It’s clear how Gordon Grdina?’s Nomad Trio got their name: They wander without a clear map through vast musical terrain few can even attempt, and make it to the other side unscathed.

I think I finally understood David Bowie sometime around Christmas 2019.

With Kait Dunton’s ‘trioKAIT Live at the Blue Whale,’ the integrity of the compositions and the sheer musical ability holds up just fine on stage, thank you very much.

A deep dive into Bert Sommer’s work with the Left Banke and Mountain’s Leslie West, on stage with ‘Hair,’ on screen with ‘The Krofft Supershow’ – and, of course, at Woodstock.

As the Radical Empathy Trio, Thollem McDonas, Nels Cline and Michael Wimberly brew up two extended 20-minute performances that liberally mix acoustic with electronics.

The definitive ‘Songs For Groovy Children’ features all 43 songs performed by Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys during the Fillmore East concerts in their original sequence.

Fred Phillips’ Best of 2019 list includes Gloryhammer, Tom Keifer, Soilwork, Sturgill Simpson, Wind Rose, Parkway Drive – yes, Parkway Drive – and others.

Maybe Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ isn’t about rock ‘n’ roll at all. Maybe it’s more about love, and who you love and how you choose to love them.

‘Become the Discovered, Not the Discoverer’ by Keiji Haino, Merzbow and Balazs Pandi ain’t got no edits, no overdubs, nothing planned in advance. Just pure unadulterated impulsiveness.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2019 Jazz includes MaiGroup, Alan Evans, Catherine Russell, Jon Herington and Jim Beard, Bob Sheppard, Oz Noy and Kelley Suttenfield, among others.