{"id":142,"date":"2008-11-30T22:23:02","date_gmt":"2008-12-01T03:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2008\/11\/ten_best_of_2008_and_more_reco\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:34:22","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:34:22","slug":"ten_best_of_2008_and_more_reco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/11\/ten_best_of_2008_and_more_reco.html","title":{"rendered":"Ten top of 2008 and many more recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"

So much music, so little time — it’s absurd to whittle down this year’s “best” recordings to 10, an act that merely bows to convention. Why not 15? 25? 50? — if there are that many albums that reward repeated listening with enjoyment and revelation.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
I make no claims for the following list being definitive — I haven’t yet had a chance to hear once<\/span> many of the some 1100\u00c2\u00a0promising\u00c2\u00a0cds that arrived for consideration of review since November 1 2007. But I guarantee that none of these recommendations are made on the basis of anything except my liking how they sound, and I didn’t work directly (write liner notes, pr material or consult) regarding any of them. As always, comments on my choices or choices of your own are invited and I urge you to try some out-of-the-ordinary sounds — sure beats “Jingle Bells,”<\/a> even by the Million Dollar Quartet — right away!\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n


\n<\/p>\n

In almost random order:<\/span><\/p>\n

James
\nCarter<\/span> — Present Tense<\/a><\/span> (Emarcy) — Outrageously accomplished reeds player
\nCarter and fellow virtuosi (D.D. Jackson, piano; Dwight Adams; brass, among
\nthem) squeeze fresh thrills out of dramatic themes and basic arrangements, stretching
\nold school ways to suit themselves and wow us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rudresh
\nMahanthappa<\/span>, featuring Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>— Kinsmen<\/a><\/span> (Pi). Indian-American alto
\nsaxophonist-with-a-Guggenheim and the unique maverick Indian
\n“classical” saxophonist expand on their mutual appreciation for similarities
\nand differences, backed by on-it electric guitar-violin-mrdingam-bass and
\ntraps. Newly imagined music, rather than awkwardly hybrid or superficially mixed, and often hypnotic, sometimes searing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lafayette
\nGilchrist<\/span> and the New Volcanoes — Soul Progressin’<\/a> <\/span>(Hyena) Simultaneously bold, blunt and sly, with bracing horn riffing, spunky solos and, underlying all, subtle references
\nand fascinating subversions from Baltimore-based pianist-composer Gilchrist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Free Form
\nFunky Freqs — Urban Mythlogy Volume 1<\/a><\/span> (Thirsty Ear). Post- Hendrix guitar god Vernon
\nReed<\/span> meets harmolodic electric bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma<\/span> and slammin’ Philly drummer
\nG. Calvin Weston<\/span>. Play it loud.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cassandra
\nWilson<\/span> — Loverly<\/a><\/span> (Blue Note). Great song selection (starting with “Lover Come Back to Me,” including “Caravan”), smart ‘n’ spare
\naccompaniment and Ms. Wilson’s deceptively casual approach to lyrics front and
\ncenter makes this a welcome return to what she does best, which T-Bone Burnette quite misunderstood in Thunderbird<\/span>, her previous release.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee Konitz<\/span>
\nand Minsarah<\/span> — Deep Lee<\/a><\/span> (Enja). An intuitively-bonded piano-bass-drums trio that met at
\nBerklee School of Music embraces the graceful, wise, sensuous and spontaneous
\nabstractions of Jazz Master Konitz, who finds ever more melody in the nooks and
\ncrannies of familiar intervals and progressions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sonny
\nRollins<\/span>, Road Shows, Vol. 1<\/a><\/span> (Doxy-Emarcy) Still champion Sonny
\nRollins self-selects on-stage highlights from Poland 1980 to Carnegie Hall,
\n2007. His standard is notoriously high, and this collection meets it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mostly
\nOther People Do the Killing<\/span> — This is Our Moosic<\/a><\/span> (Hot Cup) Postmodernism at
\nits most engaging, four young men who know a lot of jazz past lay it all out, evidently for
\nfun, and surprise — one can almost sing along. Previously reviewed<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe Lovano,
\nRavi Coltrane, Dave Liebman<\/span>\/Saxophone Summit – Seraphic Light <\/a><\/span>(Telarc)\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>— Three dedicated hornmen, with
\nace rhythm (Billy Hart, drums; Cecil McBee, bass; Phil Markowitz, piano) and
\nguest trumpeter Randy Brecker collaborate in honor of the late Michael Brecker
\nwith heartening depth. Also hear Lovano’s suave Symphonica<\/span> with the WDR Big
\nBand and Rundfunk Orchetra (Blue Note).<\/span><\/p>\n

