I meant to feature the Soprano Summit album as my first pick hit, but couldn't find a cover shot in my usual place, and didn't have time to scrounge one up, let alone scan my copy. Release date is Sept. 9, so the capitalists are running a bit slow, not to mention scared. So my fallback was to avoid having to choose the better of the two best entries in the Monterey Jazz Festival series -- actually, two batches thus far.

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Justin Time Records 25th Anniversary Collection (1986-2007 [2008], Justin Time, 2CD): Canadian jazz label, with some folk, blues, and world overtones. Got into the business in 1983 with pianist Oliver Jones; has a long list of jazz singers, including the discovery of Diana Krall, and steady work by Jeri Brown and Susie Arioli; scored their biggest coup in landing David Murray in 1996, who led them to Billy Bang, D.D. Jackson, and Hugh Ragin. Sidelines not documented here include their Just A Memory archival series and reissues from Enja's catalog. All this adds up to an eclectic sampler, with high points from great albums and filler from weaker ones, unnecessary except to draw attention to a label that's long been worth following. B

The Soprano Summit: In 1975 and More (1975-79 [2008], Arbors, 2CD): Clarinetist Kenny Davern and saxophonst Bob Wilber, two impeccably backward-looking players, ran into each other in Colorado in 1972, finding common ground as a soprano sax duo dedicated to Sidney Bechet. Their summits continued through the 1970s, with occasional reunions into 2001, sometimes with pianist Dick Hyman and other kindred souls -- guitarist Marty Grosz is prominent here, but Bucky Pizzarelli also played. Dan Morgenstern picked these sessions from the archives, including one from April 1975 focusing on Jelly Roll Morton, and two non-Summit sets: a Davern trio with pianist Dick Wellstood from 1979, and a 1976 Wilber group with Ruby Braff. The album never strays from the soprano range, but lively rhythm sections make up for the lack of contrasting horns. Superb trad jazz. A-

In Series

Have franchise, seeking product. First batch came out last year, with the Miles Davis getting some year-end critics poll votes. It skimmed the biggest of the big names, with relative obscurities this time around. Like the archival records that keep coming out on European labels -- TCB's series comes closest, especially given their tie-in with the Montreux Jazz Festival -- these rarely add anything new to well documented careers, but sort of democratize claims on the greats. With few really spectacular performances, and even fewer poor ones, they tend toward the middle grades. The B+ records from top to bottom: Blakey, Horn, Armstrong, Davis, Tjader, Gillespie, Puente.

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Louis Armstrong: Live at the 1958 Monterey Jazz Festival (1958 [2007], MJF): Well, if you've heard one Armstrong live set, you'll probably want to hear them all; post-All Stars, so there's less reason to share the stage; late enough that those "good ole good 'uns" include "Mack the Knife." B+

Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz: Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival (1972 [2008], MJF): Not a happy period in the drummer's career, but he plays with great physicality here, leading a ragtag crew of superstars in what could pass as a Jazz at the Philharmonic blowout; Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, and Kai Winding are natural jousters who offers great excitement but no surprises; the mystery is left to the troubled pianist in one of his last performances, but Thelonious Monk comps engagingly and takes a nice feature on "'Round Midnight." B+

Dave Brubeck: 50 Years of Dave Brubeck: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-2007 (1958-2007 [2008], MJF): Starts with Paul Desmond for three 1958-66 quartet cuts and closes with three 2002-07 quartets with Bobby Militello on alto sax -- a sense of continuity and balance unlikely in any 50-year span; Gerry Mulligan figures in between, and only one cut lacks a horn, but the unique pacing of the pianist comes through again and again. A-

Miles Davis Quintet: Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (1963 [2007], MJF): Early into the second great Davis Quintet, with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams on board, along with George Coleman on tenor sax; compared to the live albums from 1964, this seems tentative and thin, reworking old repertoire, with a few hints of the future. B+

Dizzy Gillespie: Live at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (1965 [2007], MJF): Small group with James Moody (flute, tenor sax), Kenny Barron (piano), and Big Black (congas), running through a mixed bag of bebop, with the calypso "Poor Joe" thrown in for Gillespie's vocal; sound is a little thin, and it's all very slapdash, not least the comedy. B+

Shirley Horn: Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival (1994 [2008], MJF): Very cost-effective: a singer with such voice and poise a piano trio suits her best, plus she plays a pretty mean piano; just turned 60, at the peak of her fame coming off a series of well-regarded albums on Verve, she nails her whole range here -- "The Look of Love," "A Song for You," "I've Got the World on a String," "Hard Hearted Hannah." B+

Thelonious Monk: Live at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival (1964 [2007], MJF): Four terrific quartet tracks, with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse in splendid form, and the pianist especially delightful on "Bright Mississippi" -- a Monkified "Sweet Georgia Brown"; five extra horns show up for the Buddy Collette-sketched encores, with hot boppish trumpet and more funky piano. A-

Tito Puente & His Orchestra: Live at the 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival (1977 [2008], MJF): A typical set by the great timbalero and his venerable orchestra, featuring signature tunes like "Oye Como Va" and "El Rey del Timbal," rhumbas and mambos, a dash of riskier Afro-Cuban jazz, and a cha cha take on Stevie Wonder. B+

Cal Tjader: The Best of Cal Tjader: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-1980 (1958-80 [2008], MJF): A short set from 1958 with Buddy DeFranco bebop over the vibraphonist's Latin stew, and four choice 1972-80 shots, starting with Dizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry teaching him how to play "Manteca." B+

Sarah Vaughan: Live at the 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival (1971 [2007], MJF): A singer I've never much liked even though sometimes I can hear some of what others hear in her -- the unworldly deep voice, the extraordinary precision and uncanny musican sense in her dynamics; this is not the place to start: her range is narrowed by time and most likely by acoustics, and she scats way too much -- especially in the blistering all-star jam that takes up the last third of the album. B

Jimmy Witherspoon: Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival (1959-72 [2008], MJF): The last of the Kansas City blues shouters, in a surly mood that could pass for spirit if you cut him some slack; his Jimmy Rushing tribute is heartfelt but not up to snuff; his praise for guitarist Robben Ford is earned but not such a big deal; the bonus track from 1959 towers above the later performance, not just because Messrs. Hines, Herman, Hawkins, Webster, and Eldridge are in the band, but they sure help. B

Briefly Noted

Cryptogramophone Assemblage 1998-2008 (1998-2007 [2008], Cryptogramophone, 2CD+DVD): Another jazz label sampler, founded by Jeff Gauthier to record a series of tributes to the late Eric von Essen's music, moving on to document work by Alex and Nels Cline, Mark Dresser, Bennie Maupin, Erik Friedlander, Myra Melford, various others; a more useful reference than the Justin Time sampler -- it covers a narrower band of music more comprehensively, with better documentation -- but still a mere sampler. B

Otis Redding: Live in London and Paris (1967 [2008], Stax, 2CD): Two live shows from March of the monumental soul singer's last year, most songs duplicated in both sets, distinguished primarily by the intensity of his performance, a rave-up that can get to be too much, although the rush cannot be denied. B+

Tuner: Totem (2005 [2008], Unsung): King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto and guitarist Markus Kreuter mash up some quasi-industrial thrash with scattered and mostly ignorable vocals; first album, remixed and reissued, keeps it simple, which works much better than guest-laden follow-up Pole. B+

Two weeks and change into my big break from music writing, so Jazz Prospecting is sparse this week, just barely topping my minimum catch to bother posting any at all. I did manage to get some significant new shelving built this past week, including three CD cases that should hold close to 3000 CDs. Hopefully, the prospect of not feeling buried will perk up my spirits.

Bracketed grades are tentative, which is more common these days because I'm less able to focus. Bracketed dates are future release dates, and may include notes about advances. In one case I streamed a record from Rhapsody that I didn't receive and can only vouch for in the most limited of ways. Such records should be tentative, but since I don't have the prospect of inspecting them further, I consider those grades final -- if I do get another shot at it, I'll reopen the case. Didn't get my mail catalogued this week. I'll catch up with it later.

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The Suicide Kings (2008, Blue Plate Music): Country rock group, formed in 2006, although the key players -- vocalist Bruce Connole, keyboardist Brad Buxer -- have kicked around for a couple of decades. Remind me of someone I can't quite pin down. Some grim moments, which may or may not include the signature song. Some indications that they're sharper politically than their niche demands. B+(*)

Bobo Stenson Trio: Cantando (2007 [2008], ECM): Piano trio, with Anders Jormin on bass, Jon Fält on drums. Stenson has been around quite a while: b. 1944, co-led an early-1970s group with Jan Garbarek that produced Witchi-Tai-To, one of my favorite records. Has been recording regularly for ECM since 1998, with a few more titles going back to 1971. A good fit for Manfred Eicher's piano taste. Plays songs by Silvio Rodriguez, Alban Berg, Astor Piazzolla, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, a couple others, one group piece, two more by Jormin, who gets some space and comes off surprisingly poignant. [B+(***)]

Vassilis Tsabropoulos/Anja Lechner/U.T. Gandhi: Melos (2007 [2008], ECM): Piano, cello, percussion. The cello is the sonic center here. Mostly slow, very pretty. Not much percussion. [B+(**)]

Portinho Trio: Vinho do Porto (2008, MCG Jazz): Brazilian drummer, based in New York, leads a trio with pianist Klaus Mueller and bassist Itaiguara Brandão (or Lincoln Goines on 3 tracks). Brazilian tunes, "Satin Doll," "Footprints," a piece from Paquito D'Rivera. Lively, subtle, with a big boost from "special guest" trombonist Jay Ashby. B+(*)

Pete Rodríguez: El Alquimista/The Alchemist (2008, Conde Music): Trumpeter, b. 1969, from Puerto Rico, based in NJ, has a couple of previous records. He's ably supported here by Ricardo Rodríguez on bass, Henry Cole on drums, and Roberto Quintero, and frequently upstaged by splashy performances from pianist Luis Perdomo and tenor saxophonist David Sánchez. Impressive as the latter two are, I find their whiplash approach to Latin jazz often disorienting. Trumpet sounds fine. B+(*)

Anthony Braxton/Milford Graves/William Parker: Beyond Quantum (2008, Tzadik): Five pieces, named "First Meeting," "Second Meeting," etc. The "Fourth Meeting" is the most immediately compelling -- probably just the straightest and most accessible. Braxton plays "saxophones": alto is his preferred tool, and he's one of the most dexterous and expansive alto saxophonists ever, especially when he doesn't have to navigate his own contorted compositions. He plays sopranino toward the end; probably others, but he gets such a wide range of sound out of alto I could be wrong. Graves is a little-recorded percussion legend, adding some vocalizing and other strange effects here and there. Parker is a massively-recorded bass legend. Much food for thought all around. A- [Rhapsody]

Mike Clark: Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 1 (2006 [2009], Talking House): New label, introducing three volumes in a same-titled series, the other two by drummer Donald Bailey and saxophonist Billy Harper -- all veteran players, not a lot under their names, although Harper is exceptional in several regards. Clark's discography starts with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters fusion group in 1974, although this is a pretty straightforward hard bop set, distinguished by bright, forceful performances from the band: Jed Levy (tenor sax), Donald Harrison (alto sax), Christian Scott (trumpet), Christian McBride (bass), Patrice Rushen (piano). Nice drumwork, too. B+(*) [Jan. 20]

Billy Harper: Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 2 (2006 [2009], Talking House): Gospel-tinged tenor saxophonist, cut an album back in 1975 that inspired the great Italian label Black Saint. Hasn't recorded much lately -- mostly I've noticed him popping up in various big bands. Has a thickly muscled tone, a lot of depth and resonance and, well, soul -- few saxophonists are as easy to pick out in a blindfold test. First two tracks feature Amiri Baraka spoken word pieces. Only non-original is "Amazing Grace." Haven't managed to listen straight through yet, and there's plenty of time before the delayed official release date. But it sure is great to hear Harper again, especially when he really opens up. [B+(***)] [Feb. 17]

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No final grades/notes this week on records put back for further listening the first time around.

