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. 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 either December 2020 releases or 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

A
  1. East Axis [Matthew Shipp/Allen Lowe/Gerald Cleaver/Kevin Ray]: Cool With That (ESP-Disk)
  2. Nathan Bell: Red, White and American Blues (It Couldn't Happen Here) (Need to Know)
  3. Sons of Kemet: Black to the Future (Impulse!) **
  4. Anthony Joseph: The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives (Heavenly Sweetness) **
A-
  1. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet: Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)
  2. Maria Muldaur With Tuba Skinny: Let's Get Happy Together (Stony Plain) **
  3. Barry Altschul's 3Dom Factor: Long Tall Sunshine (Not Two) **
  4. Todd Snider: First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder (Aimless) **
  5. Olivia Rodrigo: Sour (Geffen) **
  6. Magnet Animals: Fake Dudes (RareNoise) *
  7. No-No Boy: 1975 (Smithsonian Folkways) **
  8. Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die Live (International Anthem) **
  9. Dave Rempis/Tomeka Reid/Joshua Abrams/Tim Daisy/Tyler Damon: The Covid Tapes: Solos, Duos, & Trios (Aerophonic, 2CD)
  10. Arlo Parks: Collapsed Into Sunbeams (Transgressive) **
  11. Carsie Blanton: Love & Rage (So Ferocious) **
  12. Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (New Braxton House, 13CD) **
    13. Steve Earle & the Dukes: J.T. (New West) **
  13. Ivo Perelman Trio: Garden of Jewels (Tao Forms)
  14. Aki Takase/Christian Weber/Michael Griener: Auge (Intakt) **
  15. L'Orange & Namir Blade: Imaginary Everything (Mello Music Group) **
  16. Wadada Leo Smith: Sacred Ceremonies (TUM, 3CD)
  17. Irène Schweizer/Hamid Drake: Celebration (Intakt) **
  18. Body Meπa: The Work Is Slow (Hausu Mountain -20) **
  19. Dry Cleaning: New Long Leg (4AD) **
  20. José Lencastre Nau Quartet + Pedro Carneiro: Thoughts Are Things (Phonogram Unit)
  21. Michael and Peter Formanek: Dyads (Out of Your Head)
  22. Miguel Zenón/Ariel Bringuez/Demian Cabaud/Jordi Rossy: Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Miel Music) **
  23. Homeboy Sandman: Anjelitu (Mello Music Group, EP) **
  24. Loretta Lynn: Still Woman Enough (Legacy) **
  25. Silke Eberhard Trio: Being the Up and Down (Intakt) **
  26. Rico Nasty: Nightmare Vacation (Sugar Trap/Atlantic -20) **
  27. Jaubi: Nafs at Peace (Astigmatic) **
  28. Czarface/MF Doom: Super What? (Silver Age, EP) **
  29. Flow Trio With Joe McPhee: Winter Garden (ESP-Disk)
  30. DJ Black Low: Uwami (Awesome Tapes From Africa) **
  31. Penelope Scott: Public Void (Tesla's Pigeon, EP -20) **
  32. Lean Left: Medemer (PNL -20) **
  33. Navy Blue: Song of Sage: Post Panic! (Freedom Sounds -20) **
  34. Garbage: No Gods No Masters (Infectious Music) **
  35. Whit Dickey/William Parker/Matthew Shipp: Village Mothership (Tao Forms)
  36. [Ahmed]: Nights on Saturn (Communication) (Astral Spirits) **
  37. Skee Mask: Pool (Ilian Tape) **
  38. William Parker: Painter's Winter (AUM Fidelity) **
  39. Dave: We're All Alone in This Together (Neighbourhood) **
  40. John Hiatt With the Jerry Douglas Band: Leftover Feelings (New West) **
  41. Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever (Interscope) **
  42. Iggy Azalea: The End of an Era (Bad Dreams/Empire) **
  43. Carly Pearce: 29: Written in Stone (Big Machine) **
  44. The Mountain Goats: Dark in Here (Merge) **
  45. Lost Girls: Menneskekollektivet (Smalltown Supersound) **
  46. Ruth Weiss: We Are Sparks in the Universe to Our Own Fire (Edgetone)
  47. Rodrigo Amado This Is Our Language Quartet: Let the Free Be Men (Trost)
  48. Marina: Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land (Atlantic) **
  49. Kevin Sun: <3 Bird (Endectomorph Music)
  50. Thomas Anderson: Ladies and Germs (Out There) **
  51. Trak Trak: Sur Sur (Ciclismo -20) **
  52. Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio & Alexander von Schlippenbach: The Field (NoBusiness)
  53. Kalie Shorr: I Got Here by Accident (Tmwrk, EP) **
  54. Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime (Matador) **
  55. Emily Duff: Razor Blade Smile (Mr. Mudshow Music) **
  56. Graham Haynes vs Submerged: Echolocation (Burning Ambulance) **
  57. James McMurtry: The Horses and the Hounds (New West) **
  58. Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & Ole Morten Vågan: Plastic Wave (Odin, 2CD) **
  59. Fire!: Defeat (Rune Grammofon) **
  60. Thomas Fehlmann: Böser Herbst (Kompakt) **
  61. Mikko Innanen/Stefan Pasborg/Cedric Piromalli: This Is It (Clean Feed) **
  62. Ignaz Schick/Oliver Steidle: Ilog2 (Zarek)
  63. Ches Smith/We All Break: Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic -2CD)
  64. Frisque Concordance: Distinct Machinery (Random Acoustics, 2CD) **
  65. Frank Gratkowski/Achim Kaufmann/Wilbert de Joode/Tony Buck: Flatbosc & Cautery (NoBusiness -20)

Pending:

Records in hand, but which haven't yet been graded (sorted by artist, or release date if future). Those marked ** are downloads in hand.

  • Stefano Leonardi/Antonio Bertoni: Viandes (Astral Spirits) ** [05-07]
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II (MDW NTR) (Pi) [10-29]
  • Sylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson: Searching for the Disappeared Hour (Pyroclastic) [10-29]
  • Irene Jalenti: Dawn (Antidote Sounds) [10-29]
  • Cameron Mizell & Charlie Rauh: Local Folklore (Destiny) [10-29]
  • Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows: Architecture of Storms (SoundSpore) [11-05]
  • Matthew Shipp: Codebreaker (Tao Forms) [11-05]
  • Mareike Wiening: Future Memories (Greenleaf Music) [11-12]
  • Jacob Schulman: Connectedness (Endectomorph Music) [11-14]

Also Noted:

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

B+(***)
  • Eivind Aarset 4tet: Phantasmagoria, or a Different Kind of Journey (Jazzland)
  • Joshua Abrams/Chad Taylor: Mind Maintenance (Drag City) **
  • The Anchoress: The Art of Losing (Kscope) **
  • Baby Queen: The Yearbook (Polydor) **
  • BaianaSystem: OXEAXEEXU (Maquina De Louco) **
  • Yaala Ballin: Sings Irving Berlin (SteepleChase LookOut) **
  • Steven Bernstein: Community Music (Royal Potato Family, EP) **
  • Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra: Tinctures in Time (Community Music, Vol. 1) (Royal Potato Family) **
  • Nat Birchall: Ancient Africa (Ancient Archive of Sound) **
  • Michael Bisio/Kirk Knuffke/Fred Lonberg-Holm: The Art Spirit (ESP-Disk)
  • Greg Burk/Ron Seguin/Michel Lambert: Sound Neighbors (Tonos -20)
  • Burnt Sugar/The Arkestra Chamber: Angels Over Oakanda (Avantgroidd) **
  • Enzo Carniel/Filippo Vignato Silent Room: Aria (Menace)
  • Marc Cary: Life Lessons (Sessionheads United)
  • Ian Charleton Big Band: A Fresh Perspective (none)
  • The Chills: Scatterbrain (Fire) **
  • Chvrches: Screen Violence (Glassnote) **
  • Sylvie Courvoisier/Ned Rothenberg/Julian Sartorius: Lockdown (Clean Feed) **
  • Charley Crockett: Music City USA (Son of Davy) **
  • Rodney Crowell: Triage (RC1) **
  • Damata: What's Damata (Dugnad)
  • Lao Dan/Deng Boyu: TUTU Duo (NoBusiness)
  • Desertion Trio: Numbers Maker (Cuneiform) **
  • McKinley Dixon: For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her (Spacebomb) **
  • DMX Krew: Loose Gears (Hypercolour) **
  • Dopolarians: The Bond (Mahakala Music) **
  • Nahawa Doumbia: Kanawa (Awesome Tapes From Africa) **
  • Paul Dunmall/Percy Pursglove/Olie Brice/Jeff Williams: Palindromes (West Hill) **
  • Amir ElSaffar/Rivers of Sound: The Other Shore (Outnote)
  • Eminem: Music to Be Murdered By: Side B (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope -20) **
  • Ensemble O/Aum Grand Ensemble: Julius Eastman: Femenine (Sub Rosa) **
  • Noga Erez: Kids (City Slang) **
  • Orrin Evans: The Magic of Now (Smoke Sessions) **
  • Joe Fahey: February on Ice (Rough Fish) **
  • Fail Better!: The Fall (JACC)
  • Family Plan: Family Plan (Endectomorph Music)
  • Hernâni Faustino: Twelve Bass Tunes (Phonogram Unit)
  • R.A.P. Ferreira: Bob's Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel (Ruby Yacht) **
  • Joe Fiedler's "Open Sesame": Fuzzy and Blue (Multiphonics)
  • Alvin Fielder/David Drove/Jason Jackson/Damon Smith: The Very Cup of Trembling (Astral Spirits) **
  • Robert Finley: Sharecropper's Son (Easy Eye Sound) **
  • Fire in Little Africa (Motown) **
  • The Flatlanders: Treasure of Love (Rack 'Em) **
  • For Those I Love: For Those I Love (September) **
  • Adam Forkelid: 1st Movement (Prophone)
  • Rob Frye: Exoplanet (Astral Spirits) **
  • Satoko Fujii: Hazuki: Piano Solo (Libra)
  • Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Moon on the Lake (Libra)
  • Kazemde George: I Insist (Greenleaf Music)
  • Justin Gerstin: Music for the Exploration of Elusive Phenomena (Zabap Music)
  • Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi: They're Calling Me Home (Nonesuch) **
  • Rocio Giménez López/Luciana Bass/Fermin Suarez/Rosina Scampino: Reunion En La Granja (Discos ICM) **
  • Girl in Red: If I Could Make It Go Quiet (AWAL) **
  • The Go! Team: Get Up Sequences Part One (Memphis Industries) **
  • Ben Goldberg: Everything Happens to Me (BAG Productions) *
  • Binker Golding/John Edwards/Steve Noble: Moon Day (Byrd Out) **
  • Maria Grand: Reciprocity (Biophilia)
  • Tee Grizzley: Built for Whatever (300 Entertainment/Atlantic) **
  • Mickey Guyton: Remember Her Name (Capitol Nashville) **
  • The Halluci Nation: One More Saturday Night (Radicalized) **
  • Halsey: If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (Capitol) **
  • George Haslam/João Madeira/Padro Catello Lopes/Mario Rua: Ajuda (Slam -20)
  • Thomas Heberer/Joe Fonda/Joe Hertenstein: Remedy (Fundacja Sluchaj) **
  • Vincent Herring: Preaching to the Choir (Smoke Sessions) **
  • Kari Ikonen: Impressions, Improvisations and Compositions (Ozella) **
  • In Layers: Pliable (FMR -20)
  • Jack Ingram/Miranda Lambert/Jon Randall: The Marfa Tapes (RCA Nashville) **
  • Vijay Iyer: Uneasy (ECM) **
  • Alan Jackson: Where Have You Gone (EMI Nashville) **
  • Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee (Dead Oceans) **
  • Brent Jensen: More Sounds of a Dry Martini (Origin)
  • Rochelle Jordan: Play With the Changes (Young Art) **
  • Jupiter & Okwess: Na Kozonga (Everloving) **
  • Ka: A Martyr's Reward (Iron Works) **
  • Kiwi Jr.: Cooler Returns (Sub Pop) **
  • Koma Saxo: Live (We Jazz) **
  • John Kruth: Love Letters From the Lazaretto (self-released) **
  • Joachim Kühn: Touch the Light (ACT) **
  • Kuzu: All Your Ghosts in One Corner (Aerophonic)
  • Timo Lassy: Trio (We Jazz) **
  • David Leon: Aire De Agua (Out of Your Head)
  • The Linda Lindas: The Linda Lindas (self-released, EP -20) **
  • Little Simz: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Age 101) **
  • Charles Lloyd & the Marvels: Tone Poem (Blue Note) **
  • Luís Lopes/Lisbon Berlin Quartet: Sinister Hypnotization (Clean Feed) **
  • Low Cut Connie: Tough Cookies: The Best of the Quarantine Broadcasts (Contender) **
  • Mach-Hommy: Pray for Haiti (Griselda) **
  • João Madeira/Hernâni Faustino: dB Duet (FMR)
  • The Mark Masters Ensemble: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster (Capri)
  • Szilard Mezei Tubass Quintet: Rested Turquoise (NoBusiness)
  • Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed: The Ritual and the Dance (Astral Spirits) **
  • Aakash Mittal: Nocturne (self-released)
  • Hafez Modirzadeh: Facets (Pi)
  • Hedvig Mollestad Trio: Ding Dong. You're Dead. (Rune Grammofon) **
  • Nils Petter Molvaer: Stitches (Modern) **
  • Ben Monder/Tony Malaby/Tom Rainey: Live at the 55 Bar (Sunnyside) **
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 5: Doug Carn (Jazz Is Dead -20) **
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 6: Gary Bartz (Jazz Is Dead, EP) **
  • Bryan Murray & Jon Lundbom: Beats by Balto! Vol. 2 (Chant)
  • Sana Nagano: Smashing Humans (577)
  • Natural Information Society/Evan Parker: Descension (Out of Our Constrictions) (Aguirre/Eremite) **
  • Calle Neumann/Ketil Gutvik/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love: New Dance (PNL) **
  • Adam Nolan Trio: Prim and Primal (self-released)
  • Billy Nomates: Emergency Telephone (Invada, EP -20) **
  • Larry Ochs-Donald Robinson Duo: A Civil Right (ESP-Disk)
  • Genesis Owusu: Smiling With No Teeth (Ourness/House Anxiety) **
  • Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: Warszawa 2019 (Funcadja Sluchaj) **
  • William Parker: Mayan Space Station (AUM Fidelity) **
  • Mario Pavone/The Tampa Quartet: Isabella (Clean Feed) **
  • Mario Pavone: Blue Vertical (Out of Your Head)
  • Carly Pearce: 29 (Big Machine, EP) **
  • Pearring Sound: Socially Distanced Duos (self-released)
  • Ivo Perelman/Gordon Grdina/Hamin Honari: The Purity of Desire (Not Two) **
  • Houston Person: Live in Paris (HighNote) **
  • Liz Phair: Soberish (Chrysalis) **
  • RaeLynn: Baytown (Round Here) **
  • Rebellum: The Darknuss (Avantgroidd) **
  • RED Trio & Celebration Band: Suite 10 Years Anniversary (NoBusiness, 2CD -20)
  • Freddie Redd: Reminiscing (Bleebop) **
  • Ruben Reinaldo & Kely Garcia: Acuarel (Free Code -20)
  • The Rempis Percussion Quartet: Sud Des Alpes (Aerophonic) **
  • Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog: Hope (Northern Spy) **
  • Dawn Richard: Second Line (Merge) **
  • Riders Against the Storm: Flowers for the Living (Divide and Conjure) **
  • Aksel Rønning Trio: ART (Øra Fonogram) **
  • Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra: Petite Fleur (Storyville)
  • David Sanford Big Band Featuring Hugh Ragin: A Prayer for Lester Bowie (Greenleaf Music)
  • Sault: Nine (Forever Living Legends) **
  • Archie Shepp & Jason Moran: Let My People Go (Archieball) **
  • Matthew Shipp/Whit Dickey: Reels (Burning Ambulance) **
  • Sleaford Mods: Spare Ribs (Rough Trade) **
  • Gary Smulyan/Ronnie Cuber: Tough Baritones (SteepleChase) **
  • Cleo Sol: Mother (Forever Living Originals) **
  • Pauline Anna Strom: Angel Tears in Sunlight (RVNG Intl.) **
  • Dave Stryker: Baker's Circle (Strikezone)
  • Wadada Leo Smith/Douglas R Ewart/Mike Reed: Sun Beans of Shimmering Light (Astral Spirits) **
  • Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet (TUM, 3CD)
  • Taylor Swift: Evermore (Republic -20) **
  • Veronica Swift: This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue) **
  • Tele Novella: Merlynn Belle (Kill Rock Stars) **
  • Three-Layer Cake: Stove Top (RareNoise) *
  • Thumbscrew: Never Is Enough (Cuneiform) **
  • Tinashe: 333 (Tinashe Music) **
  • Tyler, the Creator: Call Me if You Get Lost (Columbia) **
  • Uassyn: Zacharya (JazzThing)
  • Yuma Uesaka and Marilyn Crispell: Streams (Not Two)
  • Yuma Uesaka/Cat Toren/Colin Hinton: Ocelot (577)
  • João Valinho/Luis Vicente/Marcelo dos Reis/Salvoandrea Lucifora: Light Machina (Multikulti Project)
  • Michael Waldrop: Time Frames (Origin)
  • Marta Warelis/Frank Rosaly/Aaron Lumley/John Dikeman: Sunday at De Ruimte (Doek RAW)
  • Wild Up: Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine (New Amsterdam) **
  • Jim Yanda: A Silent Way (Corner Store Jazz, 2CD)
  • Young Stoner Life/Young Thug/Gunna: Slime Language 2 (YSL/300 Entertainment) **
  • Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo: El Arte Del Bolero (Miel Music) **
B+(**)
  • Adult Mom: Driver (Epitaph) **
  • Alchemy Sound Project: Afrika Love (ARC)
  • Alder Ego: III (We Jazz) **
  • Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet: Social Distancing (Saponegro)
  • Lina Allemano Four: Vegetables (Lumo) **
  • Harry Allen/Mike Karn: Milo's Illinois (GAC) **
  • Tony Allen: There Is No End (Blue Note) **
  • Altin Gün: Yol (ATO) **
  • Franco Ambrosetti Band: Lost Within You (Unit)
  • Miguel Ângelo Quarteto: Dança Dos Desastrados (self-released) **
  • Tamar Aphek: All Bets Are Off (Kill Rock Stars) **
  • Arab Strap: As Days Get Dark (Rock Action) **
  • Armand Hammer & the Alchemist: Haram (Backwoodz Studioz) **
  • Ashnikko: Demidevil (Parlophone, EP) **
  • Michaël Attias/Simon Nabatov: Brooklyn Mischiefs (Leo) **
  • Dmitry Baevsky: Soundtrack (Fresh Sound New Talent) **
  • Rossano Baldini: Humanbeing (RareNoise) *
  • Rahsaan Barber: Mosaic (Jazz Music City, 2CD)
  • Nik Bärtsch: Entendre (ECM) **
  • Keshav Batish: Binaries in Cycle (Woven Strands)
  • Jon Batiste: We Are (Verve) **
  • Benny the Butcher: The Plugs I Met 2 (Black Soprano Family, EP) **
  • Bfb Da Packman: Fat Niggas Need Love Too (The Lunch Crew) **
  • Eric Bibb: Dear America (Provogue) **
  • Bicep: Isles (Ninja Tune) **
  • Dan Blake: Da Fé (Sunnyside)
  • Bomba Estéreo: Deja (Sony Music Latin) **
  • Brockhampton: Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (Question Everything/RCA) **
  • Cedric Burnside: I Be Trying (Single Lock) **
  • Abraham Burton/Lucian Ban: Black Salt: Live at the Baroque Hall (Sunnyside) **
  • John Butcher/Veryan Weston/Øyvind Stonesund/Dag Erik Kriedal Andersen: Mapless Quiet (Motvind -20) **
  • Jonas Cambien Trio: Nature Hath Painted the Body (Clean Feed) **
  • Daniel Carter: Playfield Vol. 2: The Middle (Orbit577) **
  • Playboi Carti: Whole Lotta Red (AWGE/Interscope -20) **
  • Sarah Mary Chadwick: Me and Ennui Are Friends, Baby (Ba Da Bing!) **
  • Chai: Wink (Sub Pop) **
  • Chubby and the Gang: The Mutt's Nuts (Partisan) **
  • Eric Church: Heart (EMI Nashville) **
  • Cloud Nothings: The Shadow I Remember (Carpark) **
  • Emmet Cohen: Future Stride (Mack Avenue) **
  • Mike Cohen: Winter Sun (Blujazz)
  • Tom Cohen: My Take (Versa Music)
  • Xhosa Cole: K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us (Stoney Lane) **
  • Alex Collins/Ryan Berg/Karl Latham: Together (Dropzonejazz)
  • Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt: Made Out of Sound (Palilalia) **
  • Simão Costa: Beat With Out Byte (Cipsela)
  • Charley Crockett: 10 for Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand (Son of Davy) **
  • Lucy Dacus: Home Video (Matador) **
  • Harold Danko: Spring Garden (SteepleChase) **
  • Caroline Davis: Portals, Volume 1: Mourning (Sunnyside) **
  • Graham Dechter: Major Influence (Capri)
  • Lana Del Rey: Chemtrails Over the Country Club (Polydor/Interscope) **
  • Benoît Delbecq: The Weight of Light (Pyroclastic)
  • Ani DiFranco: Revolutionary Love (Righteous Babe) **
  • Sasha Dobson: Girl Talk (self-released) **
  • Pat Donaher: Occasionally (none)
  • Chet Doxas: You Can't Take It With You (Whirlwind)
  • Scott DuBois: Summer Water (Sunnyside) **
  • Paul Dunmall & Mark Sanders: Unity (577) **
  • Yelena Eckemoff: Adventures of the Wildflower (L&H Production, 2CD)
  • Elephant9: Arrival of the New Elders (Rune Grammofon) **
  • Elkka: Euphoric Melodies (Technicolour, EP) **
  • Erin Enderlin: Barroom Mirrors EP (Black Crow Productions, EP) **
  • Falkner Evans: Invisible Words (CAP)
  • Marianne Faithfull With Warren Ellis: She Walks in Beauty (BMG) **
  • The Felice Brothers: From Dreams to Dust (Yep Roc) **
  • Andre Ferreri Quintetto: Numero Uno (Laser)
  • Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra: Promises (Luaka Bop) **
  • Michael Formanek: Imperfect Measures (Intakt) **
  • Michael Foster/Ben Bennett: Contractions (Astral Spirits) **
  • Joel Frahm: The Bright Side (Anzic) **
  • David Friesen & Bob Ravenscroft: Passage (Origin)
  • Danilo Gallo Dark Dry Tears: A View Through a Slot (Clean Feed) **
  • Kenny Garrett: Sounds From the Ancestors (Mack Avenue) **
  • Greg Germann: Tales of Time (Origin)
  • The Goon Sax: Mirror II (Matador) **
  • Jon Gordon: Stranger Than Fiction (ArtistShare)
  • Bob Gorry/Pete Brunelli/Peter Riccio: GoBruCcio (NHIC)
  • Julia Govor: Winter Mute (Jujuka, EP) **
  • Georg Graewe & Sonic Fiction Orchestra: Fortschritt Und Vergnügen (Random Acoustics -20) **
  • Gordon Grdina/Jim Black: Martian Kitties (Astral Spirits) **
  • Devin Gray/Ralph Alessi/Angelica Sanchez: Melt All the Guns (Rataplan, EP) **
  • Grofo: Grofo (Clean Feed) **
  • Noah Haidu/Buster Williams/Billy Hart: Slowly: Song for Keith Jarrett (An Die Musik)
  • Jared Hall: Seen on the Scene (Origin)
  • Frode Haltli: Avant Folk II (Hubro) **
  • Danny L Harle: Harlecore (Mad Decent) **
  • John Hart: Checkmate (SteepleChase) **
  • Walker Hayes: Country Stuff (Monument, EP) **
  • Dylan Hicks: Accidental Birds (Soft Launch) **
  • The Hold Steady: Open Door Policy (Positive Jams) **
  • Dave Holland: Another Land (Edition) **
  • Joseph Howell Quartet: Live in Japan (Summit)
  • Chrissie Hynde: Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan (BMG) **
  • Rocco John Iacovone/Tom Cabrera: Out of the Maelstrom (Unseen Rain) **
  • Rocco John Iacovone/Phil Sirois/Tom Cabrera: Synchronics (Unseen Rain) **
  • Instant Composers Pool & Nieuw Amsterdams Peil: De Hondemepper (ICP -20) **
  • Ethan Iverson/Umbria Jazz Orchestra: Bud Powell in the 21st Century (Sunnyside) **
  • Cassandra Jenkins: An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Ba Da Bing) **
  • Eunhye Jeong: Nolda (ESP-Disk)
  • India Jordan: Watch Out! (Ninja Tune, EP) **
  • Marc Johnson: Overpass (ECM) **
  • Rodney Jordan & Christian Fabian: Conversations (Spicerack)
  • Jonathan Kane and Dave Soldier: February Meets Soldier String Quartet (EEG)
  • Achim Kaufmann/Ignaz Schick: Altered Alchemy (Zarek, 2CD)
  • Khrysis: The Hour of Khrysis (Jamla) **
  • Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (Republic -20) **
  • Kuzu: The Glass Delusion (Astral Spirits) **
  • La Femme: Paradigmes (Disque Pointu) **
  • Julian Lage: Squint (Blue Note) **
  • Andy LaVerne: Rhapsody (SteepleChase) **
  • Jeff Lederer/Sunwatcher: Eightfold Path (Little(i)Music)
  • Les Filles De Illighadad: At Pioneer Works (Sahel Sounds) **
  • Lukas Ligeti: That Which Has Remaind . . . That Which Will Emerge . . . (Col Legno)
  • Damon Locks/Black Monument Ensemble: Now (International Anthem) **
  • Lorde: Solar Power (Universal) **
  • LSDXOXO: Dedicated 2 Disrespect (XL, EP) **
  • Lukah: When the Black Hand Touches You (Raw Materials) **
  • Doug MacDonald Duo: Toluca Lake Jazz (Doug MacDonald Music)
  • Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories (JMood)
  • Mai-Liis: Mai-Liis on Life (OA2)
  • Michael Mantler: Coda: Orchestra Suites (ECM) **
  • Charlie Marie: Ramble On (self-released) **
  • Lorraina Marro: Love Is for All Time (self-released)
  • Mast: Battle Hymns of the Republic (World Galaxy) **
  • Shawn Maxwell: Expectation & Experience (Jazzline)
  • Tobias Meinhart: The Painter (Sunnyside) **
  • Francisco Mela: MPT Trio: Volume 1 (577) **
  • Vic Mensa: I Tape (Roc Nation, EP) **
  • MIKE: Disco! (10k) **
  • Bob Mintzer & WDR Big Band Cologne: Soundscapes (MCG Jazz)
  • Roscoe Mitchell: Dots: Pieces for Percussion and Woodwinds (Wide Hive)
  • Yoko Miwa Trio: Songs of Joy (Ubuntu Music)
  • Liudas Mockunas/Arfvydad Kaziauskas: Purvs (Jersika -2LP)
  • The Modern Jazz Trio With Jerry Bergonzi: Straight Gonz (AMM) **
  • Modest Mouse: The Golden Casket (Epic) **
  • Simon Moullier Trio: Countdown (Fresh Sound New Talent)
  • Kacey Musgraves: Star-Crossed (MCA Nashville) **
  • Mushroom: Songs of Dissent: Live at the Make Out Room 8/9/19 (Alchemikal Artz)
  • Jo Berger Myhre: Unheimlich Manoeuvre (RareNoise) *
  • Randy Napoleon: Rust Belt Roots: Randy Napoleon Plays Wes Montgomery, Grand Green & Kenny Burrell (OA2)
  • Jason Nazary: Spring Collection (We Jazz)
  • Nervous Dater: Call in the Mess (Counter Intuitive) **
  • Nortonk: Nortonk (Biophilia) **
  • Aaron Novik: Grounded (Astral Spirits) **
  • Jeannine Otis: Into My Heart (Adrielle Music/Monpolyhouse)
  • Keith Oxman/Frank Morelli: The Ox-Mo Incident (Capri)
  • William Parker: Trencadis: A Selection From Migration Into and Out of the Tone World (Centering) **
  • Nicki Parrott: If You Could Read My Mind (Arbors) **
  • Alexis Parsons: Alexis (New Artists)
  • Lukasz Pawlik: Long-Distance Connections (Summit)
  • Rich Pellegrin: Solitude: Solo Improvisations (OA2)
  • Ralph Peterson: Raise Up Off Me (Onyx Music) **
  • Dax Pierson: Nerve Bumps (A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction) (Dark Entries) **
  • Pink Siifu: Gumbo'! (Field-Left) **
  • Pom Pom Squad: Death of a Cheerleader (City Slang) **
  • Tom Rainey Obbligato: Untucked in Hannover (Intakt) **
  • Andrew Renfroe: Run in the Storm (self-released)
  • Jason Ringenberg: Rhinestoned (Courageous Chicken) **
  • Trineice Robinson: All or Nothing (4RM Music Productions)
  • Dan Rose/Claudine Francois: New Leaves (Ride Symbol)
  • Saint Etienne: I've Been Trying to Tell You (Heavenly) **
  • Samo Salamon/Hasse Poulsen: String Dancers (Sazas)
  • Schapiro 17: Human Qualities (Summit)
  • Charlie Sepúlveda: Charlie Sepülveda & the Turnaround (HighNote)
  • Jaleel Shaw: Echoes (self-relesed) **
  • Idit Shner: Live at the Jazz Station (OA2)
  • Sturgill Simpson: The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain, EP) **
  • Grete Skarpeid: Beyond Other Stories (Origin)
  • Skarbø Skulekorps: Dugnad (Hubro) **
  • Skyzoo: All the Brilliant Things (Mello Music Group) **
  • Dr. Lonnie Smith: Breathe (Blue Note) **
  • Jim Snidero: Live at the Deer Head Inn (Savant)
  • Space Quartet: Directions (Clean Feed) **
  • Chris Speed: Light Line (Intakt) **
  • Squid: Bright Green Field (Warp) **
  • St. Vincent: Daddy's Home (Loma Vista) **
  • Peter Stampfel: Peter Stampfel's 20th Century in 100 Songs (Louisiana Red Hot) **
  • Tine Surel Lange: Works for Listening 1-10 (Sofa Music) **
  • Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Keshin (Libra)
  • Natsuki Tamura: Koki Solo (Libra)
  • Alexa Tarantino: Firefly (Posi-Tone) **
  • Alfie Templeman: Forever Isn't Long Enough (Chess Club) **
  • Too Much Joy: Mistakes Were Made (People Suck Music) **
  • Arne Torvik Trio: Northwestern Songs (Losen) **
  • Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & The MaXx: Live (MNJ -20) **
  • Carlos Vega: Art of the Messenger (Origin)
  • Luís Vicente Trio: Chanting in the Name Of (Clean Feed) **
  • Marta Warelis/Carlos "Zingaro"/Helena Espvall/Marcelo dos Reis: Turqoise Dream (JACC)
  • The Weather Station: Ignorance (Fat Possum) **
  • Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Not a Novelty (Sunnyside) **
  • Chris White/Lara Driscoll: Firm Roots (Firm Roots)
  • Sarah Wilson: Kaleidoscope (Brass Tonic)
  • Wolf Alice: Blue Weekend (Dirty Hit) **
  • Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jazz Is Dead 7: João Donato (Jazz Is Dead, EP) **
B+(*)

