Here’s 117 records from late-2015 to December 31st of this complicated year, the high quality of which I can vouch for from multiple lessons, I mean listens. If I’d have to put a grade on ’em, current and former students and fellow teachers, I didn’t give an A+, and there’s nothing below a B+. 15 days remain in December, so we may have some work turned in just under the wire, and some of these may shift up and down in the spotlight as I keep revisiting them (for example, I may be checking myself too much on the new Stones album; the worst of Jinx Lennon’s two excellent records from 2016 may be getting a boost because I love the best one so much; “grading” the estimable Wadada Leo Smith’s sprawling parks tribute is a chore just the first time through; I just got a new Tom Zé, and he’s dangerous and a grower given repeated exposure); Chicago workaholic Serengeti just dropped a new one today. Nonetheless, I’m posting results. Come back and visit in a few days. However, I suspect that Queen Bey, the charms of whom I’ve mostly resisted her whole career, is unlikely to be knocked off her throne–note that she gets the top spot by virtue of the CD + DVD version. Happy holidays, and support these artists with your cash instead of just streaming or stealing! (More links coming soon!)

2016 TOP 10 FULL-LENGTH RELEASES

1. Beyoncé: Lemonade (CD +DVD)
2. Saul Williams: Martyr Loser King
3. Tyler Keith and The Apostles: Do It for Johnny
4. Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service
5. Rihanna: Anti
6. Various Artists: Desconstrucão–A Portrait of São Paulo’s Music Scene
7. Jinx Lennon: Past Pupil Stay Sane
8. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
9. Tanya Tagaq: Retribution
10. Jamila Woods: HEAVN

THE REST OF THE TOP 40

11. J. D. Allen: Americana
12. Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book
13. Elza Soares: A Mulher do Fim do Mindo
14. The Paranoid Style: Rolling Disclosure
15. Anderson Paak: Malibu
16. Elizabeth Cook: Exodus of Venus
17. Anna Hogberg: Anna Hogberg Attack
18. Joe McPhee and Paal Nilssen-Love: Candy
19. Blood Orange: Freetown Sound
20. Bombino: Azel
21. Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith: A Cosmic Rhythm in Each Stroke
22. Alicia Keys: Here
23. Aesop Rock: The Impossible Kid
24. Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker
25. Meet Your Death: Meet Your Death
26. Wussy:Forever Sounds
27. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down: A Man Alive
28. Jemeel Moondoc and Hilliard Greene: Cosmic Nickolodeon
29. Parquet Courts: Human Performance
30. Solange: A Seat at The Table
31. Drive-By Truckers: American Band
32. Aram Bajakian: Music Inspired by the Film The Color of Pomegranates
33. Nots: Cosmetic
34. Yoni & Geti: Testarossa
35. Kel Assouf: Tikonen
36. Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables
37. Jinx Lennon: Magic Bullets of Madness to Uplift Grief Magnets
    
38. Aram Bajakian: Dolphy Variations
39. John Prine: For Better, Or Worse
40. Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman: Lice 1 & 2: Still Buggin’ (EPs I am considering as a single album–they are free, so hit the hyperlinks)
    

Best of the Rest (Alphabetical Order)

41. 75 Dollar Bill: Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
42. Beasley, John: MONKestra, Volume 1
43. Bowie, David: Blackstar
44. Bradley, Charles: Changes
45. Braxton, Anthony: 3 Compositions [EEMHM] 2011
46. Brown, Danny: Atrocity Exhibition
47. Cavanaugh: Time and Materials (EP)
48. Cave, Nick: Skeleton Tree
49. Childbirth: Women’s Rights
50. Coathangers: Nosebleed Weekend
51. Dalek: Asphalt for Eden
52. De La Soul: …and the anonymous nobody
53. DeJohnette, Jack: In Movement
54. Del McCoury Band: Del and Woody
55. Dylan, Bob: Fallen Angels
56. Fulks, Robbie: Upland Stories
57. Garbage: Strange Little Birds
58. Gates, Kevin: Islah
59. Gray, Macy: Stripped
60. Kondi, Sorie: The Freetown Tapes (2006-2016)
61. Konono N1 Meets Batida
62. Kool and Kass: Barter 7
63. Lamar, Kendrick: Untitled Unmastered
64. Lambert, Miranda: The Weight of These Wings
65. Lewis, Jeffrey, and The Jrams: A Loot-beg Bootleg
66. Lewis, Linda Gail: Heartache Highway
67. Lopez-Nussa, Harold: El Viaje
68. Lost Bayou Ramblers: Rue Vermilion Revival
69. Lowe, Allen: In the Diaspora of the Diaspora–Down and Out Down East
70. Lynn, Loretta: Full Circle
71. Martinez, Pedrito: Habana Dreams
72. McPhee, Joe, and Ray Boni: Live from the Magic City
73. The Men: Devil Music
74. Mexrissey: No Manchester
75. M. I. A: Aim
76. Murray, David: Murray, Allen, and Carrington Power Trio–Perfection
77. Natural Child: Okey-Dokey
78. N’Dour, Youssou: #SENEGAL REKK (EP)
79. Neville, Aaron: Apache
80. Oblivian, Jack, and The Sheiks: The Lone Ranger of Love
81. Oddisee: Alwasta (EP)
82. Open Mike Eagle: Hella Personal Film Festival
83. Perfecto: You Can’t Run from the Rhythm
84. Person, Houston, and Ron Carter: Chemistry
85. Pusha T: Darkness Before Dawn
86. Pussy Riot: xxx
87. Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome
88. Rollins, Sonny: Holding Down the Stage–Road Shows, Volume Four
89. Rush, Bobby: Porcupine Meat
90. Slavic Soul Party!: Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite
91. Smith, Dr. Lonnie: Evolution
92. Smith, Wadada Leo: America’s National Parks
93. Stampfel, Peter, and The Brooklyn & Lower Manhattan Fiddle/Mandolin Swarm: Holiday for Strings
94. Stetson, Colin: Sorrow–A Reimagining of Gorecki’s Third Symphony
95. Tempest, Kate: Let Them Eat Chaos
96. Threadgill, Henry (conductor): Old Locks and Irregular Verbs
97. Toussaint, Allen: American Tunes
98. Various Artists: Khmer Rouge Survivors–They Will Kill You, If You Cry
99. Veloso, Caetano, and Gilberto Gil: Dois Amigos, Um Seculo de Musica–Multishow Live
100. White Lung: Paradise
101. Young Philadelphians (with Marc Ribot): Live in Tokyo
102. Young Thug: Jeffrey
103. Zé, Tom: Canções Eróticas de Ninar
104. Zé, Tom: Vira Lata na Via Lactea

New Old Stuff

1. Various Artists: Music of Morocco–Recorded by Paul Bowles, 1959
2. Van Morrison: It’s Too Late to Stop Now, Vols. II, II, IV + DVD
3. Pylon: Live
4. James Booker: Bayou Maharajah (DVD)
5. Swanee Quintet: The Complete Nashboro Recordings 1951-1962
6. Beatles: Live at the Hollywood Bowl
7. Angry Angles
8. Julius Eastman: Femenine
9. Various Artists: Soul Sok Sega–Sega Sounds from Mauritius
10. Betty Harris: The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul
11. Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary
12. Professor Longhair: Live in Chicago
13. Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys: Let’s Play, Boys–Rediscovered Songs from Bob Wills’ Personal Transcriptions