I thought with no Jazz Prospecting this week it would be an opportune time to dump out the ongoing Rhapsody file.

These are short notes/reviews based on streaming records from Rhapsody. They are snap judgments based on one or two plays, accumulated since my last post along these lines, back on April 17. It is at least a way to keep up on new releases without having to track down all that product. Past notes are collated here.

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Conor Oberst (2008, Merge): Eponymous album from singer-songwriter who always worked behind an alias before. One thing I have to admit is that he sounds much more confident. I bought two of his Bright Eyes albums, played them a few times, but they're still sitting on the unrated shelf. Streamed Cassadaga from Rhapsody and gave it a somewhat equivocal snap grade. Played this one twice, and it's finally making sense, which may or may not help the older albums. Songs are sharply conceived, mostly memorable, a few quite striking. A-

Mike Edison and the Rocket Train Delta Science Arkestra: I Have Fun Everywhere I Go (2008, Interstellar Roadhouse): Memoirs of a magazine editor -- Screw, Main Event, High Times -- declaimed loud over punk-noisy electro-boogie, with a soupçon of heavy metal thrown in for the Ozzy Osborne story, and some more straightforward punk for "GG Allin Died Last Night" -- my favorite piece here, probably because I like the line declining to go to an Allin concert ("why spoil the mood?"). "Space Bop" is about volunteering for NASA then getting second thoughts after Challenger blew up. "Jews for Jesus" is about how Jesus is cooler than most Christians. B+(***)

Patti Smith/Kevin Shields: The Coral Sea (2005-06 [2008], TBC, 2CD): Shields is from My Bloody Valentine, a group that tried to pass off slightly sweetened noise as pop and sometimes got away with it. I gather this is guitar-and-effects here, although at first I just thought mild-mannered synth -- it does get louder, especially on the second set/disc. Smith reads her poetry -- a tribute and elegy for Robert Mapplethorpe -- over the din. More or less interesting, sometimes striking, although nothing that really catches gear like, say, Horses. B+(*)

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (2008, Cash Money/Universal): Way behind on this guy: I picked up two of the mixtapes, but haven't had time for them yet, and haven't heard any of the previous Tha Carters. This seems kind of wobbly at first, although some bits deliver wit, especially "Mrs. Officer," a twist on NWA's "Fuck Tha Police." Gets better from that point, although I still don't have a good sense of what he's up to. B+(***)

The Bug: London Zoo (2008, Ninja Tune): Kevin Martin, illbient dub producer, third album. I liked the last one, Pressure, from way back in 2003 quite a bit. This one is, well, illbient dub. Tippa Irie, Ricky Ranking, someone called Flowdan -- pretty harsh voices to go with the hard knocks beats. B+(*)

Paul Weller: 22 Dreams (2008, Yep Roc): Twenty-two songs, evidently a 2-CD set, although it didn't seem that long -- not that I paid a lot of attention. I hadn't heard anything by Weller since the Jam, a punchy little rock group that slipped through the British punk stream even though they didn't quite fit. Weller went on to form the Style Council, which lasted through the 1980s without ever inspiring me to listen in, and now has a dozen or so albums under his own name. Always well-regarded in England; never much of a name in the US. Certainly a pro; just not sure how far removed that makes him from a hack. B

Black Kids: Partie Traumatic (2008, Almost Gold/Columbia): One thing I don't get is the relationship between this Jacksonville group of black (and not so black) youngsters of both sexes with Robert Smith of the Cure. For starters, the latter is depressive, and these kids are exuberant -- wouldn't call them "kids" otherwise, would you? Churning keybs, new wave beats, a comic kiddie chorus. Two or three great songs -- I'm on the fence about "I Wanna Be Your Limousine," but not "Listen to Your Body Tonight" or "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance." B+(***)

Miley Cyrus: Breakout (2008, Disney): Teen pop star, previously marketed as Hannah Montana, but now that she's 16 they're moving her into the next niche on the ladder. Still, without her bio I wouldn't have pegged this as teen pop. Seems more like failsafe power pop; nothing interesting in the voice, nothing that suggests, uh, personality. B-

Jonas Brothers: A Little Bit Longer (2008, Hollywood): Teen pop group, three brothers, now on their third album, with the younger brother, Nick Jonas (b. 1992), getting out ahead with some solo recordings. Starts off sounding pretty good, with some nuance to crunchy pop-rock. Tails off toward the end, and "Sorry" -- the big power ballad move -- is quite awful. B+(*)

Katy Perry: One of the Boys (2008, Capitol): The things a girl will do to get noticed: "Ur So Gay," "I Kissed a Girl," "One of the Boys." Those are all fun, and "Hot N Cold" is even better. Doesn't hold up all the way to the end, but makes a showy splash. B+(*)

Del McCoury: Moneyland (2008, McCoury Music): I've seen this attributed to McCoury, a bluegrass journeyman who was born a couple of years before Franklin Roosevelt, who chats at the beginning and end, took office. I've also seen it chalked up to Various Artists, which is probably more accurate, as it starts with Bernard "Slim" Smith's 1931 "Breadline Blues," and includes recognizable pieces by Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Chris Knight, Patty Loveless, Mac Wiseman, and others, including four cuts by McCoury. We haven't exactly returned to the Great Depression, but sometimes it pinches like it, especially when you see how money struts across the land. Take away message: "vote away the blues/the breadline blues." B+(***)

Alan Jackson: Good Time (2008, Arista): Neotrad standard, Jackson is settling into a very comfortable middle age with his 14th album. The songs come easy, in part because he never tries to say anything that conflicts with conventional wisdom. His "Small Town Southern Man" is an archetype of modest decency, just like the hillbilly Jesus would be "If Jesus Walked the World Today." Jackson hasn't moved up or out. He claims "I Still Like Bologna," and there's no reason to doubt him, but also note that he bothers to spell the word correctly instead of phoneticizing it out. A-

Laura Cantrell: Trains and Boats and Planes (1996-2008 [2008], Diesel Only, EP): Alt-country singer-songwriter, had two good albums on this label 2000-02, then one I haven't heard on Matador in 2005. Not sure if she's coming or going, or just marking time. This is billed as a digital-only EP, with six newly recorded covers, plus three "bonus tracks" from old albums (one original). She's on top of the mixed batch of smartly chosen covers: the Bacharach-David title cut, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Gordon Lightfoot, John Hartford, and one from New Order. B+(*)

Rebecca Lynn Howard: No Rules (2008, Saguaro Road): Country singer, third or fourth album, has a big voice, fond of R&B flourishes. Most songs are arranged for Nashville pop-opera, and she oversings like crazy. I remember when "diva" was a thesaurus word -- something you'd drop into a review as a change of pace, preferably ironic. I'm getting to where I regret ever having used the word. C+

Glen Campbell: Meet Glen Campbell (2008, Capitol): A legendary studio session guitarist in the 1960s -- even toured with the Beach Boys -- with a long list of real (and possibly imagined) credits: Ricky Nelson, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, the Mamas and the Papas, the Monkees, the Troggs, the Velvet Underground? (Must be: he does "Jesus" here.) He's recorded one or more albums every year since 1962's Big Bluegrass Special, with chart-topping country/pop albums concentrated around 1967-69, leading to his TV variety show in 1969-72, with a couple more hit albums as late as 1977, and many more after that. Married four times, not counting a notorious fling with Tanya Tucker. Owns his own golf tournament. I'm old enough to have lived through all this, and in all this time I've never felt compelled to buy a single one of his albums -- not even a best-of. Thought this one might be when I dialed it up, but these are new recordings, a covers album, with nothing rootsy and a couple of very odd choices (of which "Jesus" is the best). His guitar is like a threshing machine, chewing through whatever terrain is put in front of it. Keyboards turn whatever's left to mulch. His voice has lost its lightness. Not the best time to meet up with him, but when was it ever? C

Buddy Guy: Skin Deep (2008, Silvertone/Zomba): After BB King, he reigns as the elder blues eminence, but he got his start early, and is still just 72. First new album since 2001's Sweet Tea. Like John Lee Hooker, he's padding his late career with guests. (Don't have the doc, so this may be partial: Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Jack White. Still, almost everything worthwhile here is indubitably Buddy Guy. Strikes me as, if anything, too upbeat, and can grow tedious. Exception: the "we're all the same" title song. B+(*)

George Strait: Troubadour (2008, MCA Nashville): Since 1981, probably the straightest, most consistent neotrad country singer around. Only reason I qualify that is that I've skipped almost all of his albums, only periodically turning in to his compilations, which against greater odds invariably feel consistent. Not sure how much he writes -- looks like nothing here. Was starting to have doubts halfway through, but closes strong with "House With No Doors" ("you can't make a woman feel something she don't/and you can't build a house with no doors") and "If Heartaches Were Horses" (didn't jot that one down). B+(*)

Sugarland: Love on the Inside (2008, Mercury Nashville): Countryish pop-rock duo -- singer Jennifer Nettles has twang, so does guitarist Kristian Bush. Third record, all bestsellers. First two songs sound promising, featuring jumpy beats and choppy hooks, but they're soon negated by two awful power ballads. Then they retool "Long Black Veil" as "Genevieve," copping a bit of roots sound for something about a babysitter. Put it all together and you get the arena-ready pro-tattoo "Take Me as I Am," which is far enough over the top I almost like it. Better still is "Steve Earle," where they turn on the country charm to beg Earle to write them a song. B

Hamell on Trial: Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs (2006, Righteous Babe): Couldn't find Ed Hamell's latest, called Rant and Roll, but I've long wanted to hear this one. First song is called "Inquiring Minds": about what you tell your kids when they get too nosey. Pretty hit and miss from there on, but a definite his is one about trying to teach a 3-year-old wiseacre something about "Values." B+(***)

The Felice Brothers (2008, Team Love): Americana outfit, shades of Dylan in the vocals and the Band in the organ, but thinner, washed out, faded. A bit like the Pernice Brothers, but not quite there. B+(*)

Flogging Molly: Float (2008, Side One Dummy): Los Angeles group, thinks they're the second coming of the Pogues, making up in speed and volume what they lack in insight or new ideas -- which is quite a lot. B-

Fleet Foxes (2008, Sub Pop): Seattle group, first album, has gotten a lot of attention (Metacritic score: 88). They claim to have grown up on 1960s music, the most obvious effect an overdose of Beach Boys harmonics, all the odder for the lack of appropriate voices. The effect is arty. The artwork, by the way, is another 1960s throwback, to Pearls Without Swine. B-

