I listen to a lot of music, it’s a constant accompaniment to my work and
our evening relaxing. I don’t use streaming services, every couple of weeks
I buy a bunch of digital albums and listen to them every day until we’re
ready for a new batch. Here’s my favorite six from last year’s listening.
I’ve long been a fan of the explosive brass from Balkan wedding bands,
and Fanfare Ciocărlia are a prime example of the style. This is energetic
blowing from a tight band that gets the adrenaline flowing. On this album
they combine with Canadian jazz-rock guitarist Adrian Raso, who
complements their energy perfectly.
Beautiful Happening by Fairground Attraction
Back in the late 80’s I was entranced by the fresh sound of an acoustic
pop group playing moving songs with elegant arrangements – a perfect
setting for Eddi Reader’s soaring vocals. Sadly they broke up soon after “The First
of a Million Kisses” and although I’ve followed Reader since, I’ve always
missed her first band. It’s impossible for this reunion album to quite match one
of my favorite albums of all time, but after all these years they are
still a remarkable band.
Tension by Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra
sample track: Tension
Mulatu Astatke is a vibraphone player from Ethiopia, who is well-known
for developing a style of jazz based on Ethiopian musical roots, a style
often known as Ethio-Jazz. Here he partners with an Israeli band founded
on a love of Afro-Beat. The album’s mix of vibes, sharp horns and
distinctive rhythms demonstrate how well these artists work together.
X Mi (Vol. 1) by Gaby Moreno
I first ran into Gaby Moreno when she was supporting Calexico, and I’m
delighted with whoever came up with that match-up. Not just was her style
an exemplary complement to Calexico’s border sound, it introduced us to a
delightful singer whose music we’ve followed ever since. This album takes
several songs from her earlier albums and rearranges them in a simple
acoustic format – which reveals how strong they are, and how well she can
fill an album with just her voice and guitar playing.
Mind Explosion by Shakti
sample track: Kiki
It was many years ago when I was first transfixed by Shakti, a band
that fused John McLaughlin’s jazz-rock guitar with Zakir Hussain and other
Indian classical musicians. They created a few albums in the 70s, that
proved hard to get later on, but reformed for a new album a couple of
years ago. Mind Explosion is a live album taken from their 50th
anniversary tour done just before Zakir Hussain’s death.
Anthem For No Man’s Land by Andreas Schaerer
sample track: Tandem
Andreas Schaerer has a unique voice, sounding like no other vocalist
I’ve run across. He also has a singular way of integrating this remarkable
instrument with that of his band, in particular Luciano Biondini’s striking
accordion play. His music is often wordless, sometimes with invented words,
chosen for their sound rather than any meaning. While rooted in the best of
European jazz, there’s more than a dash of prog-rock in there too.
As usual my main sources for finding music are: the magazine Songlines for World music, Dave Sumner’s column on Bandcamp for a wide range of
Jazz, and the OK Jazz podcast for whatever
grooves strikes James Catchpole’s fancy.