It’s been one helluva hard year–but when has one not been lately, and when has music not been succor? At one time or another, each of these 195 records has acted as a spell–however temporary–to vanquish the horror from my ears, eyes, and mind. To remind me that maybe all is not lost, that we are capable of bounteous joy when we are inspired, especially, perhaps, when we are inspired by the void.
I’m not one to theorize, and I am too convinced by chaos to believe that a given year’s list of recordings can be read like tea leaves and divined from. But, scanning mine again, I can see some things that finally dawned on me, some things I’ve always loved become far more important to me and sound so much more inexhaustible than I ever would have predicted, and some things that, mercifully, were the direct result of humans I actually know pushing me (as opposed to me retreating into a bubble of books and blogs, and just drifting and hacking my way through a jungle alone). I mean, it’s not like I don’t listen to people, but I have a tendency to mutter, “Hey, I know what I’m doing here.”
Dawnings: Electronic music, which I’d always appreciated but never been elevated by. Ah, yes–I’d like a Fourth World to choose to inhabit every day, an Outro Tempo to swing to every night, and a Mono No Aware to hourly heighten my consciousness. Perhaps I’m waxing too clever, but the stuff I’m alluding to was like a good massage: ultimately soothing but not without hitting spots that made me wince.
Inexhaustibles: I have loved free jazz since I first heard Ornette Coleman–I was young and dumb in ’82, but I can remember thinking, “This sounds beautiful, not crazy, and it’s not that free!”–but, to be honest, I’d always assumed that once I oozed into the second half of my life, I’d probably be seeking things that were easier, since surely my life would become more difficult. Well, life–not necessarily mine, but that’s not all that important a distinction–has become more difficult, often I do need easier things in my ear, but, lo and behold, free jazz (free experimental music, if you choose) has become easier. Not just easier, but more engaging, more thought-provoking, more exciting, funnier and wiser than I’d ever heard it to be and expected it to stay. That applies to many recordings I was already familiar with, but breaking into a trove of really, really hard-to-locate masterpieces from St. Louis’ Black Arts Group (late ’60s to early ’70s–gone to soon, but their seeds drifted elsewhere) and being led by such perceptive writers as John Corbett and Kevin Whitehead to the London Jazz Composer’s Orchestra and Instant Composer’s Pool were straight-up blessings that rearranged my mind and cleaned out the wax. And I know this wish is in vain, but I hope Joe McPhee never dies.
Humans: I thank my students at Stephens College for opening my stubborn ears to The Internet, Rhiannon Giddens, SZA, and Lana Del Rey–and for indirectly helping me access a moving, depressive, and daring vein of what I suppose I have to call r&b but which I really believe is something new that’s just starting to blossom. I thank so many old friends: Whitney Shroyer, for tugging my coat about Harlem River Drive and Sunshine Daydream, John Schooley, for convincing me to take a chance on Link Wray’s Polydors, Isaac Davila, for stoking the fire of my interest in electronic music, and Nicole, my wife of 27 years, for setting us both off on a Latin rampage after we saw Eddie Palmieri’s 80th birthday show. Last but not least, I thank the lively Facebook group Expert Witness, several members of which I have indeed met in reality and many more I seriously intend to, for pointing me hither and yon and often assuring me my instincts were right about the greatness of, just for example, Albums Number 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 in my Top 10–records the titles of which might well look very foreign to you but which you better lean in to. (Though I do not need it, I await affirmation on #4!)
Suggestion for everyone reading this: host some listening parties starting today, and get out of your comfort zones.
OK…on with it! Here’s some great stuff, most of which is linked so you can sample it immediately. In my Hot 100 are some recordings that are old but that have never been released before–at least not in the present form. Also, I’m with Duke Ellington in ignoring categories and just seeking out good music; I see no reason why you can’t queue up some free improvised music like William Parker’s right after the joyous dance music of Ibibio Sound Machine and have a killer time.
The Top 40? In order of my preference for them. The Final 70? In random order. The 85 older releases that crept up on me? Alphabetized for your convenience!
- Zeal and Ardor: Devil is Fine
- Ibibio Sound Machine: Eyai
- Orchestra Baobab: Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng
- Lost Bayou Ramblers: Kalenda
- Lana Del Rey: Lust for Life
- Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit: The Nashville Sound
- JLin: Black Origami
- Preservation Hall Jazz Band: So It Is
- Harriet Tubman: Araminta
- Various Artists: Miracle Steps (Music from The Fourth World 1983-2017)
- Golden Pelicans: Disciples of Blood
- William Parker: Meditation – Resurrection
- Various Artists: Sweet as Broken Dates–Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Talk Tight
- Peter Perrett: How the West Was Won
- Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway
- Various Artists: Even a Tree Can Shed Tears–Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973
- Steve Earle and The Dukes: So You Wannabe an Outlaw?