Alejandro Escovedo: Real Animal (2008, Back Porch/Manhattan): Singer-songwriter, started out in alt-country Rank and File, and has gone on to record 10 or so albums since 1992. Was on the ropes a couple of years ago with Hepatitis C, yielding a tribute album to raise some scratch, but evidently he's gotten through that -- does give "People (We're Only Gonna Live So Long)" an extra shot of authority. But he's also singing louder and clearer than usual, and the songs have more punch, probably because they're all co-written with Chuck Prophet. Almost rockabilly, with some politics and joie de vivre. B+(***)

Jeffrey Lewis: 12 Crass Songs (2008, Rough Trade): Anti-folk singer, underground comic book artist, has several past albums which I probably should have noticed but didn't. Sounds a lot like the Moldy Peaches, if you remember them, except older and more worldly, and for that matter more repulsed by said world -- like the Moldy Peaches, he works with a female singer, evidently Helen Schreiner, who does a pretty fair Kimya Dawson impersonation. Not sure what Crass is or where it comes from or what it's doing here. According to AMG, the songs are attributed to: Ignorant, Rimbaud, Libertine, Wright, and Devivre. But what I can say is that this is some of the most politically subversive music I've ever heard. Pretty good, too. A-

Justin Adams: Soul Science (2007 [2008], World Village): English guitarist-producer, worked with Jah Wobble, moved into North/West African music, specifically Saharan blues, the sort of thing that gets touted for its resemblance to John Lee Hooker, although in this case Bo Diddley isn't out of the question either. Adding to the effect is Gambian singer Juldeh Camara, who renders it just foreign enough. B+(**)

Kasai Allstars: In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic (2008, Crammed Discs): Kinshasa group, or aggregation of groups, part of Crammed's "congotronics" series, not as intensely noisy as Konono No. 1, but along the same lines. B+(***)

Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun (2008, Capitol): Hard to tell from two plays how deep this might eventually sink in. I know the title song mostly from Louis Armstrong, and even he has trouble redeeming its soupiness, but Wilson makes good use of it, reprising it several times as he works it into his smiley tapestry. Also reprised is the whole narrative of the Beach Boys, sometimes pulling old bits out, sometimes recreating them (e.g., "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl"), sometimes just to perpetuate the juvenilia. I'm not swept away, but am at least moderately amused. B+(**)

Raphael Saadiq: The Way I See It (2008, Columbia): At best, this sounds like vintage Motown, even when Stevie Wonder isn't guesting. At worst it sounds like vintage Gamble-Huff, which, come to think of it, isn't too shabby either. A-

Late of the Pier: Echoclistel Lambietroy (2008, Astralwerks, EP): Five cuts, dance-timed, high-NRG. Didn't get a clear listen due to download problems, but it hit an irritating nerve -- reminded me a bit of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. B-

Okkervil River: The Stand Ins (2008, Jagjaguwar): Austin TX group, strikes me as an Americana version of the Cure: the melodicism is unexceptional but gains substance when the leader has something to say, and the pseudo-depth of what is said becomes tolerable given the melodicism. A lot of people like this band a lot. I can sort of see why, but mostly don't mind them much. B+(*)

Leon Ware: Moon Ride (2008, Stax): Motown songwriter, cut a few records over the years. Has a smooth style, lots of cooing and wooing. Reminds you of some classic singers, but not really one of them. B+(*)

Martha Wainwright: I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too (2008, Zoë): Didn't notice any lyrics, which means she lacks the wit of her father, or her mother, or maybe even her brother. Picks up a notch when she rocks harder, or when she takes it real simple, but not when she flirts with Kate Bush. Covers Syd Barrett and Eurythmics. B-

Spent almost all of the week working on the house, trying to keep things from collapsing, an ounce of prevention that Alan Greenspan would have been well advised to consider 5 or 10 years ago. Didn't bag the minimum jazz prospecting count I set last week when I set out on this new tangent. Didn't even come close. In fact, mostly played old blues records, which happened to be handy and seemed to be helpful. One small accomplishment was building another CD case, which I figure is good for nearly 1200 CDs. By the time I'm through, we should have much more storage, although the long term resolution is to learn to live within the new parameters.

Next three weeks should be little different from this last one, at least as regards Jazz Prospecting, but maybe there'll be some dribs and drabs to show.

Jazz Consumer Guide is out in the Village Voice this week. Title is "Festival Visions": I came up with that when I noticed a relatively large number of records associated with William Parker's Vision Festival. Actually, had I thought of it sooner, I could have rounded up a couple more. AUM Fidelity has an inside track on these records. They probably have the best placement percentage of any label over Jazz CG history. Some other labels, like ECM, have had more records listed, but they release many more. In addition to the avant-garde, a couple of trad jazz records made the cut.

I haven't seen the print edition, but one thing new this time is that I decided to run several honorable mentions on the web page that I offered up as cuts for the print edition: Tom Teasley, Vince Seneri, Ernest Dawkins, and Rocco John Iacovone. These were toward the bottom of the list, and had been cut at least once previously. Running them this way at least gets them out. Otherwise, I was afraid that I would never get them out. One result was that the cuts were concentrated in the main section:

• Steven Bernstein: Diaspora Suite (Tzadik)
• Mike Ellis: Bahia Band (Alpha Pocket)
• Scott Fields Freetet: Bitter Love Songs (Clean Feed)
• Vandermark 5: Beat Reader (Atavistic)

These are all A- records, and should run next time. For the record, the top six on my honorable mention list are also A- rated. I didn't feel like getting into a lot of detail on them, and I figured they'd be better served now than stuck in the waiting queue. Good records; a wide range of styles and interests. Don't have enough space often enough, so I try to make do. A lot more in the pipeline. In fact, I have very nearly enough written for the next column.

Jazz Consumer Guide (#17) will run this week, meaning Wednesday. I've done quite a bit of work on the next one, but I'm pretty much stalled right now. Did manage a bit of prospecting early in the week, but nothing last 3-4 days. In fact, I've just been playing things for pleasure, and to show off to my house guest. Right now that means Lefty Frizzell. Don't expect I'll be writing much in the next 6-8 weeks. I started a short thing on the anniversary of 9/11, but didn't manage to wrap it up. Didn't even manage to publish the book notes I have backlogged. But I did frame together a new CD cabinet that I figure will hold another 800 CDs, so I'm making progress on other (non-writing) fronts. That's important, too.

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Lee Konitz and Minsarah: Deep Lee (2007 [2008], Enja): Konitz needs no introduction. He is past 80 now, still active, still playing difficult music beautifully. Minsarah is Florian Weber's piano trio, one of those groups named after their first album. Jeff Denson plays bass, Ziv Ravitz drums. Mostly Weber pieces, except for the title cut. Was too busy to do anything more than enjoy the record. Will return to it. [B+(***)]

Christian Howes: Heartfelt (2008, Resonance): Violinist, b. 1972, Columbus, OH; now based in New York. Fourth album since 1997. Small print notes: featuring Roger Kellaway. Stick describes this as "beautiful, romantic jazz," and that does seem to be what he's aiming for. When he adds viola things can get icky, as on the first two cuts. Elsewhere he shows a Grappelli influence, and pianist Kellaway earns his keep. Bennie Goodman's "Opus Half" is relatively choice. B

Toninho Horta: To Jobim With Love (2008, Resonance): Banner across the bottom identifies this as belonging to an "Heirloom Series." No recording date, but it's pitched as a 50th anniversary celebration of bossa nova -- seems likely to be new. Horta plays guitar and sings -- make that, plays guitar much better than he sings. He takes nine songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim, adds three of his own, plus a stray by Paulo Horta and Donato Donatti, and gives them what must pass among the nouveaux riches as the luxury treatment. The results are very mixed: wonderful, awful, permutations thereof. The band is ridiculously large, with some prominent yanks -- Dave Kikoski (piano), Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), Gary Peacock (acoustic bass), John Clark (French horn), Charles Pillow (oboe) -- mixed in with comparable Brazilians like Paulo Braga and Manolo Badrena and bunches of folks I've never heard of, many surnamed Horta -- the five flutes give you an idea. Then there's the 22-piece string section, a surefire recipe for seasickness. And the backing vocals, another dozen. Gal Costa even drops in for three cuts. Still, it can be very nice when they keep it simple, especially when the tune is as irresistible as "Desafinado." B-

John Beasley: Letter to Herbie (2008, Resonance): Pianist, b. 1960 in Louisiana. Toured with Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard in the 1980s, cut a couple of crossover albums on Windham Hill, scratched out a living doing ad jingles and filmworks. Plays Fender Rhodes and synth as well as piano. Mostly Hancock songs, with two originals and one by Wayne Shorter. Christian McBride, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Roy Hargrove get their name on the front cover as "featuring" while Steve Tavaglione, Michael O'Neill, and Louis Conte don't. Emphasizes Hancock's hard bop side over his fusion moves, which is probably for the best. B+(*)

Andreas Öberg: My Favorite Guitars (2008, Resonance, CD+DVD): Swedish guitarist, b. 1978, based in Los Angeles; fourth album since 2004. Plays electric, acoustic, 6-string nylon. Two originals; ten covers, songs by other guitarists like Django Reinhardt, Toninho Horta, Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, George Benson, Pat Metheny. One of those records that I put on, got distracted, didn't dislike what little I noticed, but didn't notice anything to make it seem worth another play. Didn't watch the DVD. B

Mike Garson: Conversations With My Family (2006 [2008], Resonance, CD+DVD): No recording date for the CD, but the DVD was shot May 7, 2006. Presumably there's some relationship, but once again I didn't bother with the DVD. Garson rings a bell. At the time I first heard it, I thought his piano solo in David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" was one of the most magnificent things I had ever heard. Other than that I hadn't noticed him much. Turns out that before Bowie he started out with Annette Peacock. He has a dozen or so albums, starting with 1979's Avant Garson. This has a lot of quasi-classical flourishes, especially when accented by Christian Howes' violin -- three cuts, but I could have sworn there were more strings. Claudio Roditti plays trumpet and/or flugelhorn on two cuts; Lori Bell flute on one; Andreas Öberg adds guitar on two. The titles are connected with short interludes, another classical-ish touch. And the piano is rich and florid -- not something I tend to like, but here I rather do. B+(*)

William Parker Quartet: Petit Oiseau (2007 [2008], AUM Fidelity): Too late to make it into JCG (#17), where Parker and the alto saxophonist here, Rob Brown, both have pick hits. Just as well, as this hasn't clicked for me yet -- unlike two previous albums with the same lineup (O'Neal's Porch and Sound Unity), or for that matter Raining on the Moon (which added vocalist Lorena Conquest) and Corn Meal Dance (with Conquest and pianist Eri Yamamoto). On the other hand, I haven't been convinced to give up, either. It feels less avant, more composed through. The two horns -- Brown's alto sax and Lewis Barnes' trumpet -- rarely fly off on their separate paths. The liner notes suggest that for once Parker is working within the tradition, composing tributes to players like Tommy Flanagan (or Tommy Turrentine, or Tommy Potter), mapping the Little Bird from one of his tone poems back to Charlie Parker. [B+(***)]

