#558

Revisiting this dream this morning

1 Like
#559

The post upthread reminds me of my grandad - he was a jazz pianist and aficionado, with a regular slot on radio 4 and articles in magazines (we’ve got one of him interviewing Dizzie Gillespie). He had a huge collection of LPs. When he died in 2000 - I was 10 at the time - my mum & grandma had no idea what to do with them all, so they gave them to some collector for about £20 :weary:

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#560

Any notable albums to check out this year? Quite liked Tigran Hamsyan’s one but it’s not quite AOTM material. Shabaka Hutchings’ one was good too but again, probably falling short.

#561

Moses Boyd’s Dark Matter was my album of the year.

Otherwise I’d suggest a listen to
Kamasi Washington - Becoming
Melt Yourself Down - 100% Yes
Kamaal Williams - Wu Hen

3 Likes
#562

Jeff Parker
Nubya Garcia
Moses Boyd

Would be my top 3 this year with Nubya Garcia being my favourite

1 Like
#563

These were all the jazz (+ jazzish) albums I rated 7/10 or above this year, been a really good year I think. In approximate order:

Artist Album
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids Shaman!
Kahil El’Zabar Kahil El’Zabar’s America The Beautiful
Mino Cinelu, Nils Petter Molvaer SulaMadiana
Nubya Garcia SOURCE
Gil Scott-Heron, Makaya McCraven We’re New Again
Jeff Parker Suite for Max Brown
Matthew Halsall Salute To The Sun
Bohren & Der Club of Gore Patchouli Blue
Asher Gamedze Dialectic Soul
Irreversible Entanglements Who Sent You?
SPARKLE DIVISION To Feel Embraced
Makaya McCraven Universal Beings E&F Sides
Sarathy Korward, Upaj Collective Night Dreamer Direct-to-Disc Sessions
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Axiom
Ambrose Akinmusire on the tender spot of every calloused moment
Art Blakey & The Messengers Just Coolin’
Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela Rejoice!
Mammal Hands Captured Spirits
Nels Cline Share The Wealth
Jyoti Mama, You Can Bet!
Shabaka And The Ancestors We Are Sent Here By History
Krononaut Krononaut
GoGo Penguin GoGo Penguin
Joel Ross Who Are You?
Moses Boyd Dark Matter
Norah Jones Pick Me Up Off The Floor
Oscar Jerome Breathe Deep
Rymden Space Sailors
Michael Benita Looking at Sounds
Mathieu Bordenave La Traversee
Carla Bley Life Goes On
5 Likes
#564

Oh yeah, Jeff Parker, I enjoyed that one too. A few others I’ve checked out but a lot of new stuff there, cheers!

#565

I think I only listened to Kamaal Williams once or twice. I had huge expectations based on the back catalogue but it didn’t really do anything for me, will give it another run through.

#566

Yeah, it’s good but not as good as his previous. Actually, check out that live album he put out as that’s possibly even better - might have been the tail end of 2019.

#567

I’ve not listened to the whole record but this is from Gideon Coe’s 6 Music Recommends Album of the Year. I heard this on Radcliffe and Maconie’s show - it’s a beauty.

“The record is threaded with the influences of people, place and musical lineages – David Axelrod, John Barry, Virginia Astley, Mark Hollis, Alice Coltrane – yet as with all of Andrew’s solo work it has a deft, clear voice all of its own… Andrew has a knack for writing melodies that seem at once timeless yet entirely individual: emerging somewhere between spiritual jazz, neo-classical and library music, diffracted by the blues and greys of the wide Tay firth.”

Out on Athens of the North who have put out Greg Foat’s last couple of records as well.

2 Likes
#568

And if anyone wants a bit more groove to their jazz this year…

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#569

I really enjoyed this from Dougie Stu:

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#570

So I’ve now listened to the whole record…

It’s an absolutely beautiful album - it’s made me very teary-eyed throughout.

There’s a real longing, introspective and nostalgic sound to it that’s really resonating with me.

1 Like
#571

Looking forward to digging into the Andrew Wasylyk, Greg Foat and Dougie Stu albums. It’s going to be a very jazzy Christmas in PEB towers.

#572

I need to dig out the copy of Wire with the SA jazz primer in, because this is amazing

his drums just hit you straight away. gonna try sourcing a copy of this.

got a dl from Café Oto. there was a 1000 copy reissue recently, sold out.

