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John Kelman's Best Releases of 2019

By John Kelman
December 20, 2019
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Well, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome continues to be a challenge, as it has been since mid-2014. 2019 represents, in fact, the worst year when it comes to the actual number of articles written. Still, I've been finding an increasingly satisfying niche in the arena of in-depth, detailed and extensive/exhaustive (exhausting, for you as much as I!!) articles. So, while it appears that I've published fewer articles in 2019, when it comes to word count....well, I've not actually done the math but I have my suspicions.

So, for this year I'll first shine another spotlight on some of the music about which I've written this year, and provide links to those reviews. Following that, I'll list the great many ones that got away...and this time I'm going to break them out into jazz and beyond jazz, but this time with archival reissues lumped in. With 2019 representing the 50th anniversary for a great many artists, the volume of deluxe box sets has been (or, perhaps, it just seems that way) greater than usual. I love digging deeply into an artist's work, whether it's their entire career or a significant portion of it, and I fully expect to continue with that focus in 2020.

That said, there are still plenty of single-disc releases worthy of recognition, in particular ECM Records, celebrating its golden anniversary this year. Beyond an impressive number of new releases and a second Touchstone series of budget-priced reissues for a great many titles that, while previously available on CD, had gone out of print, the label finally righted a longstanding wrong by releasing a slew of recordings that were never before available in the digital realm in any format. While unavailable in hard media formats, the label has brought them into virtual print by mastering and making them available in downloadable/streaming formats ranging from compressed "Mastered for iTunes" to full studio quality high resolution.

I didn't get around to covering these thirty-plus titles, ranging from the known (amongst them,

Steve Kuhn

piano
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Kuhn,

Jack DeJohnette

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack DeJohnette and

Art Lande

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Lande) to lesser-known but still-significant (like Contact Trio, Adelhard Roidinger, OM and Gallery). Still, it seems to me that they flew under many folks' radars, so I'm splitting out a number of titles from that series that deserve to be highlighted as well. So there's a separate section for some of my favorite titles from that batch (and a couple were reviewed in my currently on-hiatus Rediscovery column).

That list doesn't include new archival reissues like the first-time release of a live album by

Paul Bley

piano
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley,

Gary Peacock

bass, acoustic
1935 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Peacock and

Paul Motian

drums
1931 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian, and the expanded, 50th anniversary celebration of the label's very first album,

Mal Waldron

piano
1925 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Mal Waldron's great Free At Last (ECM, 1969).

So, bearing all that in mind, here we go, with just a few of the top recorded events in jazz and beyond for 2019 (each section in alphabetical order). And, of course, if you're looking for a top 10 or even a top 20? Sorry, folks, but I just list the titles that moved me the most this year, and don't worry about the numbers.

Jazz Recordings (Reviewed):

Bill Bruford

drums
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Bruford
Earthworks Complete
Summerfold Records

Marc Copland

piano
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Copland
And I Love Her
Illusions Mirage

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell |

Thomas Morgan

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Morgan
Epistrophy
ECM Records

Phillip Johnston

saxophone
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Phillip Johnston
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Asynchronous Music

Steve Khan

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Khan
Patchwork
Tone Center

Beyond Jazz Recordings (Reviewed):

Gentle Giant

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Gentle Giant
Unburied Treasure
Madfish

King Crimson

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">King Crimson
Heaven & Earth: Live and In the Studio 1997-2008
Panegyric Recordings

King Crimson

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">King Crimson
Live In Newcastle, December 8, 1972
DGM Live

Pink Floyd

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Pink Floyd
The Later Years: 1987- 2019
Legacy Recordings

Stephan Thelen

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Stephan Thelen
Fractal Guitar
MoonJune Records

Unreviewed But Still Faves

And now, three additional lists of 2019 releases that I couldn't get around to reviewing, but sure wish I did. Again, in alphabetical order, every one of these is top-drawer, regardless of genre, and worthy of attention. First up, a special section for those streaming/download-only titles from amongst thirty-plus releases that ECM Records has finally made available, for the first time, in the digital realm, culled from both the main label and its relatively short-lived sister label, JAPO.

