nod apart. Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity's To Whom Who Buys a Record (officially released today), does something similar in the acoustic trio format, yet another great outing from a terrific band. Catch 'em live if you can. 

Speaking of trios, the number of good-to-great sax, bass and drums albums that have crossed my path is notable, topped by two Scandinavian acts including Acoustic Unity, with Matt Brewer's an all American trio close behind, all exhibiting great inventiveness, agility and skill and slipping in and out familiar structures and melodic hooks and intricate, nimble and exciting acrobatics. Then there's the hefty yet loose limbed, occasionally ferocious Transoceanico by Federico Ughi with Rachel Musson on tenor and Adam Lane on double bass, and the freewheeling openness of Dave Rempis, Brandon Lopez and Ryan Packard's Early Bird Gets.

I'm reluctant to call this a trend, though, as I see no clear cultural, social nor really economic reasons for there being as many sax, bass and drums trios around at this moment in time. So put it down to a happy coincidence, plus that my particular predisposition for sax, bass and drums trios means I tend to sniff such albums up more easily. Nevertheless, the number of recordings in this format that have tickled my fancy are notable not only for their number, but also the variety of musical expressions they exhibit.

Other things of note: Anna Webber's intriguing, percussion work inspired Clockwise, the continued rise of trumpeter Steph Richards as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader, the perpetual relevance and inventiveness of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, veteran pianist Burton Greene's return to the piano trio with Life's Intense Mystery, the absorbing zen-jazz of Christian Meaas Svendsen's New Rituals, to mention only a few. The list is capped at 30 for no particular reason other than to keep it somewhat short. I've heard more good music than I've found space for here, also in fields outside of jazz:

Tête de la course:

- James Brandon Lewis: An UnRuly Manifsto (Relative Pitch Records) *
- Per 'Texas' Johansson/Torbjörn Zetterberg/Konrad Agnas: Orakel (Moserobie Music Production) *
- Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity: To Whom Who Buys a Record (ODIN) *

- Anna Webber: Clockwise (Pi Recordings) *

Chase:

- DKV & Joe McPhee: The Fire Each Time (6CD, Catalytic Sound)
- Matt Brewer w/Mark Shim and Damion Reid: Genymede (Criss Cross Jazz) *
- Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom: Glitter Wolf (The Royal Potato Family) *
- Nature Work (Jason Stein/Greg Ward/Eric Revis/Jim Black): Nature Work (Sunnyside) *
- Scheen Jazzorkester & Thomas Johansson: As We See It... (Clean Feed) *
- Bjørn Marius Hegge: Ideas (Particular Recordings) *

Breakaway:

-  Aki Takase Japanic: Thema Prima (Budapest Music Center Records) *
- Dave Rempis, Brandon Lopes & Ryan Packard: The Early Bird Gets (Aerophonic Records)
- Federico Ughi: Transoceanico (577 Records) *
- Steph Richards: Take the Neon Lights (Birdwatcher Records) *
- Angelica Niescier: New York Trio feat. Jonathna Finlayson (Intakt)
- Fire! Orchestra: Arrival (Rune Grammofon) *
- Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are On The Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (Pi Recordings) *
- The Attic (Rodrigo Amado, Goncalo Almeida, Onno Govaert): Summer Bummer (NoBusiness) *
- Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi Recordings)
- Gebhard Ullmann Basement Research: Impromptus and Other Short Works (WhyPlayJazz)
- Christian Meaas Svendsen + Nakama + Rinzai Zen Center Oslo: New Rituals (Nakama) *
- William Parker / In Order To Survive: Live/Shapeshifter (AUM Fidelity)
- Fabian Almazan Trio: This Land Abounds With Life (Biophilia)

- Alex Fournier: Triio (Furniture Music Records)
- Matthew Shipp Trio invites Nicole Mitchell: All Things Are (Rogue Art)
- Maria Faust, Tim Dahl & Weasel Walter: Farm Fresh (Gotta Let It Out)
- Boneshaker (Mars Williams, Paal Nilssen-Love, Kent Kessler): Fake Music (Soul What Records)
- Iro Haarla, Ulf Krokfors & Barry Altschul: Around Again - The Music of Carla Bley (TUM) *
- Lind May Han Oh: Aventurine (Biophilia Records) *
- Greg Ward presents Rogue Parade: Stompin' Off From Greenwood (Greenleaf Music) *

Reissues/vault:

- Detail: Day Two (NoBusiness)
- Alice Coltrane - Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972 (BCT Records)
- Griot Galaxy: Kins (Third Man Records)
- Clifford Jordan: Glass Bead Games (Purple Pleasure Records)
- Sam Rivers: Emanation - Sam Rivers Archive Project, Volume 1 (NoBusiness)