Paul Motian Trio 2000 + Two: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. II (2006 [2008], Winter & Winter): Don't remember Vol. 1 all that well, but it came out at about the same grade. Motian is less of a time keeper than a time disrupter, and he never lets this group settle down into a groove or open up into a jam. In this trio Chris Potter gets abstract and choppy, not really his style, but he handles it well enough. The third leg of the trio is bassist Larry Grenadier. The plus two is pianist Masabumi Kikuchi and either Greg Osby (alto sax) or Mat Manieri (viola). B+(**)

Vince Mendoza: Blauklang (2007 [2008], ACT): Mostly a composer-arranger, no playing credit here. Fifth album since 1990, first since 1999. The bulk of the album is the six movement "Blue Sounds," which closes the disc after five pieces -- two originals, one traditional, one each from Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The record bears the WDR/The Cologne Broadcasts logo, drawing on the Westdeutschen Rundfunks Köln big band, with a few ringers thrown in: Nguyên Lê on guitar, Markus Stockhausen on trumpet, Lars Danielsson on bass, Peter Erskine on drums. So, basically, a big band, plus strings (String Quarter Red URG 4). Has some nice moments, but runs too close to classical for my taste. B-

Peter Schärli Trio Feat. Ithamara Koorax: Obrigado Dom Um Romão (2006 [2008], TCB): Schärli plays trumpet; was born 1955; has at least 8 albums since 1986, including at least one focusing on Brazilian music. Trio includes Markus Stalder on guitar and Thomas Dürst on double bass. Koorax is a Brazilian vocalist, b. 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, the daughter of Polish Jews who fled Europe during WWII. Dom Um Romão was a famous Brazilian percussionist, 1924-2005. One cut here incorporates a berimbau solo Romão recorded in the 1990s. I suppose the lack of drums in this tribute could signify his absence. Mostly slow Brazilian tunes, two standards ("Love for Sale," "I Fall in Love Too Easily"), a Schärli original, done with a lot of haunting, smokey atmosphere. B+(**)

Bill Moring & Way Out East: Spaces in Time (2007 [2008], Owl Studios): Bassist-led "collective group" -- second album, not counting the one Moring did with a Way Out West group. Post-hard bop, with Jack Walrath on trumpet, Tim Armacost on sax, Steve Allee on keyboard, Steve Johns on drums, all but Allee contributing a song or two -- Ornette Coleman is the only cover. Especially good to hear Walrath, who hasn't recorded much lately. B+(*) [Oct. 7]

Mike & the Ravens: Noisy Boys! The Saxony Sessions (2006-07 [2008], Zoho Roots): Rock band, led by vocalist Mike Brassard. Group originally formed in 1962, but this, with same original members, is their first album. Rocks OK, with a large blues component. Sounds more advanced than 1962. More like 1968. In fact, sounds an awful lot like Steppenwolf. B

Harry Shearer: Songs of the Bushmen (2008, Courgette): Eleven songs, one dedicated to Bush administration teamwork ("935 Lies"), the other ten to individuals, starting with Colin Powell's "Smooth Moves" and ending with Donald Rumsfeld's "Stuff Happens" -- both song-and-dance numbers, more than a little jazzy. Some of the adaptations are obvious -- "Wolf on the Run" for Paul Wolfowitz, "Who Is Yoo?" for John Yoo, with Karl Rove's "Turd Blossom Special" and "The Head of Alberto Gonzalez" the most effective. "Karen" (as in Hughes) is a duet with a Bush-sounding character asking the publicist whether they like us yet. The one that cuts deepest is Condoleezza Rice's "Gym Buds," with Judith Owen singing and someone named Beethoven contributing the melody. [B+(***)]

Carla Bley and Her Remarkable Big Band: Appearing Nightly (2006 [2008], Watt): Aside from daughter Karen Mantler on organ, a pretty standard big band configuration: four trumpets, four trombones, five reeds, piano, bass, drums. Half or more are well known names, mostly with lengthy associations with Bley: Lew Soloff, Gary Valente, Wolfgang Pushnig, Andy Sheppard, Julian Argüelles, Steve Swallow, Billy Drummond. The layering is impeccable, and she make especially good use of the trombones. B+(***)

The Stryker/Slagle Band: The Scene (2008, Zoho): Fourth album under this name, although guitarist Dave Stryker and alto saxophonist Steve Slagle appeared on each other's albums long before their merger. Jay Anderson plays bass, Lewis Nash drums. Joe Lovano joins in on four cuts, but he's mostly wasted on slow and overly slick stuff. And then there's Slagle's characteristic flute cut. On the other hand, the band's usual upbeat postbop is pretty tasty. B+(*)

Nik Payton and Bob Wilber: Swinging the Changes (2007 [2008], Arbors): Payton plays tenor sax and clarinet. B. 1972, Birmingham, England; studied at Leeds College of Music, and perhaps more importantly under Wilber, who indulged his Sidney Bechet fetish. Payton was a founder of the Charleston Chasers, and has toured with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and what's left of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. One previous album, called In the Spirit of Swing. Lives in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which may have something to do with why there's a Jobim song here, but few albums lack one; in any case, this is pretty straight swing, the only unusual point the preponderance of originals -- 4 by Payton, 7 by Wilber. Group is Payton's "regular London quartet" -- Richard Buskiewicz (piano), Dave Green (bass), Steve Brown (drums). Wish I could say more, but every time I hear something exceptional here I convince myself that it's Wilber. B+(*)

Ron Kalina and Jim Self: The Odd Couple (2006-07 [2008], Basset Hound): Kalina plays chromatic harmonica. Doesn't seem to have much of a discography or history, but he looks rather gray. Self plays tuba. He's been around a long time, with credits going back to 1976 and seven or more albums since 1992. The group is rounded out capably by Larry Koonse (guitar), Tom Warrington (bass), and Joe La Barbera (drums). They play a couple of originals, some standards, two Charlie Parker tunes, the Neal Hefti-composed title TV theme. They make an odd buzz, and swing a little. B+(*)

Darrell Katz/Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra: The Same Thing (2006 [2008], Cadence Jazz): Katz is a composer/arranger -- no performance credits here. He's directed the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra since 1985, through six albums plus three under his own name. He seems to be based in Boston. Don't know much more. JCAO is a large, ungainly group, leaning avant-garde. Three of Katz's five pieces here are built around texts by Paula Tatarunis, with more/less political overtones. They are sung/recited by Rebecca Shrimpton, in one of those annoying operatic soprano voices, although the words are consistently interesting, and the music does something for them. The sixth piece is the Willie Dixon blues, "The Same Thing," sung by Mike Finnigan. It's one of those standard pop pieces that take on new life when avant-gardists keep the 4/4 and twist everything else. Not a record I'd feel like playing often, but there's a lot in it. B+(**)

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No final grades/notes this week on records put back for further listening the first time around.

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For this cycle's collected Jazz Prospecting notes, look here.

Another weird week for me. I fumbled for a couple of days getting nowhere, then started pulling long-sitting probable junk from the shelves (some, but by no means all, below), then spent a few days playing Rhapsody, and finally settled into some serious jazz. The Rhapsody stuff will show up in a later post -- I've never been a fan, but the Conor Oberst album is pretty good, and Jeffrey Lewis's 12 Crass Songs is a weird, left-wing find. No more info on when Jazz CG (#17) runs, although it shouldn't be too long now.

One thing I'll note here is that I'm going to be cutting back on writing, especially about music, over the next 6-8 weeks. I'm not discontinuing anything, but everything will be sparser and slower. I have another trip to Detroit lined up, and I have a bunch of construction projects, both here and there, on my plate. This is the best time to get them done, and I'm finally taking that plunge. All year long -- in fact for several years now -- I've been tethered to the computer, listening to as much stuff as I could handle, writing as much as I can, letting pretty much everything else slip into entropy's clutches.

I will be listening to stuff, and I'll write notes when I can. They'll probably be more slapdash then usual, with more records put back for later listening. If I have 6+ I'll put up a Jazz Prospecting post. I have a little over 1000 words written for Jazz CG (#18), and that will get a boost when the cuts for (#17) come in. So it shouldn't be hard to finish this off in a timely fashion. September Recycled Goods is already thick enough to run. No reason to stop sending me new stuff. This period will pass, then (most likely) we'll be back to normal.

The non-music parts of the blog/website will continue in a similar mode. I have some book stuff more/less ready to go. The cutback means I'll put less work into finishing them off, but the posts will continue. Don't know about the politics. I'm somewhat inclined to pull my head down and let whatever happens in the next two months -- Matt Taibbi's memorable term for the 2004 election was "The Stupid Season," and that seems likely to be the case once again. But I doubt that I won't be tempted to write something, no matter how distracted I am. We'll see.

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Renaud Garcia-Fons Trio: Arcoluz (2005 [2008], Enja/Justin Time, CD+DVD): French bassist, b. 1962, uses an unusual 5-string double bass, has a technique of tapping strings with the bow. The fifth string gives him something like cello range. Trio includes Kiko Ruiz on "flamenco guitar" and Negrito Transante on drums/percussion. Music draws on flamenco, and reminded me more than a bit of tango. Garcia-Fons has six albums on Enja, at least two picked up by Justin Time. DVD adds visuals to the same concert. I played it but didn't watch much. B+(**)

Randy Sandke: Unconventional Wisdom (2008, Arbors): Trumpeter, mostly plays old-fashioned mainstream, or what you might call swing-bop, but sometimes will surprise you. This quartet, with Howard Alden (guitar), Nicki Parrott (bass), and John Riley (drums), should steer to the retro side, but doesn't. I'm not really sure what they're doing, other than framing a lot of gorgeous trumpet balladry. Parrott also sings four songs. She has a plain, slightly hesitant voice, which I think works very well. [B+(**)]

The Pineapple Thief: Tightly Unwound (2008, K Scope): English ("Somerset-based") rock group, led by guitarist Bruce Soord, has half a dozen albums since 1999. Sounds a little like Jesus and Mary Chain minus the fuzz -- didn't catch any lyrics, so I can't speak to the gloom. Better than average for what they do, but no real business being here. B+(*)

Tuner: Totem (2005 [2008], Unsung): Another rock record slipped into the stack. Quasi-industrial, chompy hard beats, fuzz guitar, more instrumental than not, with long stairstepped segues and some chant-like but ignorable vocals. "Dexter Ward," with its long instrumental outro, is a good example. B+(**)

Tuner: Pole (2005-06 [2007], Unsung): Not background; just an earlier record I shelved and didn't bother with. Group is duo with Markus Reuter on guitars (mostly) and Pat Mastelotto on drums (mostly), with nine guests listed. Like the quasi-industrial instrumentals; don't like the cult doom-and-gloom vocals -- the talkie ones aren't so bad, but the whispery ones are just creepy. B

Judith Owen: Mopping Up Karma (2008, Couragette): British (or should I say Welsh?) singer-songwriter, with eight (or more) records since 1996. I don't hear her as a jazz singer, and don't find her very interesting as a rock or cabaret singer. At least this has fewer annoying vocal tics than the previous album I've heard (Happy This Way), and the strings and such are fairly inocuous. B-

