in Listening Diary 1,540 Words

“Be M’Guest”: DIG IN TO A HALF-ANNUM TREASURE TROVE — Outstanding Platters from 2023, January 1 – July 2

I was beginning to think I was just going to have to write this month’s post off. Many of you know; many more will find out–caring for your parents as they head into the twilight is not for the faint-hearted. That’s the world I’ve lived in for the past two-and-a-half years, but especially the last five days, and really especially today. But things sometimes take a turn right when you need them to–like a mom dealing with a thyroid condition, skyrocketing blood sugar, AND a UTI (and inconsistent health professionals) suddenly deciding, “Hey! I think I can get my cane and do a lap around the center!” Then doing it, without a rest stop or my assistance. Then watching three episodes of Somebody Somewhere, which I’d been telling her she just HAD to see for months (she has trouble with a remote), then having a real REAL talk about health and the future. She’s sleeping, I’ve got a great BBE South African dance comp in the headphones, and I’m gonna get this posted!

Also, thanks to my friend Steve Pick, excellent Substack record reviewer and often the man behind the counter at St. Louis’ Euclid Records, for inspiring me to not give up. You da man–see ya next Sunday.

No odds and ends other than phrases: black woman magic, country ladies taking no quarter, don’t fuck with a black marching band, Randall Bramblett not forgotten, Janelle–you GO, girl!, Dylan TWICE?, Natural Child I’ll never give up on y’all, and travel the world with some of those excavations. Love y’all and thanks for reading!

(Bolded items are new to the list)