- Gogol Bordello: Seekers and Finders
- Roscoe Mitchell: Bells for The South Side
- Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Loafer’s Hollow
- Hamad Kalkaba: Hamad Kalkaba and The Golden Sounds 1974-1975
- Angaleena Presley: Wrangled
- Various Artists: Battle Hymns
- Les Amazones D’Afrique: Republique Amazone
- The Revelators: …we told you not to cross us (20th Anniversary Edition)
- Syd: Fin
- Steve Lacy: Steve Lacy’s Demo (EP)
- The Perceptionists: Resolution
- Kendrick Lamar: Damn
- Sampha: Process
- Waxahatchee: Out in the Storm
- Jens Lekman: Life Will See You Now
- Burnt Sugar: All You Zombies Dig The Luminosity
- Fat Tony: MacGregor Park
- Garland Jeffreys: 14 Steps to Harlem
- Body Count: Blood Lust
- John Waters: Make Trouble
- Filthy Friends: Invitation
- Wadada Leo Smith: Najwa
- Prince: Purple Rain – 2017 Deluxe Remaster
- New Pornographers: Whiteout Conditions
- The Goon Sax: Up to Anything
- Kelela: Take Me Apart
- Cloud Nothings: Life Without Sound
- Arto Lindsay: Cuidado Madame
- Half Cleveland: Live at the Wi-Fi
- Thurst: Cut to the Chafe
- SZA: CTRL
- Jackie Shane: Any Other Way
- Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black
- Maximum Ernst: Maximum Ernst
- Oddisee: The Iceberg
- Tamikrest: Kidal
- Tyshawn Sorey: Verismilitude
- John Escreet: The Unknown
- Nicole Mitchell: Mandorla Awakening II – Emerging Worlds
- James Luther Dickinson: I’m Just Dead I’m Not Gone (Lazarus Edition) READ THE BOOK!
- Obnox: Niggative Approach
- Aram Bajakian: Dalava–The Book of Transfigurations
- (The Late) Mariem Hassan: La Voz Indominata
- Trio 3: Visiting Texture
- Sarah Shook and the Disarmers: Sidelong
- Jay-Z: 4:44
- Aruan Ortiz: Cub(an)ism
- Wadada Leo Smith: Solo–Reflections and Meditations on Monk
- Alice Coltrane: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
- Shabazz Palaces: Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star
- Young Thug: Beautiful Thugger Girls
- Ty Segall: Fried Shallots
- Tony Allen: A Tribute to Art Blakey
- Trio de Kali w/ The Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
- Hard Working Americans: We’re All in This Together
- Randy Weston: African Nubian Suite
- Gato Preto: Tempo
- Tinariwen: Elwan
- Shina Williams: Agb’oju L’Ogun
- Let’s Eat Grandma: I, Gemini
- Ross Johnson and Lesa Aldridge: Lesa and Ross
- Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator
- Various Artists: Mono No Aware
- Karreim Riggins: Headnod Suite
- Various Artists: Outro Tempo–Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil 1978-1992
- Omou Sangare: Mogoya
- Daddy Issues: Can We Still Hang?
- Bob Dylan: Triplicate
- Pierre Kwenders: MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time
- Brix & The Extricated: Part 2
- Tomasz Stanko: December Avenue
- Dion: Kickin’ Child–The Lost Album 1965
- Lee Ann Womack: The Lonely, The Lonesome, and The Gone
- Chuck Berry: Chuck
- Joe King Cologbo & High Grace: Sugar Daddy
- Don Bryant: Don’t Give Up On Love
- Thelonious Monk: Soundtrack to Les Liaisons Dangereuses
- Shabazz Palaces: Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines
- David S. Ware: Live in New York City 2010
- Thundercat: Drunk
- Elliott Sharp, Mary Halvorson, and Marc Ribot: Err Guitar
- Erica Falls: Home Grown
- Bill Evans: Some Other Time–The Lost Session from the Black Forest
- Open Mike Eagle: Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
- Husker Du: Savage Young Du
- The Replacements: For Sale–Live at Maxwell’s
- Pere Ubu: 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
- Miguel: War & Leisure
- 2 Chainz: Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
- The Paranoid Style: Underworld USA (EP)
- Sun Ra: Discipline 27-li
- Migos: Culture
85 Great Older Releases That I’ve Bought in ’17 That I Still Can’t Get Enough Of
(If it’s bolded, I’ve been hooked on the thing quite seriously)
- Allison, Mose: I’m Not Talkin’—The Song Stylings of Mose Allison 1957-1972
- Amobi, Chino: Paradiso
- Anonymous 4: The Lily & The Lamb–Chant & Polyphony from Medieval England
- Avengers: Died for Your Sins
- Les Amazones de Guinée: Au coeur de Paris & M’mah Sylla (Bolibana Collection)
- Anderson, Fred, and Hamid Drake: …together again
- Astatke, Mulatu: Mulatu of Ethiopia
- Ben, Jorge: Africa Brasil
- Black Artists Group: In Paris 1973
- Blassie, Fred: Nothin’ But a Pencil Neck Geek!
