Music Year 2021

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., -20 for 2020) -- 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 2020 until the end of calendar 2021, especially where the record was known to exist in 2020 and I'm just getting around to it.

New Records

Pending:

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

• Albare: Albare Plays Jobim Vol. 2 (Alfi)
• Baker's Brew: New Works (Psychosomatic, 2CD) [02-12]
• Dan Blake: Da Fé (Sunnyside) [03-12]
• Ian Charleton Big Band: A Fresh Perspective (none) [03-16]
• Cowboys & Frenchmen: Our Highway (Outside In Music) [02-26]
• The Dynamic Les DeMerle Band Featuring Bonnie Eisele: Hot Night in Venice: Live at the Venice Jazz Club (Origin)
• Pat Donaher: Occasionally (self-released) [04-09]
• Rebecca Dumaine and the Dave Miller Trio: Someday, Someday (Summit) [03-12]
• Yelena Eckemoff: Adventures of the Wildflower (L&H Production, 2CD) [03-19]
• Satoko Fujii: Hazuki: Piano Solo (Libra) [03-19]
• Frank Gratkowski/Achim Kaufmann/Wilbert de Joode/Tony Buck: Flatbosc & Cautery (NoBusiness -20)
• Barry Guy: Irvin's Comet (NoBusiness -20)
• Jonathan Kane and Dave Soldier: February Meets Soldier String Quartet (EEG) [02-01]
• Reza Khan: Imaginary Road (Painted Music) [03-26]
• Lukas Ligeti: That Which Has Remaind . . . That Which Will Emerge . . . (Col Legno) [03-26]
• Doug MacDonald Duo: Toluca Lake Jazz (Doug MacDonald Music) [02-05]
• Magnet Animals: Fake Dudes (RareNoise) * [03-26]
• Hafez Modirzadeh: Facets (Pi) [03-05]
• Sana Nagano: Smashing Humans (577) [03-19]
• Charlie Porter: Hindsight (OA2)
• Reggie Quinerly: New York Nowhere (Redefinition) [03-12]
• RED Trio & Celebration Band: Suite 10 Years Anniversary (NoBusiness, 2CD -20)
• Schapiro 17: Human Qualities (Summit) [03-12]
• Zoe Scott: Shades of Love (Zoe Scott Music -20)
• Idit Shner: Live at the Jazz Station (OA2)
• Jim Snidero: Live at the Deer Head Inn (Savant) [03-26]
• John Stowell/Dan Dean: Rain Painting (Origin)
• Thumbscrew: Never Is Enough (Cuneiform) ** [02-26]
• Sabu Toyozumi/Mats Gustafsson: Hokusai (NoBusiness -20)
• Theo Walentiny: Looking Glass (self-released) [04-02]
• Amber Weekes: My Romance: A Special Valentin (Amber Inn Productions, EP) [02-14]
• Ruth Weiss: We Are Sparks in the Universe to Our Own Fire (Edgetone)
• Chris White/Lara Driscoll: Firm Roots (self-released) [01-21]

Also Noted:

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

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:

• Derek Baiey/Mototeru Takagi: Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987 (NoBusiness -20)

Also Noted: