[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLMme9ItKCw?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Well, of course I don’t think jazz is stupid. I love jazz. But that didn’t stop me from laughing out loud when this scene showed up out of nowhere in a recent episode of The Office. And things showing up out of nowhere — that element of surprise — is what makes jazz and other forms of improvised music so much fun.
OK then, time for some fun! Just as with my Rock and Pop list, we have the album of the year followed by everything else in more or less random order.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Mary Halvorson Quintet – Bending Bridges
It’s an odd year when Pat Metheny appears on my list but isn’t at the top. That should give you an idea of how much I’ve been overcome by the guitar of Mary Halvorson. In fact, she appears on several list entries. It was great to hear her stretch out for this project, composing for a larger ensemble. There are so many avenues for exploration here that each listen feels fresh. I may never get tired of this one.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw3xV5nxyaU?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Mary Halvorson, Weasel Walter, Peter Evans – Mechanical Malfunction
The interplay on this record is just killer. Guitar, trumpet, and drums making all sorts of crazed trouble.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP-mRLLIM-Q?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Joy Mega – Forever Is Something Inside You
Imagine that Jandek had just discovered Arto Lindsay. And somehow, Mary Halvorson was involved…
JOY MEGA by Jason Ajemian
Marco Cappelli’s Italian Surf Academy – The American Dream
Spaghetti western music done up with extra twang, foreboding, and naked surf girls. What’s not to love?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQHbNE5A5Pw?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Katherine Young – Pretty Monsters
Bassoon like you’ve never heard it before.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zp4cZapoEM?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
The Heavens – The Atheist Gospel Trombone Album
Faith vs. reason, with horns. That smartass synopsis is really kind of unfair as Jacob Garchik’s concept goes much deeper. Still, this is a load of fun.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eKWeYaWKz0?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up – The Air is Different
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJbRG-Kfp5Q?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Did I miss any releases with Mary Halvorson on guitar? Gee, I hope not.
Monday Michiru – Soulception
There are a ton of jazz vocal albums out there that are content to be polite, giving a “new” take of a handful of favorites from the canon. This is not that record. Michiru’s gorgeous voices winds its way though a program that’s as comfortable with spiky modernism as it is with a soulful Latin groove.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yERzIdhSSk?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Jessica Lurie Ensemble – Megaphone Heart
It’s a pop album with jazz leanings. It’s a jazz album with pop sensibility. Yes, and sometimes it stomps around with such authority that I half expect Tom Waits to pop out of the speakers.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXA3o_08gHA?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Luce Trio – Pieces, Vol. 1
An incredibly beautiful and interesting take on early music: alto sax, Sruti box, electric guitar, and bass. It’s serene, reflective, and full of space.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqZZcwVeZk4?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Pat Metheny – Unity Band
After all these years (since the release of 80/81), we get to hear Pat sharing the compositional space with a saxophone. We are not disappointed.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IDi0Azsq94?rel=0&w=420&h=236]
Mort Weiss – I’ll Be Seeing You
There aren’t a lot of trouble-makers left in the jazz world, so you should acquaint yourself with Mr. Weiss. Don’t let the warm sound of his clarinet fool you because he can explode into one king-hell solo at a moment’s notice.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3dD9KjNwMs?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Jeb Bishop, Jorrit Dijkstra – 1000 Words
Just trombone and alto sax. Sometimes pensive and circling, other times…skronk-a-licious! I suppose it’s a kind of chamber jazz, those not nearly so well-behaved as that moniker implies.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vycvlGu5QwA?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B007X5KTLK” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0096PS5M0″ container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00AOAXZ08″ container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0088XQCCQ” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B009HXO1HO” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B008GBV7E8″ container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B007UPP972″ container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B008DBGABQ” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B007YWX0BI” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B009MO5F1O” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B007RP4D5Y” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00AFEWYVY” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B009SX93K8″ container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /]
- Why the Rolling Stones’ Harrowing ‘Gimme Shelter’ is Still Revealing New Depths - November 18, 2024
- How Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’ Opened Up a World of Art and Sound - August 5, 2024
- How Deep Cuts Propelled Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ - June 4, 2024
Mark – in terms of ‘More Mary’ there is the excellent duet with Jessica Pavone called ‘Departure of Reason’ (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/departure-of-reason/id479270005)
Cool list – thanks for sharing!
I see Departure Of Reason on Mark’s 2011 list:
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/12/16/the-friday-morning-listen-mark-saleskis-top-albums-for-2011/
haha … thanks – I forgot that it came out in late 2011 but that *I* missed out on it until 2012!
Thanks Mark, All the best to you & yours.
A kinder gentiler -Mort Weiss
Mark, the Luce Trio features an old high school friend of mine, Jon De Lucia. He’s got a supremely talented group – and is a cool guy in person too!
Mary Halvorson is on this:
AYCH- As the Crow Flies came out in February 2012. Great record!
http://www.amazon.com/As-the-Crow-Flies/dp/B0077DJFFY/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356365968&sr=1-3&keywords=aych
thanks for the heads up michael!
Mary Halvorson also played on Ergo’s “If Not Inertia” which was released this year on Cuneiform, if you missed that one. Really enjoyed that record.
Nice list Mark! Pretty Monsters was one of my favourites this year.
I’ve been trying to tell Mark about Ergo, but he just won’t listen to me 😉
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2012/04/28/one-track-mind-ergo-with-mary-halvorson-the-widening-gyre-2012/