Just for the record - pun intended - here's my slightly revised top ten CD list of 2005 in alphabetical order with very short comments:
Actis Furioso - Avanti Popolo!
Italian avant-world-jazz with a great sense of humour! Features Luca Calabrese, my favourite trumpet player.
Kate Bush - Aerial
It's features Pi, a duet with a blackbird (she should have phoned Jeff Beck up and made it a trio) and a song that combines Elvis with Orson. And the voice.
Fred Frith - Eleventh Hour
Moving with the grace of a ballet dancer. Only a few years ago, I wouldn't have thought the old avantgardist had it in him. But he has.
Isildurs Bane - Songs from the Observatory
Great. It would have been even better if we could have just a bit more Moog at the end of "Without Grace". Even though he is a friend, I still want to point out what a fantastic composer Mats is.
Eric Johnson - Bloom
An incredible guitarist with ears the size of Texas - please understand that I am writing metaphorically - and a guitar sound to die for. Can I please have more and longer solos and less covers next time please? That's right, I didn't like the Dylan cover.
Mick Karn - Love's Glove
A brilliantly groovy ambient EP from the master bassist. The final track occasionally makes the hairs on my arms point towards the sky. Support independent musicians, buy this!
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall
Miracles do happen! Hopefully, the Library of Congress will now employ more archivists so the rest of us can look forward to more holy grails like this one.
Spin Marvel - Spin Marvel
Super drummer Martin France's solo thing. It's electric, it's daring, it's exciting and France hasn't been on fire on this scale since the revolution!
Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian - Goodbye
A beautifully understated release from the finest Swedish jazz pianist alive. Period. How good is this? It is so good that yours truly - who hates musicals - even loves "Send in the Clowns" when this trio sends the old face painted jokers into the arena.
Franck Vigroux - Triste Lilas
Luckily I don't work in a record shop any more. I would have great difficulties categorizing this slightly eccentric French release featuring among others guitarist Marc Ducret. Is it jazz? Art music? Electronica? Avantgarde? Rock? None of the above? All of the above? I just know it's great.
* * *
NP: ProjeKct One - Live at the Jazz Café
* * *
Take It off the Top was written by Steve Morse and released on the Dixie Dregs' What If album back in 1978. If memory serves, English DJ Tommy Vance used it as a theme tune for his Friday Night Rock Show (or whatever it was called). One of the more straightforward tracks by this extremely capable US band. Great solo by Morse (as usual). One some of the tours they also included a drum solo by the scary Rod Morgenstein (what is he up to nowadays?). Phew!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Steve Morse, the man who doesn't know how to take a day off, sometimes rounds up Rod and the boys in Dixie Dregs and goes on tour. Often lately, together with the Steve Morse Band! So Mr. Morse gets some packed evenings. Unfortunately, we don't get to see them over here that often. Maybe it could be an idea to try to get the SMB/DD combo to Jeriko? :)
Thanks Svante! I know about the Dixie Dregs' touring every now and then, being a fan of their music since I got Dregs of the Earth as a birthday gift back in 198... something. It would be fantastic to hear them in Malmo. Or anywhere for that matter. Pity they don't tour much in Europe. They should. They really should.
Thanks for your comment, I agree and appriciate what you wrote.
Strange what the Internet can lead to, isn't it? I am very much looking forward to corresponding with Franck. I will deal with this tomorrow.
Post a Comment