- Blythe, Arthur: Illusions
- Breuker, Willem: Bob’s Gallery
- Bowie, David: Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles ’74)
- Carmichael, Hoagy: Music Master
- Case, Neko: The Tigers Have Spoken
- Cochran, Wayne: Wayne Cochran!
- Cohran, Philip: Armageddon
- Coursil, Jacques: Trails of Tears
- The Creation: Action Painting
- Curtis, King: Instant Soul–The Legendary King Curtis
- Davis, Anthony: Episteme
- Del Rey, Lana: Hollywood
- Dion and The Belmonts: Together Again
- d/j Rupture: Minesweeper Suite
- Dog Life: Dog Life
- Dog Life: Fresh from the Ruins
- E: E
- Eggleston, Cozy: Grand Slam
- Fela: The Best of Black President, Volume 2
- Fela: Live in Detroit
- Foc’sle Singers: Foc’sle Songs and Shanties
- Gibbs, Melvin: Ancients Speak (all hail Pete Cosey!)
- Goblin: Soundtrack to the film Suspiria
- Gonzalez, Dennis: Idle Wild
- Gonzalez, Dennis: Nile River Suite
- Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream
- Harlem River Drive
- Hassell, Jon: Dream Theory in Malaya–Fourth World, Volume Two
- Hemphill, Julius: Coon Bidness
- Human Arts Ensemble: Whisper of Dharma
- Ink Spots: These Cats Are High
- Instant Composers Pool: Aan & Uit
- Jamal, Ahmad: The Awakening
- JJ DOOM: Bookhead
- Kelela: Cut 4 Me
- King: We Are King (would have been in my 2016 Top Ten had I been on the ball)
- Kyle, K. Curtis: The Collected Poem for Blind Lemon Jefferson
- London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Theoria
- Mateen, Sabir: Prophecies Come True
- McGann, Bernie: Playground
- McPhee, Joe: At Willisau
- McPhee, Joe: “The Loneliest Woman”
- McPhee, Joe: Tenor / Fallen Angel
- Mitchell, Joni: Hejira
- The Montgomery Brothers: Groove Yard
- Orchestra Regionale De Mopti
- Various Artists: Spiritual Jazz #7—Islam
- Patrick, Pat, and Baritone Retinue: Sound Advice
- Perry, Lee Scratch: Dub Triptych
- Perry, Lee Scratch: Presents African Roots
- Perry, Lee Scratch: Voodooism
- Prince Jazzbo: Ital Corner
- Pullen, Don, and Beaver Harris: A Well-Kept Secret
- Rah Digga: Everything is a Story
- Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Face to Face
- Stanko, Tomasz: Leosia
- Sullivan, Maxine: Close as Pages in a Book
- Sun Ra: The Space Age Is Here to Stay
- Swell Maps: Jane from Occupied Europe
- Swell Maps: A Trip to Marineville
- Tate, Buddy: Jive at Five
- This Heat: Out of Cold Storage
- Thomas, Luther, and Human Arts Ensemble: Funky Donkey Vols. 1 & 2
- Thornton, Clifford: The Panther and The Lash
- Morgan, Lee: Live at The Lighthouse
- Various Artists: After-School Special—The 123s of Kid Soul
- Various Artists: American Epic (yes, the sound really is that much of an improvement)
- Various Artists: Hanoi Masters–War is A Wound, Peace is a Scar
- Various Artists: Killed by Death #5
- Various Artists: The Original Sounds of Mali
- Various Artists: Cumbia Cumbia 1 & 2
- Various Artists: Songs from Saharan Cell Phones, 1 & 2
- Various Artists: The Poppyseeds–The Sound of Crenshaw
- White, Ruth: Flowers of Evil
- Wray, Link: Three-Track Shack
Living To Listen 