It's a yearly ritual, started a long way back, of poring over "Best Of" lists, scouting for gems I've missed, looking for confirmation of my take on the zeitgeist, and engaging in imaginary arguments with strangers I'll never meet about their picks.
More than ever there seems to be a disconnect between me and what's going on out there in what's left of the record industry or the various subdivisions of popular culture aesthtetics. Truth be told this has been going on for a while with me but I seem to have reached a tipping point of sorts; that being-I just don't care.
Not that I don't care about what music is being released or diving ear-first into a wealth of sonic experiences (and make no bones about it, this is a stupendous time to be a total music fan). Since I used to corral a Top Ten wrap up show on WUSB-FM, I'd collate data from all over the place, chart trends that slipped under our regional radar, and listen hard to what others were enthusiastic about trying to train my ears to share the enthusiasms of the "culture". But since there is just so much that is out there floating my strange little boat I just don't have the time to try to figure out why say, "Fleet Foxes" has captured so many folks’ imagination. Plus my fascination with the history of twentieth century music propels me much more than whatever is left of the record industry's promotional schedule possibly could. (Which is why my favorite recorded set that I've encountered this year isn't even from this year. It is Allen Lowe’s That Devilin’ Tune which appears to have been released in 2006 although it only flitted across my sightline in the past year. Four volumes, each with a thick booklet and nine CDs, it is the most comprehensive yet idiosyncratic jazz history I've ever seen. Which means that it will take me months just to listen to it and years to really take it all in. I don't expect to ever be bored with it, either.)
So here's what I've been tickled about over the last year that has seen official release in the year of 2008.
1-10) Anthony Braxton:
Beyond Quantum (Tzadik)
Victoriaville Trio 2007 (Victo)
Victoriaville 12tet &1 2007 (Victo)
Nine Compositions 2003 (Rastascan Audio DVD)
Quartet (2008) Moscow (Leo)
Complete Piano Music (1968-2000) (Genevieve Foccroulle, piano)(Leo)
Toronto (Duets) 2007 (w/Kyle Brender) (Barnyard)
Quartet (GTM) 2006 (Important)
Solo (2006) Gasthof Heidelberg Loppem (Locusloppem)
4 Improvisations (Duo) 2007 (w/Joe Morris) (Clean Feed)
The Complete Arista Recordings (Mosaic)
John Zorn:
The Dreamers
The Crucible
The Stone: Issue Three
Masada (Book Of Angels)-Volume 9 (Secret Chiefs 3)
Masada (Book Of Angels)-Volume 10 (Bar Kokhba)
Masada (Book Of Angels)-Volume 11 (Medeski, Martin & Wood)
Filmworks XIX-XXII (All releases on Tzadik)
It was a banner year for two of my favorite unclassifiable composer/musicians (both of whom are known to play a little alto). Braxton's continued fertility (and ability to confound) never ceases to amaze. This year saw an astounding array of recordings ranging from full ensemble pieces to intimate duets and one of the better solo recitals in his vast catalog. And the Arista recordings were essential listening back when they first came out in the 1970's and they still pack a wallop. Zorn continues to mine the fertile fields of Masada compositions, each release filled with heart and continued melodic gifts with his chosen collaborators making indelible marks. The lyrical side of these tunes spills out into the various Filmworks released this year as well as The Dreamers set which is as gorgeous a set of tunes as Zorn has written. Not to say that all is sweetness and light; the Masada sets have some of the most exuberant music Zorn has done and The Crucible ups the level of energy ten fold.
It's pretty much impossible for me to give a ranking to any of these in the larger scheme of this year. So I'll leave it to you to pick and choose any of these in the rankings of the Top Ten this year.
Bob Dylan-Tell Tale Signs (Columbia/Legacy)
Girl Talk-Feed The Animals (Illegal Art)
Shockadelica (30th Anniversary Tribute To The Artist Known As Prince)-Various Artists (C & C)
Inara George & Van Dyke Parks-An Invitation (Everloving)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds-Dig! Lazarus Dig! (Mute)
Johnny Dowd-A Drunkard's Masterpiece (Munich)
Al Green-Lay It Down (Blue Note)
Steve Bernstein-Diaspora Suite (Tzadik)
Mary Halvorson Trio-Dragon's Head (Firehouse)
The Mae Shi-HLLYH (Team Shi)
Deerhoof-Offend Maggie (Merge)
E.S.T.-Leucocyte (ACT)
The Kills-Midnight Boom (Domino)
Ruckus Roboticus-Playing With Scratches (Grease)
Jonathan Richman-Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild (Ada/Vapor)
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble-Forked Tongue (Cuneiform)
Vandermark 5-Beat Reader (Atavistic)
Terry Adams-Love Letter To Andromeda (Clang)
The Stone Quartet (Leandre/Crispell/Campbell/Maneri)-DMG @ The Stone, Volume 1 (DMG/ARC)
Medeski, Martin & Wood-Radiolarians 1 (Red Ink)
Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra-We Are MTO (Mowo)
The Microscopic Septet-Lobster Leaps In (Cuneiform)
Linda Kallerdahl-Gold (ESP-Disk)
Don Cavalli-Cryland (Everloving)
Juana Molina-Un Dia (Domino)
Rattlin' Bones-Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson (Liberation)
Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend (XL)
Brazilian Girls-New York City (Verve)
Pistolera-En Esta Camino (Luchadora)
J.D. Allen-I Am I Am (Sunnyside)
The Fiery Furnaces-Remember (Thrill Jockey)
Cynthia Felton-Afro Blue: The Music Of Oscar Brown Jr. (Felton)
Randy Newman-Harps And Angels (Nonesuch)
Was (Not Was)-Boo! (Rykodisc)
Shelby Lynne-Just A Little Lovin' (Lost Highway)
Sam Phillips-Don't Do Anything (Nonesuch)
Elvis Costello & The Impostors-Momofuku (Lost Highway)
Wadada Leo Smith-Tabligh (Cunieform)
Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
B.B. King-One Kind Favor (Nonesuch)
TV On The Radio-Dear Science (4AD/Interscope)
Cat Power-Jukebox (Matador)
Santogold-Santogold (Downtown)
The Hold Steady-Stay Positive (Vagrant)
Alla-Es Tiempo (Crammed Disc)
Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden-Hearts & Daggers (File Under Music)
Jolie Holland-The Living And The Dead (Anti)
Amanda Palmer-Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (Roadrunner)
Eagles Of Death Metal-Heart On (Downtown)
James Carter-Present Tense (Universal Jazz)
The Ting Tings-We Started Nothing (Columbia)
EP's
Antony & The Johnsons-Another World (EP)
Fol Chen-Fol Chen Makes The Orange Sound (EP) (Asthmatic Kitty)
Reissues, Archives
Sun Ra-Complete Detroit Jazz Center Residency (Transparency)
Sun Ra-Live At The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto 1978 (Transparency)
Steinski-What Does It All Mean? (Illegal Art)
The Better Beatles-Mercy Beat (Hook Or Crook)
David Bromberg-1982 NYC
Don Cherry-Live At Cafe Montmarte 1966, Volume Two
