Music Year 2019

Of course, it's too early for a year-end list. But as the proto-fascist organization of my youth insisted, one should always be prepared. For records in hand, * identifies an advance copy, ** something borrowed or streamed (**? means I wasn't able to hear all of it). Some albums released in previous years are included here, noted by a "-NN" (e.g., -19 for 2019) -- these are mostly imports or self-releases, often hard to figure out official dates, but they were unknown (to me, at least) before the current year.

I keep adding to the 2019 until the end of calendar 2020, especially where the record was known to exist in 2019 and I'm just getting around to it.

New Records

  1. Aly Keďta/Jan Galega Brönnimann/Lucas Niggli: Kalan Teban (Intakt) **
  2. Jim Black Trio: Reckon (Intakt) **

Pending:

Records in hand, but which haven't yet been graded.

  • Carol Albert: Stronger Now (Cahara) [01-30]
  • Lila Ammons: Genealogy (self-released) [01-10]
  • Frank Colón: Latin Lounge (Technoprimal Music) [01-01]
  • Lara Driscoll: Woven Dreams (Firm Roots Music) [03-06]
  • Yelena Eckemoff: Nocturnal Animals (L&H Production, 2CD) [01-24]
  • Ellen Edwards: A New York Session (Stonefire Music) [02-22]
  • John Ellis and Andy Bragen: The Ice Siren (Parade Light) [03-20]
  • Gilfema: Three (Sounderscore) [04-03]
  • Harrison˛: Trout in Swimwear (self-released) [02-09]
  • Kuzu [Dave Rempis/Tashi Dorji/Tyler Damon]: Purple Dark Opal (Aerophonic) [02-18]
  • Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Jazz Party (Troubadour Jass) [02-07]
  • Never Weather: Blissonance (Ridgeway) [01-17]
  • Valery Ponomarev Big Band: Live! Our Father Who Art Blakey: The Centennial (Summit) [01-17]
  • Purna Loka Ensemble: Metaraga (Origin) [01-17]
  • Mark Segger Sextet: Lift Off (18th Note) [02-07]
  • Dave Soldier: Zajal (Mulatta) [01-01]
  • John Vanore: Primary Colors (Acoustical Concepts) [02-07]
  • The Westerlies: Wherein Lies the Good (Westerlies) [01-31]

Also Noted:

Records in hand, graded B+ or below, in alphabetical order within grade slots:

  • Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity (Libra)
  • Jim Snidero: Project-K (Savant)

  • John Bailey: Can You Imagine? (Freedom Road)
  • Benny Benack III: A Lot of Livin' to Do (LA Reserve) [01-24]
  • Gordon Grdina/Matt Mitchel/Jim Black: Gordon Grdina's Nomad Trio (Skirl)
  • Christopher Hollyday & Telepathy: Dialogue (Jazzbeat Productions)
  • John McLaughlin/Shankar Mahadevan/Zakir Hussain: Is That So? (Abstract Logix) **

  • Amber Weekes: Pure Imagination (Amber Inn Productions) [01-08]

Reissues/Compilations/Vault Music:

In previous years I tried to separate reissues from compilations, including newly released vault items in the latter. This made sense when I was reviewing a lot of Recycled Goods material, but led to other problems with year-end lists, so as of 2013 anything containing any previously released material is collected here, and anything that is wholly previously unreleased is treated as new, above.

Pending:

Also Noted:

DVDs

I don't review DVDs. I don't watch DVDs. I don't record them in my database -- well, almost never, anyhow. Part of this is that I don't have the time, the eyes, or at the moment even the equipment. I never request DVDs. Still, some publicists insist on sending them anyway. Here's a list. They're all pending, and will probably remain that way until hell freezes over.

Songs

I always come up empty for song lists at year-end poll time. So I thought I'd start here.