Yup. Year's almost over. Let's yak about our faves from this year.
For me, this was The Year of Julian Lage. The guitarist is a featured player on four of the albums on my list.
As in 2013, this year there were two records that stood head and shoulders above everything else.
Nels Cline and Julian Lage, "Room." Just extraordinary in every way. Brilliantly inventive, sensational ensemble and unison playing, and beautifully recorded. The best work both have ever done.
Dunedin Consort and Players, John Butt cond., "Mozart: Requiem in D Minor, K. 626" Both a brilliant performance and an essential piece of scholarship re late 18th century performance practice. A hi-res download that is worth the extra money.
A close third: Rodney Crowell, "Tarpaper Sky." The greatest living country songwriter delivers one of the best albums of his 40-year career. If there's been a better country song than "Grandma Loved That Old Man" written in the last ten years, I wish somebody would tell me about it.
And a bunch of others I loved this year, in no particular order.
Soloists, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel cond., "Adams: The Gospel According to the Other Mary"
Ani DiFranco, "Allergic to Water"
The Autumn Defense, "Fifth"
The Bad Plus, "The Rite of Spring"
Solists, San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas cond., "Bernstein: West Side Story"
Bill Frisell, "Guitar in the Space Age"
Billy Childs, "Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro"
Bob Mould, "Beauty & Ruin"
Copenhagen Philharmonic, Andre DeRidder cond., "Dessner: St. Carolyn by the Sea/Lachrimae/Rafael; Greenwood: Suite from 'There Will Be Blood'"
Darol Anger, "E-and a'"
Dayna Stephens, "Peace"
Eric Harland, "Vipassana"
Flying Lotus, "You're Dead!"
Helge Lien Trio, "Badgers and Other Beings"
Jason Moran, "All Rise: A Joyous Elegy for Fats Waller"
Jenny Lewis, "The Voyager"
John Fullbright, "Songs"
Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge, "Avalon"
Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden, "Last Dance"
Kenny Barron & Dave Holland, "The Art of Conversation"
Mariachi El Bronx, "III"
Midlake, "Antiphon"
Miguel Zenon, "identities Are Changeable"
Nir Felder, "Golden Age"
Paul Bley, "Play Blue - Oslo Concert"
Quattro Ébene, "Brazil"
Raul Midon, "Don't Hesitate"
Real Estate, "Atlas"
Alarm Will Sound, Jonny Greenwood, Vicki Chow, "Reich: Radio Rewrite/Electric Counterpoint/Piano Counterpoint"
Sam Amidon, "Lily-O"
Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle cond., "Schumann Symphonies 1-4"
Alexander Vinogradov, Royal Liverp
ool Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko cond., "Shostakovich Symphony No. 13"
Stefano Bollani, "Joy in Spite of Everything"
TV on the Radio, "Seeds"
Wolfgang Muthspiel, "Driftwood"
Tai Murray, "Ysaye Sonatas for Solo Viola"
Special mention for best reissue/remastering of the year: Supertramp, "Crime of the Century"
