Home » Jazz Articles » Year in Review » Ludovico Granvassu's 2021 Sonic Delights
Ludovico Granvassu's 2021 Sonic Delights
But, apparently, humans like to rank, classify, compare and contrast, possibly as that allows them to make semi-informed choices in a disorienting world. With the number of great albums that keep being released, indeed, listicles may provide a few hints about music that is worth checking out in the midsts of the discographic deluge, or to make sure not to miss something that may have passed under one's radar.
At a personal level, end of the year listicles may also function as bread-crumbs that one can use years later to trace back her or his listening path. With that spirit in mind, below I include—in alphabetical order—albums that made my 2021 sonically delightful.
No claim that these are the best albums of the year, nor that they're better than those that are not included below. The list just reflects what resonated with me most, among the albums that I had the pleasure of listening to, during a year that was—once again—even more replete of superb releases than the year bfore. And since the list below cannot do justice to 2021's remarkable volume of beautiful albums, further below are more memorable titles, divided in various sub-categories.
If you have not listened to them yet... give them a spin. My guess is that you'll like them too!
Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1999
Angels Over Oakanda
Avantgroidd
Thomas de Pourquery
saxophone, altoBack to the Moon
Lying Lions
Rachel Eckroth
piano and vocalsb.1976
The Garden
Rainy Days
Kurt Elling
vocalsb.1967
SuperBlue
Edition Records
Vijay Iyer
pianob.1971
Uneasy
ECM Records
James Brandon Lewis
saxophone, tenorb.1983
Jesup Wagon
Tao Forms
Johan Lindstrom
guitarOn the Asylum
Moserobie
Charles Lloyd
saxophoneb.1938
Tone Poem
Blue Note
Adam O'Farrill
trumpetb.1994
Visions of Your Other
Biophilia Records
Pino Palladino
bass, electricb.1957
Blake Mills
guitar and vocalsb.1986
Notes with Attachments
Impulse! Records
Michel Portal
clarinet, bassb.1935
MP85
Label Bleu
Tom Rainey
drumsb.1957
Untucked in Hannover
Intakt Records
Ches Smith
drumsPath of Seven Colors
Pyroclastic Records
Becca Stevens
vocals
Elan Mehler
pianoPallet on Your Floor
Newvelle Records
Unscientific Italians
band / ensemble / orchestraPlay the Music of Bill Frisell—Vol. 1
Hora Records
Various Artists Kimbrough
Newvelle Records
Debut albums
Zane Carney
guitar
Francesca Remigi
drums
Chris Pattishall
pianoMalcolm Jiyane Tree-O Umdali (Mushroom Hour Half Hour)
Giacomo Zanus
guitarRevelations
[I.e. I should have known these musicians, but I didn't before listening to these amazing albums]
Roxana Amed
vocalsMaya Dunietz: Free the Dolphin (Raw Tapes)
Paul Jarret
guitarb.1985
Legraux Tobrogo?:Pantagruel résolu Self-Produced)
Dave Meder
piano
Stephanie Nilles
pianoOrchestre Tout Puissant: We're OK. But We're Lost Anyway (Bongo Joe)
David Sanford
composer / conductorb.1963
Remarkable
The
Eivind Aarset
guitar
Ben Allison
bass, acousticb.1966
Bruno Angelini
piano
Florian Arbenz
drums
Hermon Mehari
trumpetb.1987
Artifacts: ... and then there was this (Astral Spirits)
Badbadnotgood
band / ensemble / orchestraBig Monitors: Knots and Notes (Auand)
Jaimie Branch
trumpet1983 - 2022
Joachim Caffonnette
piano
Melanie Charles
vocals
Steve Coleman
saxophone, altob.1956
Pi
band / ensemble / orchestrab.2017
Vincent Courtois
cello
Bill Carrothers
pianob.1964
Cowboys & Frenchmen
band / ensemble / orchestra
Alban Darche
saxophone, tenorb.1974
Caroline Davis
saxophoneb.1981
Benoit Delbecq
pianoBenoit Delbecq: The Weight of Light (Pyroclastic Records)
Anais Drago
violin
Mathias Eick
trumpetb.1979
Petter Eldh
bassb.1983
Donald Fagen
piano and vocalsb.1948
Giovanni Falzone
trumpet
Glauco Venier
piano
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten
bassb.1971
Daniel Freedman
drums
Erik Friedlander
cellob.1960
Danilo Gallo
bass, acousticb.1972
Kenny Garrett
saxophone, altob.1960
Sam Gendel
saxophoneSam Gendel,
Sam Wilkes
bass, electricb.1991
Theo Girard
bass
Ben Goldberg
clarinet
Benito Gonzalez
pianob.1975
Maria Grand
saxophone, tenor
Giovanni Guidi
piano
Miho Hazama
composer / conductorb.1986
Kari Ikonen
pianob.1973
Irreversible Entanglements: Open the Gates (International Anthem)
The J&F Band: Me and the Devil (LongSong)
Frank Kimbrough
piano1956 - 2020
Koma Saxo: Live (WeJazz)
François Lana
pianob.1986
Ben LaMar Gay
multi-instrumentalistLittle Rosie Kindergarten: Jeder Gegen Jeden (Listen Closely)
Maurice Louca: Sa'et el-hazz (Northern Spy)
Hermon Mehari
trumpetb.1987
Alessandro Lanzoni