  1. Gina Burch: I Play My Bass Loud (Third Man)
  2. 100 gecs: 10,000 gecs(Dog Show/Atlantic)
  3. boygenius: the record (Interscope)
  4. Bettye LaVette: LaVette! (Jay-Vee)
  5. Buck 65: Super Dope (self-released?)
  6. Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good! (Universal)
  7. billy woods & Kenny Segal: Maps (Backwoodz Studios)
  8. Liv.e: Girl in The Half Pearl (Real Life / AWAL)
  9. Kelela: Raven (Warp)
  10. Big Freedia: Central City (Queen Diva)
  11. National Information Society: Since Time is Gravity (Eremite)
  12. Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: In the Dark (ESP-Disk)
  13. Rodrigo Campos: Pagode Novo (YB Music)
  14. Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Spirit Gatherer—A Tribute to Don Cherry (Spiritmuse)
  15. Yaeji: With a Hammer (XL Recordings)
  16. Jason Moran: From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes Records)
  17. London Brew: London Brew (Concord)
  18. Fire! Orchestra: Echoes (Rune Grammofon)
  19. Wadada Leo Smith: Fire Illuminations (Kabell)
  20. The Mark Lomax II Trio: Tapestry (CFG Multimedia)
  21. Janelle Monae: The Age of Pleasure (Bad Boy)
  22. Dropkick Murphys: Okemah Rising (Dummy Luck Music)
  23. Isach Skeidsvoll: Dance to Summon (Ultraani Records)
  24. Islandman (featuring Okay Temiz and Muhlis Berberoglu: Direct-to-Disc Sessions (Night Dreamer)
  25. Parannoul: After the Magic (Poclanos/Top Shelf)
  26. Belle and Sebastian: Late Developers  (Matador)
  27. Satoko Fujii & Otomo Yoshihide: Perpetual Motion (Ayler Records)
  28. The Urban Art Ensemble: “Ho’opomopono” (CFG Multimedia 16-minute single)
  29. Brandy Clark: Brandy Clark (Warner)
  30. The Necks: Travel (Northern Spy)
  31. Kali Uchis: Red Moon in Venus (Geffen)
  32. Marina Sena: Vicio Inerente (Sony)
  33. Wild Up: Julius Eastman, Volume 3—If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich? (New Amsterdam)
  34. Young Fathers: Heavy Heavy (Ninja Tune)
  35. Willie Nelson: I Don’t Know a Thing About Love—The Songs of Harlan Howard (Legacy)
  36. Peso Pluma: GENESIS (Double P)
  37. Allen Lowe and The Constant Sorrow Orchestra: America—The Rough Cut (ESP-Disk)
  38. Edward Simon: Femeninas (ArtistShare)
  39. Tyshawn Sorey: Continuing (Pi Recordings)
  40. Nourished by Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 (Scenic Route)
  41. Walter Daniels: “From Death to Texas” / “Seems Like a Dream” (Spacecase Records 45)
  42. Tyler Keith & The Apostles: Hell to Pay (Black & Wyatt)
  43. Algiers: Shook (Matador)
  44. KAYTRAMINE: KAYTRAMIUNE, Amine, & KAYTRANADA (CLBN)
  45. Withered Hand: How to Love (Reveal)
  46. ensemble 0: Jojoni(Crammed Discs)
  47. Henry Threadgill: The Other One(Pi)
  48. Kari Faux: REAL BITCHES DON’T DIE (drunk sum wtr records)
  49. Kiko El Crazy: Pila’e Teteo (Rimas)
  50. Kill Bill—The Rapper: Fullmetal Kaiju (EXO)
  51. Lewis Capaldi: Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (Vertigo Berline)
  52. aja monet: when the poems do what they do (drink sum wtr)
  53. Rough Image: Rough Image (WV Sorcerer Productions)
  54. Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic)
  55. Rob Mazurek & Exploding Star Orchestra: LightningDreamers (International Anthem)
  56. Kaze & Ikue Mori: Crustal Movement (Circum/Libra)
  57. DJ Black Low: Impumelelo (Awesome Tapes from Africa)
  58. Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book (Blue Note)
  59. Taj Mahal: Savoy (Cheraw S.C.)
  60. Rocket 88: House of Jackpots (12XU)
  61. Taiko Saito: Tears of a Cloud (Trouble in the East)
  62. JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown: Scaring the Hoes (self-released)
  63. Water from Your Eyes: Everyone’s Crushed (Matador)
  64. Lakecia Benjamin: Phoenix (Whirlwind)
  65. Amaarae: Fountain Baby (Golden Angel/Interscope)
  66. Mat Muntz: Phantom Islands (Orenda)
  67. Satoko Fujii: Torrent (Libra Records)
  68. Javon Jackson: “With Peter Bradley”—Soundtrack and Original Score (Solid Jackson)
  69. YMA & Jadsa: Zelena (Matraca)
  70. Das Kondensat: Anderen Planeten (Why Play Jazz)
  71. Iris DeMent: Workin’ On a World (FlariElla)
  72. David Mirarchi: Ink Folly, Orchid Gleam(Unbroken Sounds) (coming soon….)
  73. Baaba Maal: Being (Atelier Live/Marathon Artists)
  74. Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom (Columbia)
  75. Romulo Froes & Tiago Rosas: Na Goela (YB Music)
  76. Buselli – Wallarab Jazz Orchestra: The Gennett Suite (Patois Records)
  77. Florian Arbenz: Conversation #9—Targeted (Hammer Recordings)
  78. James Brandon Lewis: Eye of I (Anti-)
  79. Sexyy Red: Hood Hottest Princess (Open Shift)
  80. Tracey Nelson: Life Don’t Miss Nobody (BMG)
  81. Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double: March On (self-released EP—coming in March)
  82. Ice Spice: Like…? (10K Projects / Capitol Records EP)
  83. otay:onii: Dream Hacker (WV Sorcerer Productions)
  84. Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe: The Rite of Spring—Spectre d’un songe (Pyroclastic)
  85. Nakimbembe Embaire Group: Nakimbembe Embaire Group (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
  86. Karol G: Manana Sera Bonito (Universal Music Latino)
  87. Andrew Cyrille: Music Delivery / Percussion (Intakt)
  88. Kate Gentile: b i o m e i.i (Obliquity)
  89. Yves Tumor: Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) (Warp)
  90. Lonnie Holley: Oh Me Oh My (Jagjaguwar)
  91. Lana Del Rey: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (Polydor)
  92. Yonic South: Devo Challenge Cup (Wild Honey)
  93. Rudy Royston: Day (Greenleaf Music)
  94. Basher: Doubles (Sinking City)
  95. Lankum: False Lankum (Rough Trade)
  96. Staples Jr. Singers: Tell Heaven(EP) (Luaka Bop) Note: the vinyl gets you more great minutes of testifying.
  97. Brandee Younger: Brand New Life (Impulse!)
  98. Babe, Terror: Teghnojoyg
  99. Heinali: Kyiv Eternal (Injazero)
  100. Tri-County Liquidators: “Flies” / “Weep Then Whisper” / “Bitter” (self-released)
  101. Vinny Golia Quartet: No Refunds (Unbroken Sounds)
  102. Black Country, New Road: Live at Bush Hall (Ninja Tune)
  103. The Art Ensemble of Chicago: From Paris to Paris (Rogue Art)
  104. Clarence “Bluesman” Davis: Shake It For Me (Music Maker Foundation)
  105. The War and The Treaty: Lover’s Game (Mercury Nashville)
  106. Aroof Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad, Ismaily: Love in Exile (Verve)
  107. Asher Gamedze: Turbulence and Pulse (International Anthem)
  108. Normal Nada the Krakmaxter: Tribal Progressive Heavy Metal (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
  109. Natural Child: Be M’Guest (Natural Child Music)
  110. Angel Bat Dawid: Requiem for Jazz (International Anthem)
  111. Kara Jackson: Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? (September Recordings)
  112. Tanya Tucker: Sweet Western Sound (Fantasy)
  113. Billy Valentine: Billy Valentine and The Universal Truth (Flying Dutchman)

