Every year, for three years and counting, I let the sublime rhythm and tones of jazz consume me. I listen to nothing else, no exceptions. Sometimes it's albums that I already know and love, but I try to explore new vistas. Here's what I listened to in 2016.
I first heard about this record on NPR last year and I geeked out on it for a good few weeks. Fast forward to Jazz July this year, and the whole month I've been trying to remember the artist and the album that brought me such joy. I'll chalk it up to my simple American mind that I lost his name and it took me a long time to rediscover him.
What immediately struck me about this album was the blend of heavy, percussive piano melodies mixed with soft, floating vocals — vocals that were invented words and sounds based on a 19th-century Amerenian poet.
I don't want to admit how much time I've spent trying to find this album again. At least four separate occasions since first hearing the album over a year ago I've searched and searched, only to come up empty. I scoured my old Rdio favorited history, I exhausted all combinations of Google searches. I was finally convinced that the artist was Armenian and I knew the album was based on the work of a poet, so I finally typed in "jazz armenian poetry" into YouTube and bang... Tigran Hamasyan! This record was worth the search.
Yes, it's possibly the seminal jazz saxophone record, but what Giant Steps represents to me is one of my first eye-opening experiences into what jazz is and can be. What Coltrane does on this record is nothing short of breathtaking, especially on tracks like Countdown which is a non-stop sax assault that doesn't let up. This album alone brought me really close to trying to learn the basics of the saxophone (thankfully something that didn't actually happen, as I think I would be straight lousy with brass instruments).
Also found while exploring 2015 albums, this record of spontaneous improvisational explorations was so much fun. One of the coolest aspects of jazz is how great musicians can get together and jam — and sure, other genres of music have that, too, but rarely in such a textured, nuanced, and complex way. I like how McCraven and his crew weave in elements of hip hop and R&B and funk into these tunes, and how at the same time they keep their explorations so light and fun.
I gravitate towards complex, groovy ryhthms but I often overlook chill, darker grooves like those found on this record. I found out about Astronautilus (which is a pretty cool title) after reading some article about jazz albums in 2015 in which they compared it to Portishead. I suppose I see some similarities in the texture and pacing, but either way I thought this record was complex enough to sit and enjoy on its own or as an excellent background texture while working.
I thought this would be a challenging album for me because I'm not normally into jazz guitar or covers of pop songs, but it helps that Grant Green's guitar playing is super funky and the songs that he covers here are really good ones. You can't go wrong opening with a James Brown number followed up by the The Beatles.
This was the first Bad Plus album I listened to so it holds a special place in my heart, but since discovering them in 2012 they've become my favorite modern jazz act. The way they incorporate improvisation, how they embrace exploration and the discovery of the unexpected, how they patiently build and then destroy in a fit of chaos — this is why I listen to jazz.
From the opening drum riff that floats over the toms, building with the piano into an eventual frenzy, I knew back in 2012 that I had discovered something truly special. This was in my early days of getting into jazz before I had any developed tastes or opinions, but I knew then that The Bad Plus were my band.
I didn't know at the time that this album was a bit of an oddity for them, with its occasional electronic flourishes. I know some don't like this approach and consider Made Possible to be their weakest album, but for me there's such an incredible depth that I'm still discovering things even after dozens and dozens of listens.
After falling instantly in love with Ponty's Cosmic Messenger I was disappointed in this album. With it's opening country fiddle riffs and meandering strings and spacey noodling on tracks like Wandering On The Milky Way, this kind of fusion is what turned me off of fusion in the first place.
I haven't yet given up on this record though. Underneath the layer of cheese is some really interesting musical exploration. Really, at the end of the day, that kind of complexity in music — and really, art in general — is what compels me, drives me to ask questions, dig deeper, look harder.
Holy weird time signatures Batman, this record is incredible. It's too bad I'm just now listening to this, because it was an instant favorite. And the hooks, oh the hooks! From the opening track with it's playful melody to the classic Take Five and that super cool riff that Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond just go to town on.
Of particular interest to me is Joe Morello, not only for his incredible percussion skills and mastery of odd time signatures, but the fact that he was legally blind by the time they recorded this album. After having a number of surgeries as a kid, he got to a point where he said no more and essentially just lived with it. Yet still kept producing amazing work.
As a follow-up to the incredible Ah Um I have to say I was a little disappointed after the first listen. Maybe that's to be expected after the bar the previous album set.
Mingus Dynasty starts off with a nod to Ah Um, horn-heavy with a gospel tinge. After that it broke all my expectations, which is maybe why I wasn't sure I cared for what I was hearing until my second listen, after which I started picking up the nuances of all the tracks and reveling in its almost orchestral, film-soundtrack beauty.
While this record may not be as heavy-hitting as it's predecessor there's still a lot to explore and appreciate and I hope to revisit it many times in order to do so.