Anne Phillips: Ballet Time (2008, Conawago): Singer, definitely jazz, all the way down to writing vocalese lyrics -- her take on Dexter Gordon's "Fried Bananas" goes so far as to explain how she wound up writing a lyric to "Fried Bananas." Reportedly got her start "as a member of the Ray Charles Singers on the Perry Como Show." Cut an album in 1959 called "Born to Be Blue," then followed it up with a second album in 2001. This looks to be her third, not counting her choir arrangements for the Anne Phillips Singers. This one calls in a lot of chits, arranging 15 songs as duos with 15 musicians -- mostly pianists (notably Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland, Roger Kellaway), two guitarists (John Hart, Paul Meyers), two saxes (Scott Robinson on baritone, Bob Kindred on tenor), and Joe Locke on vibes. Two pianists sing duets: Bob Dorough and Matt Perri. Five songs have music or lyric (not both) by Phillips. The others lean on her guests, or the Gershwins. The minimal pairings and juxtapositions make for a very mixed bag -- tricks and oddities that never get a chance to jell into something genuinely idiosyncratic. B

Kopacoustic: Music From the KopaFestival 2006, Volume 1 (2006 [2007], Kopasetic): The first of two samplers from a Swedish jazz festival, held Sept. 21-22, 2006, in Malmö, sorted not strictly by acoustic vs. electric so much as by guitar volume -- all six groups have guitarists, a sure sign of the times. First up here is Krister Jonsson Trio (Jonsson, guitar; Nils Davidsen, electric bass, Peter Danemo, drums) + Svante Henryson (cello): 4 cuts, 29:08. Then Footloose (Mats Holtne, guitar; Mattias Hjorth, bass, Peter Nilsson, drums) + Lotte Anker (alto sax) & Andreas Andersson (soprano/baritone sax): 1 cut, 18:05. Finally, Cennet Jönsson Quartet (Jönsson, soprano/tenor sax; Krister Jonsson; Mattias Hjorth; Peter Nilsson) + David Liebman (soprano sax, flute). Loose, attractive free jazz, guitar-driven, with cello or light sax to soothe things out. B+(**)

Kopalectric: Music From the KopaFestival 2006, Volume 2 (2006 [2007], Kopasetic): More guitar-driven free jazz, cranked up a notch for Lim + Marc Ducret (3 cuts, 31:01) and Elektra Hyde (1 cut, 10:36), and a couple more for Anders Nilsson's Aorta (1 cut, 20:59, called "Riding the Maelström"). B+(**)

Dave Pietro: The Chakra Suite (2007 [2008], Challenge): Saxophonist, alto is probably his main instrument, although he lists it third here, ahead of C-melody but after soprano and F-mezzo. Born in Massachusetts, studied at UNT, played 1994-2003 in Toshiko Akiyoshi's big band, and many of his other credits are in big bands -- Mike Holober, Pete McGuinness, Jim Widner, Gotham Wind Symphony. Sixth album since 1996, including some Brazilian experiments and a Stevie Wonder tribute. This one is based on Indian themes, but also includes Brazilian elements. Todd Isler taps both sources for percussion. Rez Abbasi plays sitar as well as guitar. Gary Versace plays accordion and piano. The light sax floats and dances over intriguing rhythms and subtle mood pieces. B+(***)

Michael Bates: Clockwise (2008, Greenleaf Music): Bassist, composer, grew up in Canada, played in hardcore and punk bands before settling into jazz. Has three albums, some attributed to Michael Bates' Outside Sources, although Bates is the only one on all three albums. (Actually, my copy, with no mention of Outside Sources, has a different cover from the one shown on the band's website and Myspace page. The label's website shows my cover.) Pianoless quartet this time, with Russ Johnson on trumpet, Quinsin Nachoff on sax or clarinet, and Jeff Davis on drums. It's worth the trouble trying to focus on bass/drums, which provide the foundation for all the free-flying sparks. B+(***) [Sept. 8]

Rabih Abou-Khalil: Em Português (2007 [2008], Enja): It looks like the German label Enja finally has a US distributor (Allegro), so we may start seeing their records in a more timely and complete fashion. (For the last several years they've had a deal where Justin Time selectively reissued their records.) Enja has been home to Lebanese oud player Abou-Khalil since 1988, with at least 10 records. They've all had very distinctive packaging: cardboard foldout cases with metallic ink. This one, with its purple background and jeweled fishes, is a beauty. Abou-Khalil started with his native Arabic music, which flows readily into jazz due to their joint emphasis on improvisation, but over the years he's moved fluidly through the realms of European folk musics -- Morton's Foot (2004) is an especially good example. Here he goes whole hog into Portugal, setting out an album totally dominated by Ricardo Ribeiro's vocals. I would have preferred more instrumental space, maybe a horn beyond Michel Godard's occasional tuba. The best thing here is the way the oud weaves through the whole tapestry. B+(**)

Ralph Lalama Quartet: Energy Fields (2008, Mighty Quinn): Mainstream tenor saxophonist, b. 1951, cut five albums for Criss Cross 1990-99. This is his first album in the new millennium, a quartet, with John Hart's guitar a significant complement for the sax. Mostly covers (1 original), standards and bop tunes from Parker, Shorter, and Shaw. I'm not familiar with his early work. This is beautifully done, but seems like something he could fall back on any day he wanted. B+(**) [Oct. 1]

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No final grades/notes this week on records put back for further listening the first time around.

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For this cycle's collected Jazz Prospecting notes, look here.

Back in 2003, a year before I started writing Jazz Consumer Guide, I quickly jotted down a set of reactions to Downbeat's Critics Poll and dumped them into my pre-blog on-line notebook. I figured it would be useful as a sanity test: seeing how my opinions stack up against the experts, taking note of some newcomers I missed or hadn't noticed or maybe just underrated. Wrote another one in 2004 after my first Jazz CG, and kept writing more, every year including this one. I've never voted in the poll -- don't have any relationship with them, not even as a subscriber, although I do check them out on the newsstand. (For one thing, they've managed to put about three-fourths of my featured duds on their cover, often a month or two after I make my pick, even if it hadn't been published yet.)

I'm late again this year: was slow getting to it, and slow getting it done. The fact that I'm posting it as early as I am is the result of cutting back on some of my ambitions. I did manage to round up all the old pieces and collect them here. I meant to do some more supporting research, especially for their Hall of Fame question. Also wanted to put together some files to remind me who I like on what instrument, but didn't get that done. As such, my notes are as haphazard and impressionistic as ever.

RS refers to the "Rising Star" list, generally for hot younger musicians, although the borders can get shifty.

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Hall of Fame: Joe Zawinul. Continues their recent trend of electing the newly deceased. The still-living Hank Jones and Lee Konitz tied for (#2), a hint of how far behind the curve Downbeat is. I need to take a good look at who's in, who's out. Otherwise, there are too many people to not forget someone key. Zawinul would be way down my list. I mostly know him through Weather Report, a group I do not hold high. Konitz and Jones obviously belong, as does George Russell (#8) in the same generation. I much admire Randy Weston (#4) and Muhal Richard Abrams (#6), but wouldn't have put them so high on my list. One name off the list that occurs to me is Mal Waldron. Another is Illinois Jacquet. The more I look the more I'll find. Back in 2003 I complained loudly about Jackie McLean not even being on the ballot, a condition that persisted until he died in 2006, at which point the critics came to consciousness and put him over the top. So I think it's fair now to start talking about such major musicians with 40+ year careers as Anthony Braxton and Peter Brötzmann. Maybe even some 30+ year careers on the level of David Murray and Billy Bang.

Veterans Committee: Jo Jones, Jimmie Lunceford, Erroll Garner, Harry Carney, Jimmy Blanton. One thing that will help open up this list is the new Veterans Committee concept, which picked off three of the top 15, plus two more. They took a subset of their critics, gave them 28 nominees, let them vote for as many as they wanted, then inducted those who got 75%. No idea who the other 23 were, or how modern they get -- Garner is the most recent, having recorded from 1944 and died in 1977. Don't know who else was on the nominee list. Jimmy Rushing is conspicuous among the missing. Bing Crosby wouldn't be a bad choice -- Sinatra and Cole are in. Some more hats to throw in the ring: Red Allen, Buck Clayton, Bud Freeman, Don Redman, Rex Stewart, Chick Webb. More research next time.

Jazz Artist: Herbie Hancock. Got his Grammy, which counts for something in this poll. I didn't like the album, but that was mostly because I didn't like the vocals. Runners-up were: Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Joe Lovano -- not a bad measure of career eminence, but that concept doesn't hold up either. Given his recent production and Vision Festival role, I would have voted for William Parker, who didn't place. RS: Jason Moran. All depends on how you slice it. The 12 finalists age sort: Eric Alexander (1966), Ben Allison (1968), Chris Potter (1971), Vijay Iyer (1971), Stefon Harris (1973), Moran (1975). (Don't have everyone's age, but the missing names most likely sort after 1975.) I would have been tempted to say Iyer, but also would have guessed him younger than Moran. Iyer has produced more good records in the last year-plus than any other finalist.

Jazz Album: Maria Schneider, Sky Blue. Another Grammy, winner of many polls. I think, to paraphrase Branford on Wynton, that she's good for jazz, but the album doesn't do anything for me, and it's not the first time I've felt that. Of the 17 listed albums, 7 made my A-list (Joe Lovano/Hank Jones, Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, Joshua Redman, William Parker, David Murray), with Murray's Sacred Ground by far the highest (#2) on my list, behind Jewels and Binoculars, Ships With Tattooed Sails. My lists for 2007 and 2008 (so far).

Historical Album: Charles Mingus, Cornell 1964. Didn't think it was any better than the other live shots from the same vintage group. Best record among the finalists was Thelonious Monk Orchestra: At Town Hall, possibly my favorite Monk ever. The one record on the list that I haven't heard but would most like to: Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions, in one of those big Mosaic boxes. I had the Billie Holiday Lady Day: The Master Takes and Singles at the top of my list, but that may have been too obvious for this batch of critics.

Jazz Group: Keith Jarrett Trio. I always have problems with leader-name-groups, which don't strike me as groups at all, although Jarrett's trio is as legit as they get, with no personnel changes in over 20 highly productive years. Only 2 of 12 finalists have actual group names here -- #4 SF Jazz Collective and #10 Bad Plus. Despite my reservations, I usually wind up picking Vandermark 5 here, which didn't make the cut. RS: The Claudia Quintet. More actual group names here: 5 of 12. I like everything I've heard by Claudia, but #12 Jewels and Binoculars and #8 Mostly Other People Do the Killing.

Big Band: Maria Schneider Orchestra. Don't have a favorite here, at least among the finalists -- several I like but haven't heard anything from lately (ICP Orchestra, Either/Orchestra, Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra). RS: Exploding Star Orchestra; Jason Lindner Big Band (tie). I had both of their records down in the low B+ range. One I found much more successful was #11 Nublu Orchestra, with Butch Morris at the helm. Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra, #5 here, released a good record in 2006 but haven't followed it up yet.

Soprano Saxophone: Wayne Shorter. I usually complain about non-specialists in this category, which includes 10 of the top 12 -- Jane Ira Bloom (#3) and Jane Bunnett (#8) are the usual exceptions, but not particular favorites either. Now that he's gotten away from Weather Report, I have to admit that Shorter does have a distinctive style on soprano, and he does good work with it (unlike #2 David Liebman and #4 Branford Marsalis). I will note that #7 Bob Wilber has just released a terrific new Soprano Summit album, but it was recorded 1975-79. RS: Marcus Strickland. Better on tenor, but he's not wasting his time on soprano. The RS list is also full of non-specialists. Two young players who have impressed me recently are Mike Ellis and Brent Jensen.