ECM Streaming/Download-Only Releases:

Arild Andersen
bass, acoustic
b.1945
" data-original-title="" title="">Arild Andersen, Lifelines (ECM, 1981)
John Clarke, Faces (ECM, 1981)
Contact Trio, New Marks (JAPO, 1978)
Jack DeJohnette
drums
b.1942
" data-original-title="" title="">Jack DeJohnette's Directions, New Rags (ECM, 1977)
Double Image, Dawn (ECM, 1979)
Everyman Band, Everyman Band (ECM, 1982)
Gallery, Gallery (ECM, 1981)
Steve Kuhn
piano
b.1938
" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Kuhn, Non-Fiction (ECM, 1978)
Art Lande & Rubisa Patrol, Desert Marauders (ECM, 1978)
Om
" data-original-title="" title="">Om, Kirikuki (JAPO, 1976)
Rena Rama
" data-original-title="" title="">Rena Rama, Landscapes (JAPO, 1977)
Enrico Rava
trumpet
b.1939
" data-original-title="" title="">Enrico Rava, Opening Night (ECM, 1982)
Adelhard Roidinger
b.1941
" data-original-title="" title="">Adelhard Roidinger, Schattseite (ECM, 1982)
Tom van der Geld, Path (ECM, 1979)
Hajo Weber, Winterreise (ECM, 1982)

Jazz Recordings (New & Archival):

Rez Abbasi
guitar, acoustic
b.1965
" data-original-title="" title="">Rez Abbasi, A Throw of Dice (Whirlwind Recordings)
Paul Bley
piano
1932 - 2016
" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley, When Will the Blues Leave (ECM Records)
Jasper Blom
saxophone
" data-original-title="" title="">Jasper Blom, Polyphony (Whirlwind Recordings)
Randy Brecker
trumpet
b.1945
" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Brecker, Rocks (Jazzline)
Chick Corea
piano
1941 - 2021
" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea, The Spanish Heart Band: Antidote (Concord Music Group)
Mats Eilertsen
bass
b.1975
" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Eilertsen, Reveries and Revelations (Hubro Music)
Elephant9
band / ensemble / orchestra
" data-original-title="" title="">Elephant9, Psychedelic Backfire I & II (Rune Grammofon)
ELEW (Eric Lewis)
piano
" data-original-title="" title="">ELEW (Eric Lewis), Cubism: ELEW Plays Rosenwinkel (Heartcore Records)
Anat Fort
piano
b.1970
" data-original-title="" title="">Anat Fort Trio, Colour (Sunnyside Records)
Bill Frisell, Harmony (Blue Note Records)
Joel Harrison
guitar, electric
b.1957
" data-original-title="" title="">Joel Harrison, Still Point: Turning World (Whirlwind Recordings)
Scott Henderson
guitar
" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Henderson, People Mover (Self Produced)
The
Fred Hersch
piano
b.1955
" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Hersch Trio, 10 Years / 6 Discs (Palmetto Records)
Scott Kinsey
keyboards
" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Kinsey, We Speak Luniwaz: The Music of Joe Zawinul (Whirlwind Recordings)
Julian Lage
guitar, electric
" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Lage, Love Hurts (Mack Avenue Records)
Joe Lovano
drums
b.1952
" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Lovano, Trio Tapestry (ECM Records)
Mike Nock
piano
b.1940
" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Nock, This World (Lionshare Records)
Nucleus
" data-original-title="" title="">Nucleus, Torrid Zone: The Vertigo Recordings 1970-1975 (Esoteric Recordings)
Partisans
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1996
" data-original-title="" title="">Partisans, Nit de Nit (Whirlwind Recordings)
Chris Potter
saxophone, tenor
b.1971
" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Potter, Circuits (Edition Records)
Kurt Rosenwinkel
guitar
b.1970
" data-original-title="" title="">Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65, Searching the Continuum (Heartcore Records)
Antonio Sanchez
drums
b.1971
" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Sanchez & Migration, Lines in the Sand (CAM Jazz)
Louis Sclavis
woodwinds
b.1953
" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Sclavis, Characters on a Wall (ECM Records)
Sokratis Sinopoulos
lyricist
" data-original-title="" title="">Sokratis Sinopoulos Quartet, Metamodal (ECM Records)
Sumitra
" data-original-title="" title="">Sumitra, Bittersweet (Sumitra Music)
David Torn
guitar, electric
b.1953
" data-original-title="" title="">David Torn/
Tim Berne
saxophone, alto
b.1954
" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Berne/
Ches Smith
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Ches Smith, Sun of Goldfinger (ECM Records)
Alexi Tuomarila
piano
" data-original-title="" title="">Alexi Tuomarila Trio, Sphere (Edition Records)
Mal Waldron
piano
1925 - 2002
" data-original-title="" title="">Mal Waldron, Free At Last (Expanded) (ECM Records)
Mark Wingfield
guitar, electric
" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Wingfield &
Gary Husband
drums
b.1960
" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Husband, Tor & Vale (MoonJune Records)
John Zorn
saxophone, alto
b.1953
" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn, Nove Cantici Per Francesco D'Assisi (with Julian Lage,
Gyan Riley
guitar
" data-original-title="" title="">Gyan Riley & Bill Frisell) (Tzadik)