  • Snoh Aalegra: Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies (ARTium/Roc Nation) **
  • Arooj Aftab: Vulture Prince (New Amsterdam) **
  • Albare: Albare Plays Jobim Vol. 2 (Alfi)
  • Susan Alcorn/Leila Bordreuil/Ingrid Laubrock: Bird Meets Wire (Relative Pitch) **
  • Gary Allan: Ruthless (EMI Nashville) **
  • JD Allen: Queen City (Savant) **
  • Aly & AJ: A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun (Aly & AJ Music) **
  • Rebecca Angel: Love Life Choices (Timeless Grooves)
  • Atmosphere: Word? (Rhymesayers Entertainment) **
  • Backxwash: I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dress (Ugly Hag) **
  • Julien Baker: Little Oblivions (Matador) **
  • Baker's Brew: New Works (Psychosomatic, 2CD)
  • Benny the Butcher: Pyrex Picasso (Rare Scrilla/BSF, EP) **
  • Namir Blade: Namir Blade Presents Aphelion's Traveling Circus (Mello Music Group -20) **
  • Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (RCA) **
  • Lena Bloch & Feathery: Rose of Lifta (Fresh Sound New Talent)
  • Olie Brice/Binker Golding/Henry Kaiser/N.O. Moore/Eddie Prévost: The Secret Handshake With Danger: Vol. One (577) **
  • Alan Broadbent/London Metropolitan Strings: Broadbent Plays Brubeck (Eden River) **
  • The Bug: Fire (Ninja Tune) **
  • Burial: Chemz/Dolphin (Hyperdub, EP) **
  • Greg Burk: Simple Joys (Tonos)
  • Cabaret Voltaire: Dekadrone (Mute) **
  • George Cables: Too Close for Comfort (HighNote) **
  • Matt Caflisch: Runaway (Fat Oak -20) **
  • Pedro Carneiro & Pedro Melo Alves: Bad Company (Clean Feed) **
  • Daniel Carter: Playfield Vol. 1: Sonar (Orbit577) **
  • Daniel Carter: Playfield Vol. 3: After Life (Orbit577) **
  • Brian Charette: Power From the Air (SteepleChase) **
  • Lady Gaga: Dawn of Chromatica (Interscope) **
  • Eric Church: Soul (EMI Nashville) **
  • Clairo: Sling (Fader/Republic) **
  • J. Cole: The Off-Season (Dreamville/Roc Nation) **
  • Contour: Love Suite (Good Question, EP) **
  • Cowboys & Frenchmen: Our Highway (Outside In Music)
  • Dan Ex Machina: Bail Shag EP (self-released, EP) **
  • Michael Dease: Give It All You Got (Posi-Tone) **
  • The Dynamic Les DeMerle Band Featuring Bonnie Eisele: Hot Night in Venice: Live at the Venice Jazz Club (Origin)
  • John Dikeman/Hamid Drake: Live in Chicago (Doek Raw -20) **
  • Doja Cat: Planet Her (Kemosabe/RCA) **
  • Dominican Jazz Project: Desde Lejos (Summit)
  • Rebecca Dumaine and the Dave Miller Trio: Someday, Someday (Summit)
  • Gerry Eastman Trio: Trust Me (self-released)
  • Yoav Eshed/Lex Korten/Massimo Biolcati/Jongkuk Kim: A Way Out (Sounderscore)
  • Lorraine Feather: My Own Particular Life (Relarion)
  • Jared Feinman: Love Is an Obstacle (West of Philly) *
  • Focusyear Band 2021: Bosque (Neuklang)
  • Nnenna Freelon: Time Traveler (Origin)
  • Satoko Fujii: Piano Music (Libra)
  • Futari: Beyond (Libra)
  • Garage A Trois: Calm Down Cologne (Royal Potato Family) **
  • Aaron Germain: Bell Projections (Aaron Germain Music)
  • Ghetts: Conflict of Interest (Warner) **
  • Sean Michael Giddings: Red Willow (Origin)
  • Frode Gjerstad Trio + 1: Forgotten City (PNL -20) **
  • The Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble: Jagged Spaces (Grassvita Music)
  • Barry Guy: Irvin's Comet (NoBusiness -20)
  • Hiatus Kaiyote: Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder) **
  • Roderick Harper: Evolving (R.H.M. Entertainment)
  • Kevin Hays/Ben Street/Billy Hart: All Things Are (Smoke Sessions) **
  • Hearth: Melt (Clean Feed) **
  • David Helbock: The New Cool (ACT Music) **
  • Hennessy Six/Colorado Springs Youth Symphony: The Road Less Traveled (Summit)
  • Inawhirl: Streugebilde (Trost) **
  • Yvette Janine Jackson: Freedom (Fridman Gallery) **
  • Jake Breaks: Breaksy (Wide Hive)
  • Loraine James: Reflection (Hyperdub) **
  • Jazz Worms: Squirmin' (Capri)
  • Jü: III (RareNoise) *
  • Jonathan Karrant/Joshua White: Shadows Fall (self-released)
  • Katarsis 4: Live at the Underground Water Reservoir (NoBusiness -20)
  • Amythyst Kiah: Wary + Strange (Rounder) **
  • Alexey Kruglov/Carolyn Hume/Paul May/Oleg Yudanov: Last Train From Narvskaya (Leo) **
  • Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio: I Told You So (Colemine) **
  • Marthe Lea Band: Asura (Motvind) **
  • Gianni Lenoci: A Few Steps Beyond (Amirani) **
  • Mark Lewis Quartet: Naked Animals (Audio Daddio)
  • Lil Nas X: Montero (Columbia) **
  • Johan Lindström Septett: On the Asylum (Moserobie)
  • Los Lobos: Native Sons (New West) **
  • Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas: Soundprints: Other Worlds (Greenleaf Music)
  • A Love Electric: Permanent Immigrant (Imagination Demand -20) **
  • Andy Fairweather Low & the Low Riders: Lockdown Live (Secret) **
  • L'Rain: Fatigue (Mexican Summer) **
  • Doug MacDonald: Live in Hawaii (DMAC Music)
  • Madlib: Sound Ancestors (Madlib Invazion) **
  • Madre Vaca: The Elements (Madre Vaca)
  • Shai Maestro: Human (ECM) **
  • Wu Man/Kojiro Umezaki: How (In a Circle)
  • Karen Marguth: Until (OA2)
  • Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane: Ihubo Labomdabu (Unlocked Keys) **
  • Meridian Odyssey: Second Wave (Origin)
  • Lady Millea: I Don't Mind Missing You (Reconcile)
  • Dave Miller Trio: The Mask-erade Is Over (Summit)
  • Steve Million: What I Meant to Say (Origin)
  • Liudas Mockunas/Christian Windfeld: Pacemaker (NoBusiness)
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 8: Brian Jackson (Jazz Is Dead) **
  • Róisín Murphy: Crooked Machine (Skint) **
  • Laura Mvula: Pink Noise (Atlantic) **
  • Nas: King's Disease II (Mass Appeal) **
  • Mankwe Ndosi and Body MemOri: Felt/Not Said (Auspice NOW) *
  • Gary Negbaur: You've Got to Be Carefully Taught (BluJazz)
  • Nelly: Heartland (Columbia, EP) **
  • Marius Neset: A New Dawn (ACT Music) **
  • Larry Newcomb Quartet: Love, Dad (Essential Messenger)
  • Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge: Within Us: Celebrating 25 Years of the Jazz Surge (MAMA/Summit)
  • Palberta: Palberta 5000 (Wharf Cat) **
  • Caroline Parke: Pause and Pine (self-released) **
  • Evan Parker Quartet: All Knavery and Collusion (Cadillac) **