Alto Saxophone: Ornette Coleman. No problem if Coleman would bother recording more. I listen to recorded jazz, and don't hear enough from him. Lee Konitz (#3) and Anthony Braxton (#11) are nearly as eminent. Michael Moore (#12) made a notable surprise appearance here -- he's better known for clarinet, but alto sax is probably his lead instrument, and shows up more in the Jewels and Binoculars records. Tim Berne also belongs on this list. RS: Miguel Zenón. Has a new album out that I didn't get/haven't heard (need to do something about that). He's a very impressive player. Steve Lehman (#5) and Rob Brown (#9) have very good recent albums, including key roles in important groups. Off the list I should mention François Carrier, Jon Irabagon, and Dave Rempis.

Tenor Saxophone: Sonny Rollins. He's beginning to slip, edging Joe Lovano out 205-200, probably for lack of new records -- Lovano has a couple of dandies in the last year-plus. My pick is still (#8) David Murray, who was/is even better. RS: Donny McCaslin. I've long admired his chops, without particularly liking his records, but the new one is a big improvement. I'm surprised to see that he's 41, which makes him older than Chris Potter (still #2 RS despite ranking #3 overall), who preceded McCaslin in several key group roles. Still, the real RS in this category is Marcus Strickland (#4).

Baritone Saxophone: Gary Smulyan. Probably the best known specialist on an instrument where half the list is made up of multi-reed players -- James Carter has been winning here, but slipped to #2. My standard pick here is Hamiet Bluiett (#3), but actually I haven't heard anything from Smulyan or Bluiett is quite a while. So I'm tempted by Joe Temperley (#5), but I'll also note that Ken Vandermark (#10) makes his only place here, and that his baritone work has become much more prominent lately, especially in the Vandermark 5. RS: Scott Robinson. Good choice, although he plays so many other things he doesn't get much exposure on baritone. Not a lot of competition: a lot of sax players play some baritone, but few specialize in it; even in big bands it doesn't get much space. One indication of the field's thinness is that Temperley came in #10. I wonder how many people voted for him realize he's 78.

Clarinet: Don Byron. He has owned this category since he broke in, but spent most of his last record on alto sax, so I figure he's coasting. The other eminent figures here haven't been playing more than 50% (if that) on clarinet lately: Louis Sclavis (#8), Marty Ehrlich (#6), Michael Moore (#7). So I'm tempted to throw a vote to Allen Vaché, inexplicably off the list. RS: Anat Cohen. Interesting that while she beat Chris Speed 205-56 (and came in #2 RS Jazz Artist), she hasn't broken into the main list, even though her three runners-up (Speed, Evan Christopher, and Ben Goldberg) have. I like her tenor sax better than her clarinet, and liked her first album, which made Jazz CG before hardly anyone had heard of her, more than the better publicized follow-ups. She pays a lot for her PR, which pays off because she's an attractive, ambitious, and talented performer. She's risking becoming overrated, which would be unfair to her but also unfair to everyone else. One more note on the thinness of the competition, and perhaps the provincialness of American critics, is that veterans Louis Sclavis and François Houle made the RS list -- André Jaume didn't even get this far. I think I'd vote for Christopher.

Flute: James Moody. I suppose there are more flute players than there are tuba players -- not a category in this poll -- but tuba's more fun and there are more good tubaists around. One indication of this is that RS: Nichole Mitchell came in #3, behind Moody and Lew Tabackin. (Frank Wess, after dominating the list for years, has finally slipped off; he's 86, but Moody, who I also haven't heard in several years, is 83.) I'll give the top spot to Dave Valentin (#9) because flute works best in Latin jazz, and the RS slot to Mitchell, because she's awesome. She's on track to top the big list next year, and will probably dominate it for the next 20-30 years. Hopefully she won't inspire a whole new generation to take up the instrument.

Trumpet: Dave Douglas. Beat Wynton Marsalis by his usual 182-123 margin. Stanley Crouch can grouch all he wants, but these two guys aren't even in the same universe, much less league. I have my doubts about his composing, but he's such a great performer he makes me like music I have little if any inclination to like, which puts him at a level with Dizzy Gillespie. There are lot of good trumpet players, but no one else comes close. My runner up would probably be Tomasz Stanko (#6), a very different player, or maybe Brian Lynch (#10). I'm surprised that Clark Terry has dropped off the list. Some other missing names: Steven Bernstein, Roy Campbell, Dennis Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez, Nils Petter Molvaer, Randy Sandke, Jack Walrath. RS: Jeremy Pelt. First time I heard of him was when he won RS in 2004. When I checked him out I was impressed by his chops, but I've grown tired and leery of his records. Not sure who I'd pick here. I only like about half of the finalists, and haven't heard enough of the two most promising ones -- Peter Evans (#7), Taylor Ho Bynum (#12). One more name to consider is Ralph Alessi.

Trombone: Steve Turre. Perennial winner, although I'm more of a Roswell Rudd (#3) partisan, and wish Ray Anderson (#7) and George Lewis (#6) would record more. RS: Josh Roseman. Seems like the right pick.

Piano: Keith Jarrett. There are more major players at piano than any other instrument. I pulled out a list of 17 last year, all 25+ year veterans (some more like 50), many Europeans who are severely underrepresented in this poll (Jacky Terrasson tied for #12 this year, which doesn't weigh heavily against my case). One of those broke the list this year: Paul Bley (also #12). I'm not enough of a piano partisan to care much who comes out on top. Jarrett's latest record was his best in quite some time. Same for Hank Jones (#2) and McCoy Tyner (#5) -- in both cases big thanks to Joe Lovano. Not sure who I would vote for. Maybe Paul Bley or Myra Melford (#10) from the list, or Matthew Shipp or Marilyn Crispell or Satoko Fujii or Uri Caine or Vijay Iyer off of it -- to focus on the middle generation players I'm most familiar with. RS: Robert Glasper. Well, not him, not by a long margin. The best pianists here are Jason Moran (#2, #8 overall), Vijay Iyer (#3), Bill Charlap (#4, #9 overall), and Ethan Iverson (#9), with Iyer the obvious pick. Some more names, well off the list: Nik Bärtsch, Bill Carrothers, Neil Cowley, Kris Davis, Tord Gustavsen, Pandelis Karayorgis, Russ Lossing, Carl Maguire, Sergi Sirvent, Albert Van Veenendaal, Marcin Wasilewski. Just heard a record by Jorge Lima Barreto I like a lot. He's been around a long time, but who knew?

Keyboard/Synthesizer: Herbie Hancock. Barely edged #2 Uri Caine, who slums brilliantly on electric keybs. Perennial winner Joe Zawinul dropped to #4 after dying. I don't have a strong opinion here. RS: Craig Taborn. It's tempting to throw this to Nik Bärtsch: even though he plays more acoustic, his rhythmic approach is closer akin to electric keyboardists. Lots of good young pianists play some electric on the side, notably Uri Caine and George Colligan. Taborn started that way too, but has become more of a specialist.

Organ: Joey DeFrancesco. I like old-time soul jazz as much as anyone, but I don't find much to choose from any more in the organ players. Just to pick one example, I've heard things recently by Mike LeDonne (#6) I've loved and hated, and I'm not sure he can tell the difference. I don't have much of a sense of DeFrancesco, but he's certainly better than Larry Goldings (#2) or Dr. Lonnie Smith (#3). RS: Sam Yahel; Gary Versace (tie). I prefer Versace to Yahel, but I like Vince Seneri (off the list) better than either.

Guitar: Pat Metheny. Been catching up on Bill Frisell (#2), who's been sounding pretty good -- easily the best of the finalists, although John Abercrombie (#6) keeps turning in fine showings, as do Nels Cline (#8) and Marc Ribot (#10). Off the list I like Wolfgang Muthspiel, Howard Alden, Joe Morris, Raoul Björkenheim, Anders Nilsson, Jeff Parker, Ulf Wakenius -- some of those might be RS candidates, but weren't listed. Actually, there are a lot of guitarists these days, and they're doing much more than recycling Wes Montgomery or John McLaughlin. RS: Lionel Loueke. Has yet to make much of an impression on me. List here is an odd mix, including Cline and Peter Bernstein from the big list, and no one else I mentioned above. I'd go with Björkenheim or Nilsson.

Acoustic Bass: Christian McBride. Finally nudged Dave Holland from top perch. Not really sure why, but McBride is very good -- in fact, there's fewer weak spots here than in any other category, piano and tenor sax included. All that said, William Parker (#5) is the clear pick. RS: Esperanza Spalding. Seems like a case of hype and hope -- I actually classify her as a vocalist, and in the small world of bassist-vocalists I prefer Nicki Parrott. Rest of the list here is pretty solid, with Ben Allison (#2) moving up the big list (#9), and Avishai Cohen/Scott Colley/Drew Gress (all tied at #3), Omer Avital (#6), John Hebert (#9), and Nate McBride (#11) names worth singling out. Missing names include Michael Formanek, Mark Helias, Marc Johnson, and John Lindberg, who are contenders for the top list, and Moppa Elliott, Ken Filiano, Adam Lane, Eivind Opsvik, and Ari Roland. Elliott and Lane are the hottest picks there, and Filiano is the most valuable team player since Peter Washington.

Electric Bass: Steve Swallow. The two bass categories have been split out this year after having been combined last year. Whereas I'm very conscious of acoustic bassists, I can't tell you much about electric, other than that they break into three or four hard-to-compare subsets. In particular, I can't recall distinguishing Christian McBride (#2) on electric vs. acoustic bass. Given this, Swallow is a safe choice -- like Bob Cranshaw (#9), he's a fairly mainstream jazz bassist who just happens to prefer electric. RS: Hadrien Féraud. Name didn't ring a bell, but he's been playing with John McLaughlin, so he's on a couple of records I've heard. Has one on his own; haven't heard it. Likened to Jaco Pastorius, which doesn't make me want to rush out. From the list here, I still like Nate McBride (#10) for his early Vandermark work, but he's been playing more acoustic lately, and getting pretty good at it.

Drums: Roy Haynes. Like bass, a deep suit. I would rather pick Jack DeJohnette (#2) or Paul Motian (#3), but I'm an even bigger fan of Hamid Drake (#7), and certainly wouldn't mind Matt Wilson (#4) or Lewis Nash (#8). RS: Eric Harland. I tend to overlook players who don't have records under their own name, so I'm surprise to find Harland here, but he's worked on 30-40 records since 1997, mostly mainstream, mostly pretty good. I'd probably pick Tyshawn Sorey (#8), although there are a lot of others I like. Joey Baron, Jim Black, Gerry Hemingway, John Hollenbeck, and Tom Rainey are conspicuous omissions.

Percussion: Poncho Sanchez. Category has been dominated by Latin jazzers, with scattered world jazz mixed in, a crate of apples and oranges. I like Hamid Drake (#2), but figure he fits better under drums, so I tend to wind up with Kahil El'Zabar (#6), also mostly a drummer. RS: Susie Ibarra. I've lost track of her work, need to track it down. I don't see an obvious pick on the finalist list, so I'm tempted to pull one out of left field and go with Sonic Liberation Front's Kevin Diehl.