Beyond Jazz Recordings (New & Archival):

The Beatles
band / ensemble / orchestra
" data-original-title="" title="">The Beatles, Abbey Road: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (Apple/UMe)
Big Big Train, Grand Tour (English Electric)
David Bowie
vocals
1947 - 2016
" data-original-title="" title="">David Bowie, Space Oddity (Tony Visconti 2019 Mix) (Parlophone)
Rosanne Cash, She Remembers Everything (Blue Note Records)
Leonard Cohen
vocals
1934 - 2016
" data-original-title="" title="">Leonard Cohen, Thanks for the Dance (Columbia Records)
Rodney Crowell, Texas (RC1 Records)
Bob Dylan
guitar and vocals
b.1941
" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Dylan, The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings (Legacy Recordings)
Gong
band / ensemble / orchestra
" data-original-title="" title="">Gong, Love from the Planet Gong (The Virgin Years 1973-75) (Virgin Records)
Grateful Dead
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1965
" data-original-title="" title="">Grateful Dead, Giants Stadium 1987- 1991 (Rhino)
Arve Henriksen
trumpet
b.1968
" data-original-title="" title="">Arve Henriksen, The Timeless Nowhere (Rune Grammofon)
Bruce Hornsby
piano and vocals
b.1954
" data-original-title="" title="">Bruce Hornsby, Absolute Zero (Zappo Productions)
Ashley Hutchings, Gone Missing (Talking Elephant Records)
IZZ, Don't Panic (Doone Records)
Eleni Karaindrou
" data-original-title="" title="">Eleni Karaindrou, tous des oiseaux (ECM Records)
Buddy & Julie Miller, Breakdown on 20th Ave. South (New West Records)
Van Morrison
vocals
b.1945
" data-original-title="" title="">Van Morrison, Three Chords and the Truth (Exile/Caroline International)
No-Man
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1987
" data-original-title="" title="">No-Man, Love You to Bits (Caroline International)
Jakub J��zef Orli��ski, Facce d'amore (Warner Classics)
Stick Men
band / ensemble / orchestra
" data-original-title="" title="">Stick Men, Panamerica (MoonJune Records)
Tangerine Dream, In Search of Hades (The Virgin Recordings 1973-1979) (Virgin Records)
Frank Wyatt & Friends, Zeitgeist (Crafty Hands Music)
XTC as Dukes of Stratosphear, Psurroundabout Ride (Ape House)
Frank Zappa
guitar, electric
1940 - 1993
" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa, Zappa in New York (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Zappa Records)

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