Excavations and Reissues

(Note: These are not in order of my love for them–I’m still still sorting that out.)

  1. Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens: Music Inferno—The Indestructible Beat Tour 1988-89 (Umsakazo Records)
  2. Kashmere Stage Band: Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 (Now-Again)
  3. Dorothy Ashby: With Strings Attached (New Land Records)
  4. Walter Bishop, Jr.: Bish at the Bank—Live in Baltimore (Cellar Live)
  5. Various Artists: Yebo! Rare Mzansi Party Beats from Apartheid’s Dying Years (BBE)
  6. William S. Burroughs: Nothing Here But the Recordings (Dais Records)
  7. Balka Sound: Balka Sound (Strut)
  8. Hiatus Kaiyote: Choose Your Weapon (Flying Buddha / Sony Masterworks)
  9. Dream Dolphin: Gaia—Selected Ambient & Downtempo Works (1996 – 2003) (Music from Memory)
  10. Various Artists: Purple Haze from East, Volume 1 (WV Sorcerer Productions)
  11. Various Artists: Purple Haze from East, Volume 2 (WV Sorcerer Productions)
  12. The Southern University Jazz Ensemble: Goes to Africa with Love (Now-Again)
  13. Shizuka: Heavenly Persona(Black Editions)
  14. Jacqueline Humbert & David Rosenboom: Daytime Viewing (Unseen Worlds)
  15. Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind Stripped Naked (Columbia)
  16. Various Artists: Blacklips Bar—Androgyns and Deviants / Industrial Romance for Bruised and Battered Angels 1992-1995 (Anthology Recordings)
  17. Various Artists: Ecuatoriana (Analog Africa)
  18. RP Boo: Legacy Volume 2 (Planet Mu)
  19. Les Raillizes Denudes: ’77 Live (Temporal Drift)
  20. Luther Thomas: 11th Street Fire Suite(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
  21. Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Shirley Scott: Cookin’ With Jaws and The Queen (Craft)
  22. Professor James Benson: The Gow-Dow Experience (Jazzman Records)
  23. Various Artists: Strontium 90, Shrimps & Gumbo—Lux & Ivy Dig Motorcycle Boots & Mutants (Righteous Records)

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