  • Ben Patterson: Push the Limits (Origin)
  • Jeremy Pelt: Griot: This Is Important! (HighNote) **
  • Ivo Perelman/Nate Wooley: Polarity (Burning Ambulance) **
  • Pluto Juice: Pluto Juice (Contagious Music)
  • Polo G: Hall of Fame (Columbia/Only Dreamers Achieve) **
  • Portico Quartet: Terrain (Gondwana) **
  • Powers/Rollin Duo: Strange Fortune (Astral Spirits) **
  • Reggie Quinerly: New York Nowhere (Redefinition)
  • Dan Rose: Last Night . . . (Ride Symbol)
  • Jeff Rosenstock: Ska Dream (Polyvinyl) **
  • Renee Rosnes: Kinds of Love (Smoke Sessions) **
  • The Justin Rothberg Group: Hurricane Mouse (self-released)
  • The Scenic Route Trio: Flight of Life (self-released)
  • Chris Schlarb/Chad Taylor: Time No Changes (Astral Spirits/Big Ego) **
  • J. Peter Schwalm: Aufbruch (RareNoise) *
  • Jacques Schwarz-Bart: Soné Ka-La 2: Odyssey (Enja)
  • Penelope Scott: Hazards (Many Hats, EP) **
  • Zoe Scott: Shades of Love (Zoe Scott Music -20)
  • Serengeti: KDxMPC (self-released, EP -20) **
  • Serengeti: Curse of the Polo (self-released) **
  • Serpentwithfeet: Deacon (Secretly Canadian) **
  • Almog Sharvit: Get Up or Cry (Unit)
  • Alex Sipiagin: Upstream (Posi-Tone) **
  • Slayyyter: Troubled Paradise (Fader Label) **
  • Sleater-Kinney: Path of Wellness (Mom + Pop) **
  • Slide Attack: Road Trip (SACD)
  • Slowthai: Tyron (Method) **
  • Will St Peter/Steven Heffner/Steve Barnes: Honestly (Origin)
  • Thomas Strønen/Ayumi Tanaka/Marthe Lea: Bayou (ECM) **
  • Jazmine Sullivan: Heaux Tales (RCA) **
  • Butch Thompson & Southside Aces With Charlie Devore: How Long Blues (Southside Aces -20) **
  • Tony Tixier: I Am Human (Whirlwind, EP) **
  • Sabu Toyozumi/Mats Gustafsson: Hokusai (NoBusiness -20)
  • Tropical Fuck Storm: Deep States (Joyful Noise) **
  • Turnstile: Glow On (Roadrunner) **
  • Theo Walentiny: Looking Glass (self-released)
  • Waterparks: Greatest Hits (300 Entertainment) **
  • We Are the Union: Ordinary Life (Bad Time) **
  • Faye Webster: I Know I'm Funny Haha (Secretly Canadian) **
  • Amber Weekes: 'Round Midnight Re-Imagined (Amber Inn Productions)
  • Rodney Whitaker: OutroSpection: The Music of Gregg Hill (Origin)
  • Chris Williams/Patrick Shiroishi: Sans Soleil (Astral Spirits) **
  • Nate Wooley/Liudas Mockunas/Barry Guy/Arkadijus Gotesmanas: NOX (NoBusiness)
B
  • Air Craft: Divergent Path (Craftedair/Blujazz)
  • The Armed: Ultrapop (Sargent House) **
  • Mandy Barnett: Every Star Above (BMG) **
  • Black Midi: Cavalcade (Rough Trade) **
  • Dr. Mike Bogle: Let There Be Light (MBP/Groove)
  • Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy: Uma Elmo (ECM) **
  • Butcher Brown: Encore (Concord Jazz, EP) **
  • Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: Carnage (AWAL) **
  • Joe Chambers: Samba De Marcatu (Blue Note) **
  • Avishai Cohen: Two Roses (Naive) **
  • Wayne Coniglio & Scott Whitfield: Faster Friends (Summit)
  • Jack Cooper/Jeff Tobias: Tributaries (Astral Spirits) **
  • Randal Despommier: Dio C'è (Outside In Music)
  • Signe Emmeluth: Hi Hello I'm Signe (Relative Pitch) **
  • Alon Farber: Hagiga: Reflecting on Freedom (Origin)
  • Amit Friedman: Unconditional Love (Origin)
  • Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet: Impulso Tanguero (Tiger Turn) **
  • Mats Gustafsson/Joachim Nordwall: Shadows of Tomorrow/The Brain Produces Electric Waves (Astral Spirits, EP) **
  • Iceage: Seek Shelter (Mexican Summer) **
  • Jazz Daddies: Moontower Nights (self-released)
  • Marcus Joseph: Beyond the Dome (Jazz Re:freshed) **
  • Angélique Kidjo: Mother Nature (Decca) **
  • L.A. Cowboy: The Big Pitch (Reconcile)
  • Gabor Lesko: Earthway (Creativity's Paradise Music)
  • Lord Huron: Long Lost (Republic) **
  • Joe Lovano: Trio Tapestry: Garden of Expression (ECM) **
  • Branford Marsalis: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom [Original Soundtrack] (Milan -20) **
  • Lyle Mays: Eberhard (self-released, EP)
  • Brad Mehldau and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra: Variations on a Melancholy Theme (Nonesuch) **
  • Pat Metheny: Road to the Sun (BMG Modern) **
  • Ashley Monroe: Rosegold (Mountainrose Sparrow) **
  • John Moulder: Metamorphosis (Origin)
  • Willie Nelson: That's Life (Legacy) **
  • Matt Niess & the Capitol Bones: The Beat Goes On (Summit)
  • Nubiyan Twist: Freedom Fables (Strut) **
  • Kassa Overall: Shades of Flu 2: In These Odd Times (Flu Note) **
  • Part Chimp: Drool (Wrong Speed) **
  • Charlie Porter: Hindsight (OA2)
  • Chris Potter Circuits Trio: Sunrise Reprise (Edition) **
  • Q'd Up: Going Places (Tantara)
  • R+R=Now: Live (Blue Note) **
  • Mauricio J. Rodriguez: Luz (self-released)
  • Claire Rousay: A Softer Focus (American Dreams) **
  • Senyawa: Alkisah (Burning Ambulance) **
  • Sidemen: Sidemen (Summit)
  • Greg Skaff: Polaris (Smoke Sessions) **
  • Spirit of the Beehive: Entertainment, Death (Saddle Creek) **
  • Matthew Stevens: Pittsburgh (Whirlwind)
  • John Stowell/Dan Dean: Rain Painting (Origin)
  • Emma-Jean Thackray: Yellow (Movementt/Warp) **
  • TØRSÖ: Home Wrecked (self-released, EP) **
  • Vasco Trilla: Unmoved Mover (Fundacja Sluchaj) **
  • Tune-Yards: Sketchy (4AD) **
  • Leon Vynehall: Rare, Forever (Ninja Tune) **
  • Wau Wau Collectif: Yaral Sa Doom (Sahel Sounds) **
  • Rodney Whitaker With the Christ Church Cranbrook Choir: Cranbrook Christmas Jazz (Origin)
  • Greg Yasinitsky Yazz Band: New Normal (Origin)
B-
  • Lauren Alaina: Sitting Pretty on Top of the World (Mercury Nashville) **
  • Dan Dean: Fanfare for the Common Man (Origin Classical)
  • James Francies: Purest Form (Blue Note) **
  • Reza Khan: Imaginary Road (Painted Music)
  • Doug Lofstrom: Music for Strings (Origin Classical)
  • Paul Silbergleit: The Hidden Standard (BluJazz)
  • Young Pilgrims: We're Young Pilgrims (Stoney Lane) **
C+
  • Jen Shyu & Jade Tongue: Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses (Pi)
  • The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note: The 2021 Jazz Heritage Series (self-released)
C
  • Amber Weekes: My Romance: A Special Valentin (Amber Inn Productions, EP)

