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