Vibes: Bobby Hutcherson. The premier vibraphone player of the 1960s, probably through the 1980s, but I didn't care much for his latest album, for for that matter for SF Jazz. I usually pick Joe Locke here, but he's been working in a lot of weak groups lately, a big drop down from his quartets with Bob Berg and Tommy Smith. So I'm tempted to go with Matt Moran (#10). RS: Stefon Harris. He's won the RS category since his first Blue Note album, but I've never cared for his albums. Beyond Moran (#6), I like Bryan Carrott (#4), Bill Ware (#5), and Jason Adasiewicz (#8), in no particular order. Note that Locke and Steve Nelson are still #2 and #3 on the RS list despite having landed in the top five on the top list for a decade or more, and that Khan Jamal is only on the RS list (#11) at age 62. He's actually a terrific player, but I haven't heard anything from him lately.

Violin: Regina Carter. Clear choice here is Billy Bang (up to #2). Actually, there are a lot of good violinists coming up now. Jason Kao Hwang finally broke the list (#12), and should be doing better. Evidently there are still critics who don't know that Leroy Jenkins died, but remember how he dominated the niche back in the day. RS: Jenny Scheinman. Still a good pick, but also #4 on the big list, one of five on both lists.

Miscellaneous Instrument: Béla Fleck (banjo). Hard to compare instruments as well as musicians. Someday I should break this out, then pick one (or more) each for banjo, harmonica, accordion, bandoneon, cello, bass saxophone, bass clarinet, etc. RS: Grégoire Maret (harmonica).

Female Vocals: Cassandra Wilson. Always thought she was overrated, but thus far Loverly is the jazz vocal album of the year. My perennial pick is (#6) Sheila Jordan, who didn't record anything new. I still like (#5) Diana Krall and (#11) Patricia Barber. RS: Roberta Gambarini. Only heard her once on Rhapsody, but was impressed. The rest of the list is pretty mixed, with some I like, but no obvious choice. There are a lot of good young female jazz vocalists, in marked contrast to the other sex.

Male Vocals: Kurt Elling. Don't much care for any of these guys -- well, Bob Dorough (#9) isn't bad, and I wouldn't mind Freddy Cole (#5) winning. But since he's on Blue Note, why not just draft Al Green? Or Willie Nelson? RS: Giacomo Gates. Gates is the one male jazz vocalist lately I was impressed with. Jamie Davis is another, but didn't make the list. Theo Bleckmann (#3) alternately amazes and annoys me.

Producer: Manfred Eicher. Unlike pop records, jazz producers are mostly label heads, wearing both hats to keep their costs controlled. So I'm not real sure what they do, or how to evaluate them. Don't know who I would have voted for, but Eicher maintains a consistent aesthetic while putting out a lot of good records. He probably has more impact as a producer than most of the competition, but I don't know how high to weigh that. RS: Branford Marsalis. He's made some things happen, notably in his "Honors" series. Don't have any better ideas.

Composer: Maria Schneider. Hard for me to tell, but #11 Ben Allison seems like a reasonable choice: his albums are tuneful, and not dominated by his own performance (like #2 Dave Douglas or #6 Ornette Coleman). It will take a few decades before we can recognize any new composer as having produced vital work for interpreters -- it seems clear now that Thelonious Monk was the jazz composer of the 1950s, but who realized that at the time? RS: John Hollenbeck. No strong opinions here, but I do like Hollenbeck, as well as #2 Ben Allison. Most of the other finalists wouldn't have occurred to me. A couple of names off the list do occur to me: Avishai Cohen (the bassist, not the trumpeter), and Tyshawn Sorey.

Arranger: Maria Schneider. Again, hard for me to tell. Of the finalists I like #7 Steven Bernstein, although I might have voted for Lawrence "Butch" Morris -- admittedly not the same thing, but it works pretty well. RS: John Hollenbeck. I don't know about here, but in general I like Hollenbeck a lot.

Blues Artist/Group: BB King. Safe pick, as is Buddy Guy (#2). Best record from the list was by Mavis Staples (#10), but was it blues? I would probably have voted for Maria Muldaur (off the list), although Koko Taylor had a better record. RS: Derek Trucks. Don't know. Don't see a good pick on the list.

Blues Album: Otis Taylor, Recapturing the Banjo. Haven't heard it. Have only heard 5 records here. Best is Mavis Staples, We'll Never Turn Back.

Beyond Artist/Group: Radiohead. Not really. How about Public Enemy? Or any of the records below.

Beyond Album: Radiohead, In Rainbows. I hate the term "beyond," but it fits well enough with three of my top four non-jazz records of 2007: Manu Chao, La Radiolina; Gogol Bordello, Super Taranta!; and Youssou N'Dour, Rokku Mi Rokka. The other was John Fogerty, Revival, which is as straight down the middle as they get.

Record Label: ECM. Edged perennial winner Blue Note 170-168. Both are first class operations with exceptional publicity support, which makes a world of the difference in a critics poll. I can't fault this. For one thing, I've reviewed 27 ECM records on Jazz CG, more than from any other label. I usually pick smaller labels here, like Fresh Sound (tied with Blue Note for second in Jazz CG entries at 19), Clean Feed (18), Arbors (17), Atavistic (14), Sunnyside (13), AUM Fidelity (9), Okka Disk (7), or Pi (6) -- the latter three a high percentage of their slim release lists.

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Don't have a Readers Poll ballot yet. That may be good for yet another post.

Still limping along with Recycled Goods here: 18 records this month, with some more written but held back as insurance for September. I'm augmenting what I normally get -- jazz and a small amount of world music -- with Rhapsody downloads, which netted Bowie and the three new Soundway Nigeria compilations this time. (And sent me back to the shelves for my long-unrated copy of Nigeria 70.) These are only noted in the subtlest way possible, but are, as usual, a bit shakier than the other reviews. Soundway usually has pretty good booklets, but I can't speak for these.

The Recycled Goods archive is here. Total review count is 2279.

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With Jazz CG #17 done, I got a chance to catch up with some of that world music, and one Nigerian album led to another. So the count is up a bit this time. One thing that helped with some of the loose ends was being able to download some items from Rhapsody. Not the best way to review music, but works in a pinch. The K'Naan is technically a reissue, although it's new to me and probably to you. Brian Harnetty is a new record built around old parts. Cephas & Wiggins is a new record built around old concepts. All close enough for my purposes, mostly because they're worth the notice.

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Cephas & Wiggins: Richmond Blues (2008, Smithsonian Folkways): No recording dates, so presumably these are new recordings, but the songs have been around as long as "John Henry" and "Careless Love." Guitarist-singer John Cephas and harmonicat Phil Wiggins have been toiling on the folk-blues circuit since 1981, a lower key Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry act. Invited by the National Museum of African American History and Culture to survey Piedmont blues, they sum up their roots as authoritatively as Dr. John stirred up his Gumbo. A-

Brian Harnetty: American Winter (2007, Atavistic): Bits of radio news and advertisements, story, song, a little fiddle, from decades including WWII -- the ceremony launching the draft lottery is a centerpiece, matched with a snip of Arthur Godfrey singing "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" -- provide the human center for Harnetty's electronic soundtrack. Neither the music nor the samples are all that remarkable, but they merge into something deeply haunting. Seems like a highly repeatable formula, and Harnetty's discography lists 17 items since 2003, but this is the only one I've heard; for now that makes it unique. A-

K'Naan: The Dusty Foot Philosopher (2003-05 [2008], IM Culture): At age 11 three close friends were shot to death in one day. His 13-year-old brother was arrested for blowing up a federal court, and sentenced to death. Lots of rappers think they grew up in tough 'hoods, but try early '90s Mogadishu on for size. He got out at age 13, landing in Toronto. He picked up English through rap records, and navigates it like a native: at first this doesn't sound African at all, but eventually it seeps up through the roots; same for his experiences, which catch you by surprise emerging from music that's alternately sly and joyous. Philosophical, too, as when he wonders: "how can they go to war with terror when it's war that's terrorizing?" Released in 2006, but you missed it; back now in a "deluxe edition" with freebie DVD. Could be the record of the year. A

Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970's Funky Lagos (1964-80 [2001], AfroStrut, 3CD): Not exactly too much, but it is a lot to digest: two music CDs are built around stars Fela Anikulapo Kuti and King Sunny Adé but they also pack in less than extraordinary funk tracks, the sort of thing you might find on US obscurities comps -- the sort of thing you wouldn't have given a second thought to back in the day but now that those days are gone brings them back, albeit with a twist. Third CD is make or break: the soundtrack to Nigeria 70: The Documentary, mostly snatches of interviews -- Ginger Baker figures prominently -- with short history lessons, snatches of music, and a poem. Obviously, they should have included the DVD, but having complained about most of the DVDs I've seen included, I can't see penalizing them for that. A-

Princes Amongst Men: Journeys With Gypsy Musicians (1964-2007 [2008], Asphalt Tango): Presented as the soundtrack to Garth Cartwright's book of the same name, this could also serve as a sampler for the label's exceptional catalog -- their Sounds From a Bygone Age series on Romania, newer acts like Fanfare Ciocarlia -- but it goes further, picking up such notable artists as Boban Markovic and Taraf de Haidouks, and others I'm unfamiliar with. Cartwright, originally from New Zealand, first set foot in the Balkans in 1991, returning in 2003 to wander and write his way through Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia. All are amply represented here, common threads with distinct local variations, much of it quite remarkable. Documentation raises more questions than it answers -- maybe a teaser for the book? A-

Sun Ra: Some Blues but Not the Kind That's Blue (1973-77 [2007], Atavistic): Two "small group" sessions -- 10 musicians is a bit below Arkestra weight, but not much -- that fell through the cracks and wound up in Atavistic's remarkable Unheard Music Series. Mostly covers, familiar songs like "My Favorite Things" and "Black Magic" shot into unforseen orbits. The horns cut the grease, but the piano (or organ on the 1973 tracks) dominates: Ra's mix of stride, bebop, and something from the outer reaches of the galaxy is pretty amazing. A-

Briefly Noted

David Bowie: Live in Santa Monica '72 (1972 [2008], Virgin/EMI): Official reissue of a legendary booleg from the Ziggy Stardust/Spiders From Mars tour. The usual caveats with live albums of the era apply -- sound a little tinny, songs less fully fleshed out than the studio versions -- but the excitement is palpable, and the show pulls several good records up to a new plateau. A-

Bill Cole's Untempered Ensemble: Proverbs for Sam (2001 [2008], Boxholder): A belated tribute to alto saxophonist Sam Furnace, who died two years later, but who in this Vision Festival set holds the musical center ground with super-bassist William Parker while the leader's squeaky Asian double-reeds (soona, shenai, nagaswarm, digeridoo), Cooper-Moore's diddly bow, and multiple percussionists swarm in pursuit of their otherworldly avant-exotica. A-

Lionel Hampton Orchestra: Mustermesse Basel 1953 Part 2 (1953 [2008], TCB): Another Swiss radio shot, with the vibraphonist's big band -- names include Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Jimmy Cleveland, Gigi Gryce, and Quincy Jones -- doing their usual "Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop": "Setting the Pace," "Flying Home," "Drinking Wine," always "On the Sunny Side of the Street." B+

