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)
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.
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
- 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
- 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.
3 comments:
Always great to see lists like this. Thanks for turning me onto some of those.
Free is always good when it comes to albums. Many of the free jazz festivals and blues festivals add new and mainstream musicians to their lineups.
Great list. Some of these are ones that I never thought of before.
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