2 Likes
#573

I’d be excited to hear about any other good SA jazz you find!

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#574

My top jazz albums of 2020

  1. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – Axiom

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah lost me a bit over the last few albums - I could admire where he was going but didn’t really connect with me. This live album is a cracking return to form - jazz that draws from both the traditional and the modern with superb individual and collective playing.

  1. Matthew Halsall – Salute to the Sun

Wonderful, spiritual jazz.

  1. The Necks – Three

One of the greatest bands in the world deliver another amazing album. 3x20 minute tracks that each offer a different side of The Necks.

  1. Majid Bekkas – Magic Spirit Quartet

Moroccan gnawa star teams up with Norwegian musicians. There are moments where the traditional North African instruments and vocals dominate and then the jazz horns come in and it is quite stunning.

  1. Nbado Zulu and the Umgidi Ensemble – Queen Nandi: The African Symphony

South African trumpeter Zulu’s hugely ambitious album draws on big band tradition but delivers something fresh and exhilarating.

  1. Ryan Porter - Live at New Morning, Paris

Given that this stars current jazz darling Kamasi Washington it seems to have gone a little under the radar. It sounds like it was recorded on a phone, in a bag, left in the cloakroom but after a couple of tracks you forget that and are swept away by the amazing playing.

  1. Sarathy Korwar and Upaj Collective – Night Dreamer: Direct to Disc Sessions

Described as spiritual jazz meets Indian classical. Korwar is a great percussionist.

  1. Oded Tzur – Here Be Dragons

This is a beautiful album with some wonderful playing. The sound is superb as you would expect from ECM.

  1. Nubya Garcia – Source

Probably the hottest star in British jazz at the moment. Sometimes a bit too much going on but that’s a minor criticism.

  1. Keith Jarrett – Budapest

Jarrett is one of my favourites. Like all Jarrett solo albums there are moments of incredible beauty but also moments that frustrate.

  1. Maria Schneider – Data Lords
  2. Mino Cinelu and Nils Petter Molvaer - SulaMadiana
  3. Nduduzo Makhathini – Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds
  4. Black Art Jazz Collective – Ascension
  5. Immanuel Wilkins - Omega
  6. Jyoti – Mama, You Can Bet!
  7. Asher Gamedze – Dialectic Soul
  8. Aaron Diehl – The Vagabond
  9. Shabaka and the Ancestors – We Are Sent Here By History
  10. Misha Mullov-Abbado - Dream Circus
Summary
  1. Charles Tolliver - Connect
  2. Adam Shulman Septet - West Meets East
  3. Dinosaur – To the Earth
  4. Artemis – Artemis
  5. Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet – Bluebeard
  6. Orrin Evans – The Intangible Between
  7. Tony Allen - Rejoice
  8. Let Spin – Steal the Light
  9. Charles Lloyd – 8: Kindred Spirits (Live from the Lobero)
  10. Gil Scott-Heron, Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again: a Reimagining
  11. Melt Yourself Down – 100% Yes
  12. Ambrose Akinmusire – On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment
  13. Espen Eriksen Trio - End of Summer
  14. Gerald Clayton – Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard
  15. Kenny Barron, Dave Holland Trio – Without Deception
  16. Harold Mabern – Mabern Plays Mabern
  17. Eric Reed – For Such a Time as This
  18. N to the Power - Autogenesis
  19. Eddie Henderson – Shuffle and Deal
  20. Idris Ackamoor, The Pyramids – Shaman!
  21. Marcin Wasilewski Trio – Arctic Riff
  22. Mark Godfrey – Square Peg
  23. Jeremy Pelt – The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1
  24. Wayne Escofferey – The Humble Warrior
  25. Theo Hill – Reality Check
  26. Blaer – Yellow
  27. Magpie Trio - Live
  28. The Milk Factory - Aula
  29. Linley Hamilton – For the Record
  30. Walter Smith III – In Common
9 Likes
Rolling jazz in 2021
#575

Apologies, number 5 is Ndabo Zulu (cannot edit original post)

#576

appaz this album is a big deal in the history of South African jazz

it’s nice, anyway

3 Likes
#577

New Angel Bat Dawid!

1 Like