Kuzu – ‘Purple Dark Opal’ (2020)
Dave Rempis, Tashi Dorji and Tyler Damon continue to draw heavily from their experimental/improvised music backgrounds, letting everything else in Kuzu rest on instinct.
Something Else!
Emperor Penguin – ‘Soak Up the Gravy’ (2020)
Unique and exciting, Emperor Penguin’s ‘Soak Up the Gravy’ is an album that offers something for everybody.
Ross Hammond, with Oliver Lake and Mike Pride – ‘Our Place On the Wheel’ (2020)
‘Our Place On the Wheel’ is Ross Hammond still in full-on rural mode, only this time with some really good help.
Annihilator – ‘Ballistic, Sadistic’ (2020)
Is Annihilator’s ‘Ballistic, Sadistic’ a little one-note? Sure. But it’s a very good note.
David Cross and Peter Banks – ‘Crossover’ (2020)
David Cross and an all-star cast of King Crimson and Yes alumni build something brilliant from a collaboration with the late Peter Banks.
Chicago Underground Quartet, “Batida” from ‘Good Days’ (2020): Something Else! streaming premiere
Here is the streaming premiere of “Batida” by the re-formed Chicago Underground Quartet.
Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York – ‘Entity’ (2020)
Satoko Fujii doesn’t play an instrument in her orchestra; she conducts it. Still, there is hardly a more accurate manifestation of her genius artistry.
Susanne Ortner Trio – ‘Last Stop Sehnsucht’ (2020)
Susanne Ortner’s journey to New Orleans was partly due to her seeking “Sehnsucht,” a German word for yearning or wistful longing.
State Cows – ‘Challenges’ (2019)
State Cows, often referred to as yacht rock, is an example of why musical labels are such a disservice.
Pat Metheny Discovered Bold New Machine-Aided Freedoms With ‘Orchestrion’
Issued 10 years ago this month, ‘Orchestrion’ found Pat Metheny improvising over sounds produced through an intriguing 19th-century contraption.