Limited sampling: Records I played parts of, but not enough to grade: -- means no interest, - not bad but not a prospect, + some chance, ++ likely prospect.

++
  • Punkt. Vrt. Plastik [Kaja Draksler/Petter Eldh/Christian Lillinger]: Somit (Intakt) **
+
  • Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society: Mandatory Reality (Eremite) **
  • Mark Feldman: Sounding Point (Intakt) **
  • Fred Frith/Ikue Mori: A Mountain Doesn't Know It's Tall (2021, Intakt) **
  • Alexander Hawkins: Togetherness Music: For Sixteen Musicians (Intakt) **
  • Christopher Hoffman: Asp Nimbus (Out of Your Head) **
  • Jason Moran: The Sound Will Tell You (Yes) **

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.

A
  1. Charles Mingus: Mingus at Carnegie Hall [Deluxe Edition] (1974, Atlantic, 2CD) **
A-
  1. Schlippenbach & Johansson: Onkel Pös Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1978 (SÅJ) **
  2. Hamiet Bluiett: Bearer of the Holy Flame (1983, Strut) **
  3. Bill Evans: Behind the Dikes: The 1969 Netherands Recordings (Elemental Music, 2CD)
  4. Total Music Association: Walpurgisnacht (1971-88, NoBusiness)
  5. Pat Thomas: The Locals Play the Music of Anthony Braxton (2006, Discus Music) **
  6. Sam Rivers Quartet: Braids [Sam Rivers Archive Project, Volume 4] (1979, NoBusiness -20)
  7. Duck Baker: Confabulations (1994-2017, ESP-Disk)
  8. What Goes On: The Songs of Lou Reed (1967-2019, Ace) **
  9. Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (1977-2007, New World, 7CD) **
  10. 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Island) **
  11. Cecil Taylor Quintet: Lifting the Bandstand (1998, Fundacja Sluchaj) **
  12. Joseph Spence: Encore: Unheard Recordings of Bahamian Guitar and Singing (1965, Smithsonian/Folkways) **
  13. Sam Rivers Quartet: Undulation [Sam Rivers Archive Project, Volume 5 (1981, NoBusiness)
  14. Christian Reim Sextet: Mona Lisa (1973, Jazzaggression) **
  15. Roy Hargrove/Mulgrew Miller: In Harmony (2006-07, Resonance, 2CD)
  16. Cold Wave #2 (2015-20, Soul Jazz) **
  17. Hasaan Ibn Ali: Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album (1965, Omnivore) **
  18. Marion Brown: Capricorn Moon to Juba Lee Revisited (1965-66, Ezz-Thetics -19) **
  19. Jim Snidero: Strings (2001, Savant)
  20. Paul Dunmall/Keith Tippett/Philip Gibbs/Pete Fairclough: Onosante (2000, 577) **
  21. Mototeru Takagi/Susumu Kongo/Nao Takeuchi/Shola Koyama: Live at Little John, Yokohama 1999 (NoBusiness)
  22. Juju: Live at 131 Prince Street (1973, Strut) **
  23. Khaira Arby: Live in New York 2010 (Clermont Music) **
  24. Joel Futterman: Creation Series (2008, NoBusiness, 5CD)

Pending

Records in hand, sorted by artist, or release date if future. Those marked ** are downloads in hand.

