Month: April 2017

You must buy Aram Bajakian’s DALAVA: THE BOOK OF TRANSFIGURATIONS

I want to shine SPECIAL light on Dalava: The Book of Transfigurations, by Aram Bajakian and Julia Uleha. The record consists of Moravian folk songs collected by Julia’s great-grandfather and translated into English (for the CD booklet) and sung (in Moravian) by Uleha–songs that poignantly express the title theme of form-change as well as of life’s interruptions and general impermanence (so often the three are connected!). Bajakian is a versatile, imaginative, and powerful guitarist–he’s often associated with Marc Ribot, who’s surely an influence but whom he’s separated himself from with his last three projects–and he, Uleha and his band put these true people’s songs across with real commitment and a complexity of emotion. Surely one of the most impressive musical achievements of the year, and if I have somehow hooked you, get the hard copy, because the 36-page booklet is worth every extra penny.

Good to My Earhole: First Quarter Report–I’m Not Dead, Just Distracted

 

Honestly, I’ve continued to be distracted from music, and reading, and…well, haven’t you? Nonetheless, I’ve laid ear to some dandy new records; also, I have spent some time with some dandy old records as well. Here we go!

TOP 25 New Releases of 2017:

  1. Harriet Tubman: Araminta
  2. Aram Bajakian: Dalava–The Book of Transfigurations
  3. Syd: Fin
  4. Steve Lacy: Steve Lacy’s Demo (EP) (Not the late jazz soprano master Steve Lacy, BTW!)
  5. Various Artists: Battle Hymns
  6. Thundercat: Drunk
  7. Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Loafer’s Hollow
  8. Sampha: Process
  9. Various Artists: Miracle Steps (Music from The Fourth World 1983-2017)
  10. Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway
  11. Jens Lekman: Life Will See You Now
  12. Thurst: Cut to the Chafe
  13. Kendrick Lamar: Damn
  14. Joe King Cologbo & High Grace: Sugar Daddy
  15. Ty Segall: Ty Segall
  16. John Escreet: The Unknown
  17. Various Artists: Spiritual Jazz #7—Islam
  18. James Luther Dickinson: I’m Just Dead I’m Not Gone (Lazarus Edition) READ THE BOOK!
  19. (The Late) Mariem Hassan: La Voz Indominata
  20. Let’s Eat Grandma: I, Gemini
  21. Orchestra Baobab: Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng
  22. Randy Weston: African Nubian Suite
  23. Tinariwen: Elwan
  24. Hurray for the Riff Raff: Up for Anything
  25. Various Artists: Mono No Aware

 

TOP 20 Old Releases That I’ve Bought in ’17 That I Can’t Get Enough Of (not in order of excellence except the first)

1. King: We Are King (would have been in my 2016 Top Ten had I been on the ball)
2. Arthur Blythe: Illusions
3. Various Artists: After-School Special—The 123s of Kid Soul
4. Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake: …together again
5. Philip Cohran: Armageddon
6. Outkast: Speakerboxx/The Love Below (that’s right—I only just NOW bought this for myself)
7. Melvin Gibbs: Ancients Speak (all hail Pete Cosey!)
8. Anthony Davis: Episteme
9. Karreim Riggins: Headnod Suite
10. Michael Hurley: Ida Con Snock
11. E: E
12. Various Artists: Hanoi Masters–War is A Wound, Peace is a Scar
13. Rascals: Anthology 1965-1972
14. Various Artists: Songs from Saharan Cell Phones, Vols. 1 & 2
15. Fela: The Best of Black President, Volume 2
16. Fela: Live in Detroit
17. d/j Rupture: Minesweeper Suite
18. Hoagy Carmichael: Mr. Music Master
19. Mose Allison: I’m Not Talkin’—The Song Stylings of Mose Allison 1957-1972
20. Tomasz Stanko: Leosia