I found BADBADNOTGOOD through one specific track: Confessions, with Leland Whitty on saxophone. When the sax came in on this song, and it comes in strong, I nearly fell out of my chair. I'm not exagerrating, it caught me with such surprise that I started and nearly slipped to the floor. This newest record is good although I'm not generally into the hip hop flavors of jazz.
One track in particular caught me by surprise, just like Confessions did before. Colin Stetson plays with them on none other than Confessions Part II, and before I knew it was Colin Stetson (who I really really like) and what the track was even called, I thought they were ripping him off. Turns out my favorite track on this record is a continuation of sorts of my other favorite BBNG track, both performed by fascinating saxophonists.
Like fusion, I'm drawn to the eclectic playfulness of afrobeat, but I'm still a neophyte when it comes to the popular musicians of the genre. On a friends recommendation I gave Zombie a few listens and was enthralled with the passion of the instrumentation and lyrics. Kuti's words are, in a completely different context, just as relevant today.
I used to hate jazz fusion. I associated it with elevator music. Then I discovered what fusion can actually be (more on that in the near future, I'm sure) and now my eyes have been opened to entirely new possibilities. I discovered Ponty at a coffee shop (how hipster of me) and fell in love instantly. Such sick grooves with crazy guitars and violin.
There are all kinds of nuances and sub-genres within jazz, but fusion is one that I find myself identifying with more as I get older and dig deeper into my musical interests. Grooves like on Cosmic Messenger get me way more pumped up than any rock anthem. I'm talking out of my seat, dancing around like a fool (there's video evidence to back this up).
I discovered Yusef Lateef through Eastern Sounds but this one was the first I picked up on vinyl, and actually the only Lateef record I've ever seen locally. I love complex grooves so I love this album, and while this meanders a bit I really love is the gentle way he approaches everything. It's a powerful recording but it doesn't beat you over the head. My favorite track is probably Bamboo Flute Blues because, well... bamboo flute.
This is Matthew Halsall's followup after the powerhouse that was When The World Was One. I had really high hopes for this album but it ended up being just a completely different feel than the previous. Which isn't a bad thing, but gone are the really powerful grooves and hooks, replaced instead with vocals and lots of strings. Very mellow, with some ethnic influences from Ireland and maybe even Japan. While it's not as captivating as the previous album, this is still a good listen that I've revisited several times.
Wooooww. I'm only a little familiar with Sanchez's work, mainly from the Birdman soundtrack (which was incredible). I haven't started digging into his other stuff yet but I came across this new album online and listened to about 30 seconds before being convinced I needed to own it. Really great saxophone licks, amazing percussion (obviously), seriously awesome jams. There's even some synth-flute-sax stuff that really caught me by surprise.
I can't even remember how I first discovered this album but it instantly became a top ten favorite. The grooves and melodies are just killer. Horns and sax like you wouldn't believe. Some of the best modern jazz I've heard, although it sounds like something that could have come right out of the 70s.
I've never taken the time to delve deep into Monk's work which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed this album. Really tight play between Monk and everyone else, and his solo stuff was blowin' my mind. My favorite track is Bright Mississippi, either take.
This was my first Ramsey Lewis listen and it makes for great gettin' work done jams. A lot of this album was popular hits so it's not my normal jazz listening fare, but the version of Hard Day's Night with the crowd singing along in the background is a blast.
It was with this album that I truly realized how specific my jazz interests are. Don't get me wrong, if you put on something like this I'm going to listen and be happy, but I tend to seek out more complex and challenging work. Maybe I should take this as a sign to just sit back and relax sometimes.
Following up on some great 80s jazz, I went back to my favorite Adhmad Jamal album. The groovy bass lines like on Perugia really get me worked up. Energy and spontaneity are signature Jamal traits that always make revisiting his records rewarding.
Ahmad Jamal fascinates me. He is so incredibly prolific, even now at 86 years old. The playfulness he has with other musicians and the way he seems to mesh with everyone give me opportunities to learn with each listen. Which is why this record in particular is one that deserves a deep listen, headphones on, with no distractions.
I had seen this record over and over again at a local record shop and every time I stopped and looked at its stark cover for a few seconds before moving on. I was intrigued but held off on streaming it, wanting instead to spin it the old-school way. So one day I bought it, and it felt just like the old days, not knowing what it would sound like.
I'm early into understanding the history of jazz and what I do and don't like, but I do know that I love a lot of the stuff that came out of the 80s, in particular stuff that Miles put out. I love the way he incorporated layers of R&B and funk synth. In the end, I enjoy listening to this album as much as getting lost in the artwork.
It's July 4th and it's pouring. It's muggy, the air as wet as the ground. My wife and I are sitting out on the front porch, watching the American flag hold its head high as it fights the wind. Black Saint and the Sinner Lady echoes inside our porch, hitting the concrete floor and the wood roof, reverberating out into the street. It would be hard to imagine a better way to kick off Jazz July.