Nicole
\nMitchell<\/span> <\/span>—
\n<\/span>Black
\nUnstoppable<\/a><\/span> (Delmark) — Mitchell’s flute is a free-flowing wonderment, sustaining
\nconstant interest in settings for her Chicago AACM-linked Ensemble, even when
\nthey wander. Also available on DVD. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Historical
\nand\/or Reissue:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie
\nParker<\/span> — Bird in Time 1940 – 1947<\/a><\/span> <\/a>(ESP Disk) — An audio treasury, four ceds of varying
\nsound quality documenting the jazz revolutionary’s rise from obscurity to
\nimmortality. For Bird devotees, but definitely<\/span> for Bird devotees.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Sahib
\nShihab<\/a><\/span> and the <\/a>Danish Radio Jazz Group<\/a><\/span> (Oktav) — Produced in 1965 but
\npreviously unreleased, nine tight bluesy little-big band pieces written,
\narranged and conducted by a commanding baritone sax and flute soloist. Shihab,
\nab expatriate who had collaborated with Monk, Blakey and Gillespie rewards
\nrevisiting — and here gets excellend rhythm support from bassist Niels Henning
\nOrsted Pederson and drummer Alex Riel. Shoulda been on Blue Note, back in the
\nday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anthony
\nBraxton<\/span> — The Complete Arista Recordings<\/a><\/span> (Mosaic) Prolific, indefatigably
\noriginal and unabashedly ambitious (music for four<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0orchestras?!), multi-reedist-composer-improviser
\nBraxton was as brilliant from ’74 to ’80 as he is now; the top notch
\nproductions filling eight discs here retain their original daring and reveal
\nbeauty not any better understood 30 years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most listenable
\nmessage album: Dr John<\/span> and the lower 911 —\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>City That Care Forgot<\/a><\/span> <\/a>(Blue Note).
\nFew New Orleansians have such a rich drawl, punchy piano style and the
\nrighteous anger to ask “Say Whut?” and make it infectious. With ringers
\nEric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Terence Blanchard, Ani DiFranco, Trombone Shorty
\nand Terrance Simien all compelling attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exemplary
\nLatin jazz:\u00c2\u00a0Arturo O’Farrill<\/span> and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra<\/span> — Song for Chico<\/a>
\n<\/span>(Zoho). Besides the estimable leader, an elite cast — Dafnis Prieto, Bobby Porcelli, Papo Vazquez, the late Mario Rivera and Tito Puente, Jim Seeley — contribute to the sophisticatdd swirl.<\/span><\/p>\n

In-the
\nidiom-blues: Elvin Bishop<\/span> — The Blues Rolls On<\/span> (Alligator). See my previous brief<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best Book on a Musical Movement:\u00c2\u00a0George E. Lewis<\/span> — A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music<\/a><\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(University of Chicago Press). Previously reviewed here<\/a>. (Of course I’m not going to plug my own Miles Ornette Cecil — Jazz Beyond Jazz<\/a><\/span> at this juncture. . . )<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Further\u00c2\u00a0recommendations of\u00c2\u00a0jazz-beyond-jazz: Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quartet<\/span> — Tabligh<\/span> (Cuneiform); Baker-Hunt-Sandstrom-Williams<\/span>
\n— Extraordinary Popular Delusions<\/span> (Okka); Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly<\/span>, The
\nSpeed of Change<\/span> and Mike Reed’s People, Places and Things<\/span>, Proliferation<\/span> (both
\non 482 Music); Gonzalo Rubalcaba<\/span> — Avatar<\/span> (Blue Note); Miles From India<\/span> (Four
\nQuarters); Louis Moholo<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0with Marilyn Crispell<\/span> — Sibanya<\/span> (We Are One)
\n<\/span>(Intakt); Harris Eisenstadt,<\/span> Guewel<\/span> (Clean Feed); Tony Malaby Cello Trio<\/span>,
\nWarblepeck<\/span> (Songlines); Steve Lehman Quintet<\/span>, On Meaning<\/span> (Pi); Taylor Ho Bynum<\/span>,
\nAsphalt Flowers Forking Paths<\/span> (Hatology); William Parker<\/span> at Vision Festival
\nxii, Double Sunrise Over Neptune<\/span> (Aum); Mary Halvorson<\/span>, Dragon’s Head
\n<\/span>(Firehouse 12); Chico Pinherio & Anthony Wilson<\/span>, Nova<\/span> (Goat Hill
\nRecordings); Jamie Baum Septet<\/span>, Solace<\/span> (Sunnyside); Raphael Imbert Project<\/span>, Bach\/Coltrane <\/span>(Harmonia Mundi), Toumani Diabate<\/span>, The Mande Variations<\/span><\/a> <\/span>(Nonesuch).<\/span><\/p>\n


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