Gene Harris Quartet: Live in London (1996 [2008], Resonance): A popular pianist in the Oscar Peterson mode with an occasional nod to Erroll Garner, not as well known in large part because he spent most of his career recording first as the Three Sounds, then in bassist Ray Brown's trio; Jim Mullen's sinuous guitar enlarges this from trio to quartet. B+

Sal Mosca: You Go to My Head (2001-06 [2008], Blue Jack Jazz): Private sessions from the late pianist's studio, a breezy, brainy set of Tristano school standards: four Gershwins, two by Dizzy Gillespie and/or Charlie Parker, one each by Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh -- the school's sax legends, a role admirably played here by Jimmy Halperin. B+

Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump: Original Heavyweight Afrobeat Highlife & Afro-Funk (1968-81 [2008], Strut): Back in the 1970s Nigeria seemed like the cradle of Afropop, with highlife bands maturing into complex juju and all sorts of hybridized beats, ranging from mundanely funky to hypnotically transcendental, but the largest country in Africa since fell into obscurity; how rich the 1970s were is attested by how easy it seems to be to assemble a seductive compilation from obscurities -- they don't even sound like lost gems, just everyday relics of a golden age. A-

Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor (1974-79 [2008], Soundway): Long funk instrumentals by long-forgotten obscurities -- T-Fire, Bongos Ikwue, Dr. Adolf Ahanotu, the Sahara All Stars of Jos, you get the idea -- some with superficial lyrics; nothing special, but they do keep it coming, the sine qua non of disco funk. B+

Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970s Nigeria (1970 [2008], Soundway): When the local riddims take charge, as on Original Wings' "Igba Alusi," you wonder why they ever settled for stodgy old rock grooves -- I mean, were they that impressed with Ginger Baker? More groups I recognize, but mostly from similar comps; an admirable piece of history, and it has its moments. B+

Putumayo Presents: Acoustic France (1994-2007 [2008], Putumayo World Music): Singer-songwriters working in the low-key folkie idiom, strumming guitars, spieling chansons; the best known is first lady Carla Bruni, who makes little impression and is immediately eclipsed by Keren Meloul, who does business as Rose. B

Putumayo Presents: African Party (1992-2008 [2008], Putumayo World Music): Another mild-mannered afropop compilation, drawing on recent records from artists who haven't made names for themselves (at least over here) instead of surefire classic tracks that remain equally unknown; starts in Guinea, moseys east and south to wind up weighted toward South Africa; Louis Mhlanga's "Rhumba All the Way" ties all these thread together. B+

Putumayo Presents: Québec (1993-2007 [2008], Putumayo World Music): More mild French-language folk-pop, mostly from the ranks of unknown newcomers this label regularly taps, with one token cut from La Bottine Souriante, a 1990s group that got some notice, and stands way ahead of this pack. B

Sun Ra: The Night of the Purple Moon (1964-70 [2007], Atavistic): Stripped down to a quartet, with electric bass underscoring Ra's goofball electric keyboards -- one's called the rocksichord -- and two saxophonists who have to provide percussion on the side; supplemented by 1964 solos on wurlitzer and celeste. B+

Still in that limbo period working on new Jazz CG while the previous one still hasn't been published. Sometime mid-September is the expectation. Meanwhile, cruising through the incoming, with occasional breaks for old stuff and new. Those are easier than jazz, partly because I feel less pressure to write about them, partly because they're just easier. The breaks did help to fatten up the August Recycled Goods, which I'll post after I write the intro. I've also been working on my by-now-annual critique of the Downbeat Critics Poll, which I got to rather late this year. I'll post that later this week.

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Bill Frisell/Ron Carter/Paul Motian (2005 [2006], Nonesuch): I was coming to think that Frisell was avoiding me when I finally found the right contact and got not just his new album but some back catalog. I'm never quite sure what I think of Carter. Bass is an instrument you miss when it's not there, but rarely listen to when it is. Carter's rep was established by association with Miles Davis, but has been reinforced only erratically since then. I've run across records where is sounds wonderful, and others where it could have been anybody. He's in between here. Motian is less distinctive than usual, but I have no doubts as to his import here. His skill at shifting a piano trio into slightly eccentric orbits is unmatched, so you can figure he's a big part of the reason the leader's guitar never slips into cliché. Ten songs: two Frisell originals, one from Motian, one Carter co-write with Davis, two Monks, four Americana standards -- one from Broadway, the others country. Haven't sorted them all, but the last four are marvelous -- even the overdone, overly obvious "You Are My Sunshine." [B+(***)]

Bill Frisell: East West (2003-04 [2005], Nonesuch, 2CD): Two live trio sets: one from the Village Vanguard (New York) in December, 2003 with Tony Scherr (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums); the other from Yoshi's (Oakland, CA) in May, 2004, with Wollesen again and Viktor Krauss (bass). West mixes three Frisell originals looped around strong rhythmic figures with three sly covers -- "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Shenandoah," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" -- for about as fine a demonstration of Frisell's schtick as I've heard. East is more diverse, a bit more obscure, and a little shakier, but again the familiar tunes rendered as minimalist abstractions win out. A-

New Guitar Summit: Shivers (2008, Stony Plain): Three guitarists, none of whom strike me as new or novel or whatever the implication is: Gerry Beaudoin, Jay Geils, Duke Robillard. Actually, a fourth dinosaur shows up for two cuts: Randy Bachman, sings too. They work around bass and drums. Sweet sound. Not much action. B

Brad Mehldau Trio: House on Hill (2002-05 [2006], Nonesuch): Another background record. I had caught, liked, but poorly remember, several early Mehldau albums, but none since 2001, so I'm catching up. This is the same trio he worked with since 1993 or so: Larry Grenadier on bass, Jorge Rossy on drums. At a high level, he strikes me as similar and comparable to Jarrett -- a bit less labored, or maybe he just makes it look easier, no doubt a remarkable pianist. All originals. Mehldau's liner notes run on at great length on how his art relates to Brahms and Bach, maybe Monk too -- it's way over my head. B+(***)

Metheny Mehldau Quartet (2005 [2007], Nonesuch): Mehldau's trio, with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard having replaced Jorge Rossy on drums, plus Metheny, who leans on his lyrical side. Support is admirable, of course. I could see other folks liking this a lot, but I just don't have much to say about it. B+(**)

Bob Mover: It Amazes Me . . . (2006 [2008], Zoho): Saxophonist, lists alto ahead of tenor, also sings, b. 1952, broke in playing with Charles Mingus in 1973 and Chet Baker 1973-75. Cut a few albums 1977-88, including two 1981 albums AMG likes on Xanadu. (As far as I know the Xanadu catalog is out of print, but there were some wonderful things on it -- Charles McPherson's Beautiful! is one of my all-time most played records.) AMG lists one more in 1997, then this one; CDBaby describes this as his first in over 20 years. It's quiet storm: slow, smokey ballads, the rich, burnished lustre of sax. Kenny Barron plays some of his best accompanist piano since Stan Getz died. Mover sings on 6 of 10 songs. Voice reminded me first of Sinatra, but without the chops. Technically, he's not even as skilled as Baker, but doesn't have Baker's bathos, which is what folks seem to love. Still, I find Mover's vocals touching. B+(***) [Sept. 9]

François Carrier/Michel Lambert/Jean-Jacques Avenel: Within (2007 [2008], Leo): Avenel is a French bassist, best (or almost exclusively) known for his work with Steve Lacy from 1975 on. He has one record under his own name, a world jazz piece called Waraba, which I recommend highly. Reportedly, he also plays sanza here (according to the booklet) or kalimba (according to the label's website). Carrier plays alto and soprano sax, mostly the former. He's released a number of records since 1998, mostly trios, virtually all with drummer Michel Lambert. Three pieces here, the middle one called "Core" runs 40:18. Takes a while to kick in, and requires more attention than I normally muster, but I've always loved Carrier's sound, and find the intricate free improv fascinating. [Note: Available on CD, but also as a download for $6.49, a bump up from Leo's usual $5.49 price, probably reflecting the declining value of the dollar. The downloads are available in OGG format, which sounds like a good idea to me, but it wasn't easy to get them -- actually, I just tried some of their 30-second samples -- to play on a MS Windows machine. Wound up downloading and installing zipf and firefox. One reason I thought of the download option is that Carrier has a new 7-CD set available as download-only on Ayler Records -- a label I regard highly, but haven't listened to since they switched to download-only releases, figuring it's all too much hassle. But I'm starting to be tempted.] A-

Donny McCaslin Trio: Recommended Tools (2008, Greenleaf Music): A tenor saxophonist who, it was immediately obvious, has all the tools. Still, I always managed to resist him, mostly because his fancy postbop harmonies rubbed me the wrong way. I figured he'd eventually turn out an album that simply blew away all my objections, and he still may. But for now he just ducked under them, making a stripped down trio album -- Hans Glawischnig on bass, Jonathan Blake on drums -- with a whole lot of sax appeal. It's like he's gotten over following in Chris Potter's footsteps and instead aimed for Sonny Rollins. A-

Joe Lovano: Symphonica (2005 [2008], Blue Note): You can probably figure this out by the title. If not, note that while the WDR Big Band is a crack jazz outfit which works cheap and occasionally pays dividends, the Rundfunk Orchester is a classical outfit distinguished primarily by its massed strings. The saxophonist is often magnificent, the effect heightened by the swirling sea of indistinct sounds all around him. The latter at least don't induce nausea, small comfort for symphonyphobes. B+(**) [Sept. 2]

Hans-Joachim Roedelius/Tim Story: Inlandish (2008, Gronland): Two synth players. Roedelius was part of the kraut rock group Cluster (sometimes just a duo with Dieter Moebius) from 1970 on, also making a couple of 1977-78 ambient records with Brian Eno. Story came along in 1981. He has a dozen or so records, mostly filed under New Age (one was released on Windham Hill), although there's not a lot of difference between the two. Non-swing ambient pieces, the first one in particular ("As It Were") is especially enchanting; the weaker tracks merely more inscrutable. B+(**) [advance]

Bill Cantrall: Axiom (2007 [2008], Up Swing): Trombonist, originally from New Jersey, educated in Chicago, based in New York. First album. Composed 8 of 10 pieces. Group is a septet: four horns (Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Sherman Irby on alto sax, Stacy Dillard on tenor sax), piano (Rick Germanson, bass and drums. Qualifies as postbop, tightly arranged, well played, avoids common harmonic unpleasantries by leading with trombone. B+(*)

Jorge Lima Barreto: Zul Zelub (2005 [2008], Clean Feed): Portuguese pianist, b. 1949. I've seen a note that credits him with several books and 16 records, mostly working through groups: AnarBand (1972), Conceptual Music Association (Associaçao Música Conceptual, with Carlos Zingaro, 1973), Telectu (with Vitor Rua, since 1982). Also listed in a "classical composers database" -- good chance some of his work is classified as postclassical avant whatever. AMG knows about three records (including one Telectu), plust side credits with Raimundo Fagner, Derek Bailey, Carlos Bechegas. This is solo piano plus sound effects. The 45: