Top 10 Free Jazz Albums of 2007

It's very hard to compare CDs with each other. What I like or don't like very often depends on external circumstances, such as the time of the day, my mood, etc. Nevertheless, here is a list of the records which I enjoyed most this year. I listened to most of them again, and for the MacDonald/Sommer album I changed my opinion in their favor. This album is truly great. At the very last minute I also added Tony Malaby's Tamarindo. For some albums you may argue whether or not it's free jazz (or free fusion, or avant-garde, or modern creative, ...) ...

Top 10 in random order (and as said before, I am not good at maths)

• Raymond MacDonald & Günter "Baby" Sommer - Delphinius & Lyra : raw, expressive, creative
• Tony Malaby - Tamarindo : raw, deeply emotional, sensitive, creative
• Larry Ochs & Drum Core - Up From Under - powerful, creative, expressive
• Exploding Star Orchestra - We Are All From Somewhere Else : an absolutely unique listening experience
• Louis Sclavis - L'Imparfait Des Langues : a wonderful integration of many styles
• Padmanabha & Daniel Carter - Nivesana : the essence
• Wadada Leo Smith & Günter "Baby" Sommer - Wisdom In Time : the essence too
• Dennis Gonzalez - Dance Of The Soothsayer's Tongue : emotional and sober jazz
• Mark O'Leary - On The Shore : superb and sober creativity
• Other Dimensions In Music - Live At Sunset : this is free jazz
• Marc Ribot - Asmodeus : power guitar with subtlety
• Brian Groder - Torque : subtle creative
• Henri Texier - Alerte à L'Eau : Texier, himself

Special mentions

• David Torn - Prezens : boundary shifting
• Darren Johnston - Reasons For Moving : avant-garde ... and moving
• Ludwig Hübsch -Primordial Soup : deep and ... primal
• Die Enttäuschung - subtle and powerful
• Evan Parker & Matthew Shipp : sublime musicianship

Best re-issues (or first issues of archives)

• Norman Howard - Burn, Baby, Burn : a must for all free jazz fans
• Dewey Redman - The Struggle Continues
• Bennie Maupin - The Jewel In The Lotus
• The Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Fundamental Destiny
• Alan Skidmore, Tony Oxley, Ali Haurand - S.O.H. Live In London
• Bitter Funeral Beer Band - Live In Nurnberg 84
• Bitter Funeral Beer Band - Live In Frankfurt 82
• Ornette Coleman - To Whom Keeps A Record

There is of course a lot I haven't listened to. CDs for which I have high expectations, but are not yet in my possession are : Tim Berne's "Seconds", Phil Gibbs's "Blown Away", François Carrier's "Kathmandu", Joe McPhee's "Soprano", Adam Lane's "Buffalo", Satoko Fujii's "Bacchus", ... so I may add them to this or next year's list.