Also Noted:

B+(***)
  • Albert Ayler Quintet: 1966: Berlin, Lorrach, Paris & Stockholm. Revisited (Ezz-Thetics, 2CD) **
  • Duck Baker: Plymouth Rock: Unreleased & Rare Recordings, 1973-1979 (Tompkins Square -20) **
  • Gary Bartz NTU Troop: Live in Bremen 1975 (Moosicus, 2CD) **
  • Tim Berne/Chris Speed/Reid Anderson/Dave King: Broken Shadows (2018, Intakt) **
  • Roy Brooks: Understanding (1970, Reel-to-Real, 2CD) **
  • Can: Live in Stuttgart 1975 (Mute, 2CD) **
  • Alice Coltrane: Kirtan: Turiya Sings (1982, Impulse!) **
  • John Coltrane: Another Side of John Coltrane (1956-61, Craft) **
  • John Coltrane Quartet: Newport, New York, Alabama 1963 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) **
  • Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years (1995-2009, BMG) **
  • Henry Franklin: The Skipper (1972, Black Jazz/Real Gone Music) **
  • Hal Galper Quintet: Live at the Berlin Philharmonic 1977 (Origin, 2CD)
  • Frode Gjerstad/Kent Carter/John Stevens: Detail-90 (1990, NoBusiness)
  • Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band: Hot Night in Roslyn: 1976 Radio Broadcast Recording (Hobo) **
  • ICP Orchestra: Plays Herbie Nichols in Nijmegen 7 May 1984 (ICP -20) **
  • The J Ann C Trio: At Tan-Tar-A (1966, Modern Harmonic/Sundazed) **
  • Sheila Jordan: Comes Love: Lost Session 1960 (Capri)
  • Byard Lancaster: My Pure Joy (1992, Strut) **
  • Alan Lomax's American Patchwork (1978-83, Mississippi) **
  • Lionel Loueke: Close Your Eyes (2018, Sounderscore)
  • Hailu Mergia & the Walias Band: Tezeta (1975, Awesome Tapes From Africa) **
  • Roberto Miranda's Home Music Ensemble: Live at Bing Theatre: Los Angeles, 1985 (Dark Tree)
  • Carl Magnus Neumann/Christian Reim Quartet: Molde International Jazz Festival 1976 (1976, Jazzaggression) **
  • Joe Newman: Joe Newman at the Atlantic (1977, Phontastic) **
  • Now That's What I Call Music! Outlaw Country (1968-2015, NOW) **
  • Itaru Oki Quartet: Live at Jazz Spot Combo 1975 (NoBusiness)
  • Lee Scratch Perry: The Specialist: The Pama Years (1969-71, Pama) **
  • Sun Ra: On Jupiter (1979, Enterplanetary Koncepts) **
  • The Rough Guide to the Roots of Jazz (1918-30, World Music Network) **
  • Cecil Taylor Ensemble: Göttingen (1990, Fundacja Sluchaj, 2CD) **
  • Steve Tintweiss and the Purple Why: Markstown (1968, Inky Dot Media)
  • Shem Tupe/Justo Osala/Enos Okola: Guitar Music of Western Kenya: 45s From the Archive of Shem Tupe (Mississippi) **
  • Vernacular: The Little Bird (2003, Astral Spirits) **
  • Wallahi Le Zein! (Mississippi) **
B+(**)
  • Derek Bailey/Mototeru Takagi: Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987 (NoBusiness -20)
  • Billy Bang: Lucky Man (2008, BBE, 2CD) **
  • Cold Wave #1 (2017-20, Soul Jazz) **
  • John Coltrane: A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle (1965, Impulse) **
  • The Cucumbers: The Desk Drawer Tapes (1988-2005, Life Force) **
  • Directions in Music: 1969 to 1973: Miles Davis, His Musicians and the Birth of a New Age of Jazz (BGP) **
  • Arne Domnérus Quartet: Dompan at the Savoy (Phontastic) **
  • Edo Funk Explosion Vol. 1 (1980-85, Analog Africa) **
  • Eyedea: Thirty Nine Lines (Crushkill -20) **
  • Allen Ginsberg's The Fall of America: A 50th Anniversary Musical Tribute (Ginsberg) **
  • Kid Creole and the Coconuts: Nothin' Left but the Rest (1996, 2C2C) **
  • New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers: Volume 2 (2007, Stony Plain) **
  • Nermin Niazi and Feisal Mosleh: Disco Se Aagay (1984, Discostan) **
  • Ojoyo: Plays Safrojazz (1996, Sunnyside)
  • Rare.wavs (Vol. 1) (Foreign Family Collective) **
  • Scott Reeves Quintet: The Alchemist (2005, Origin)
  • Screamers: Demo Hollywood 1977 (Super Viaduct, EP) **
  • Billy Joe Shaver & Kinky Friedman: Live Down Under (2002, Omnivore) **
  • Nancy Sinatra: Start Walkin' 1965-1976 (Light in the Attic) **
  • Joe Strummer: Assembly (1986-2002, Dark Horse) **
  • Masauyki JoJo Takayanagi/Nobuyoshi Ino/Masabumi PUU Kikuchi: Live at Jazz Inn Lovely 1990 (NoBusiness -20)
  • The Trojan Story (1961-71, Trojan, 3CD) **
  • Barney Wilen Quartet feat. Tete Montoliu: Barney and Tete Grenoble \'88 (Elemental -20) **
  • Neil Young: Young Shakespeare (1971, Reprise) **
  • Neil Young With Crazy Horse: Way Down in the Rust Bucket (1990, Reprise, 2CD) **
B+(*)
  • Albert Ayler: New York Eye and Ear Control Revisited (1964, Ezz-Thetics) **
  • Don Cherry: Cherry Jam (1965, Gearbox, EP) **
  • Don Cherry: The Summer House Sessions (1968, Blank Forms Editions) **
  • Don Cherry's New Researches: Organic Music Theatre: Festival De Jazz De Chateauvallon 1972 (1972, Blank Forms Editions) **
  • Alex Chilton and Hi Rhythm Section: Boogie Shoes: Live on Beale Street (Omnivore) **
  • Marshall Crenshaw: The Wild, Exciting Sounds of Marshall Crenshaw: Live in the 20th and 21st Century (Sunset Blvd.) **
  • Miles Davis: Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne (1991, Rhino, 2CD) **
  • Diane Delin: Chicago Standard Time (1991, BluJazz)
  • Guillermo Gregorio/Damon Smith/Jerome Bryerton: Room of the Present (Fundacja Sluchaj) **
  • John Hiatt: The Confidence Man in Canada (1989, Hobo) **
  • Indaba Is (Brownswood) **
  • La Ola Interior: Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990 (Bongo Joe) **
  • Gary Lucas: The Essential Gary Lucas (Knitting Factory, 2CD) **
  • Nadja Noordhuis: Gullfoss (2019, Little Mystery) **
  • Prince: Welcome 2 America (2010, NPG/Legacy) **
  • Mike Taylor: Trio, Quartet & Composer Revisited (1965-68, Ezz-thetics) **
  • Chester Thompson: Powerhouse (1971, Black Jazz/Real Gone Music) **
B
  • Peter Brötzmann: Love Comes Like Sour to Milk (1993, Trost, EP) **
  • He's Bad! 11 Bands Decimate the Beats of Bo Diddley (Slovenly) **
  • Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets: Walkabout (2013-19, Yep Roc -20) **
C+
  • Juozas Milasius/Tomas Kulavicius/Dalius Naujokaitis/Lithuanian Young Composers Orchestra: Live at Willisau, 1993 (NoBusiness -20)