pianoMichel Meis
drums
Théo Ceccaldi
violinb.1986
Hedvig Mollestad Trio: Ding Dong, You're Dead (Rune Grammofon)
Georgia Anne Muldrow
vocalsb.1983
Carlos Niño
percussion
Gretchen Parlato
vocals
Enrico Rava
trumpetb.1939
Jeff Parker
guitarb.1967
Reverso: Live (Out-note)
Pete Rodriguez
trumpet and vocalsb.1969
Irene Schweizer
pianob.1941
Hamid Drake
drumsb.1955
Daniele Sepe
saxophone
Elliott Sharp
guitar, electricb.1951
Nate Smith
drumsb.1974
Craig Taborn
pianob.1970
Sebastien Texier
saxophone
Emma-Jean Thackray
multi-instrumentalistLe Tigre (Des Platanes): Terminus Radioso (Mr. Morezon)
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
band / ensemble / orchestrab.2000
Ole Morten Vågan
bass, acousticVan Dyke Parks, Veronica Valerio: Van Dyke Parks orchestrates Verónica Valerio: Only in America (Modern Recordings)
Gabriel Zucker
pianoUnearthed Gems
Art Blakey
drums1919 - 1990
Roy Brooks
drumsb.1938
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Julius Hemphill
saxophone, alto1938 - 1995
Wayne Horvitz
keyboardsb.1955
Lyle Mays
keyboards1953 - 2020
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Bheki Mseleku
piano1955 - 2008
Prince
multi-instrumentalist1958 - 2016
Sam Rivers
saxophone, tenor1923 - 2011
Re-issues
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals1901 - 1971
Mosaic
saxophone, tenor
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Black Milk Impulses
vocals
Joe Harriott
saxophone1928 - 1973
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Lee Morgan
trumpet1938 - 1972
Mike Taylor
guitarSouthern Energy Ensemble: Southern Energy (Strut)
Sun Ra
piano1914 - 1993
Skuli Sverrisson
bass, electric
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Unbridled Fun
Francesco Beccaro
bass, electricGarage a Trois
band / ensemble / orchestraScary Pockets,
Larry Goldings
organ, Hammond B3b.1968
Itai Kriss
fluteDelvon Lamar Organ Trio: I Told You So (Colemine)
Makaya McCraven
drumsb.1983
WRD Trio: The Hit (Color Red Music)
Tags
Year in Review
Pino Palladino
Ludovico Granvassu
Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
Avantgroidd
Rachel Eckroth
Rainy Day Records
Kurt Elling
Edition Records
Vijay Iyer
ECM Records
James Brandon Lewis
Tao Records
Johan Lindstr?m
Moserobie
charles lloyd
Blue Note
Adam O'Farrill
Biophilia Records
Blake Mills
Impulse! Records
Michel Portal
Tom Raney
Intakt Records
Ches Smith
Pyroclastic Records
Becca Stevens
Elan Mehler
Newvelle Records
Unscientific Italians
Hora Records
Zane Carney
Orenda Records
Chris Pattishall
Malcolm Jiyane Xorile
Mushroom Hour Half Hour
Giacomo Zanus
Aut Records
Roxana Amed
Sony Latin
Maya Dunietz
Raw Tapes
Paul Jarret
Neuklang
Self-released
Stephanie Nilles
Sunnyside
Orchestre Tout Puissant
Bongo Joe
David Sanford
Greenleaf Music
Eivind Aarset
Jazzland
Ben Allison
Sonic Camera
Bruno Angelini
Vision Fugitive
Florian Arbenz
Hermon Mehari
Conversation #1: Condensed
Badbadnotgood
XL
Big Monitors
Auand
Steve Coleman
Pi
Cowboy & Frenchmen
Outside-in-Music
Alban Darche
Yolk
Caroline Davis
Benoit Delbecq
Jazzdor
Anais Drago
C.A.M.
Petter Eldh
Edition
Donald Fagen
Universal
Giovanni Falzone
Glauco Venier
Ingebrigt Haker Flaten
Odin
Daniel Freedman
Skipstone
Danilo Gallo
Clean Feed
Kenny Garrett
Mack Avenue
Sam Gendel
Leaving
Sam Wilkes
Théo Girard
Discobole
Ben Goldberg
BAG
Benito Gonzalez
Rainy Days
Maria Grand
Biophilia
Giovanni Guidi
C.A.M. Jazz
Miho Hazama
Kari Ikonen
Ozella
The J&F Band
LongSong
Frank Kimbrough
Koma Saxo
WeJazz
Fran?ois Lana
Leo
Little Rosie Kindergarten
Listen Closely
Maurice Louca
Norhtern Spy
Michel Meis
Théo Ceccaldi
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Foreseen Entertainment
Gretchen Parlato
Enrico Rava
ECM
Reverso
Out-note
Pete Rodriguez
Irene Schweizer
Hamid Drake
Intakt
Daniele Sepe
Elliott Sharp
ZOAR
Nate Smith
Craig Taborn
Christope Marguet
Cristal
Emma-Jean Thackray
Movementt
Le Tigre (des platanes)
Mr. Morezon
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
Ole Morten V?gan
Van Dyke Parks
Verónica Valerio
modern
Gabriel Zucker
ESP Disk
Art Blakey
Roy Brooks
Reel to Real
Miles Davis
Warner
Wayne Horvitz
Charles Mingus
Bheki Mseleku
Tapestry Works
Prince
SMG
Sam Rivers
NoBusiness
Louis Armstrong
Mosaic
John Coltrane
Impulse!
Joe Harriott
Ezz-Thetics
Atlantic
lee morgan
Mike Taylor
Southern Energy Ensemble
Strut
Sun Ra
Skuli Sverrisson
Bill Frisell
Newvelle
Francesco Beccaro
Melanie Charles
Verve
Garage A Trois
Royal Potato Family
Scary Pockets
Larry Goldings
Pockets Inc.
Itai Kriss
Colemine
Makaya McCraven
WRD Trio
Color Red Music
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