Listening to this album evokes the feeling of driving down a long country road in October. You can almost feel the changing seasons. There is a quiet emotion filling this album, of wandering - not quite searching, and eventually realizing that you have been given a gift of beauty and ultimately, joy. Album of the year, by a longshot, and one that will accompany many a lazy evening, good book and glass of whisky for me in the years to come.
Live at the Kennedy Center 2014
2. James Williamson - Re-Licked
This is the last great Stooges album! All songs written in 1974, but with one big exception. No Iggy. If that keeps you from getting this album then you are missing out. This is an album of hard rocking songs from a period when this type of music was misunderstood and just plain dangerous. You do think “how would this sound with Iggy singing” but the amazing (particularly female) vocals, help it to stand on its own as the outstanding rock album of 2014. Just a badass, swaggering fuck you of an album.
Re-Licked Teaser
3. Mehliana - Taming the Dragon
I could use the same summation for this album as well, but for a completely different reason. Brad Mehldau, as his generation’s leading acoustic jazz pianist has built an outstanding 15 year body of work focusing mostly on the traditional jazz trio format. This album was obviously a big middle finger to the critics that have followed his previous work. He had to know they would hate it, and they did. With monster drummer Mark Giuliana, they have put together an experimental prog/jazz epic that even has a sense of humor. Prog jazz with a punk rock attitude. Fuck yeah.
Live at the Largo 2013
4. Off! - Wasted Years
Ah punk rock, my dear friend. Like me, you are getting old and carry quite a few scars. Although you may not be better than you ever were, you are still as good as it gets. This album is Hermosa Beach 1980 punk rock recorded by the masters of the genre in 2014. You should see this band every time they play locally. This album and Landmarks (reviewed above) gave me a lot of the attitude I needed to make it through a very trying year.
Void You Out
5. Ty Segall - Manipulator
Being an old fart, I was not previously familiar with Ty Segall. I heard “Feel” on KCRW, loved it and bought the album. I was impressed. I have to admit that despite really trying, I have not been super impressed with the millennial generation’s take on rock music (except FIDLAR!). But the album has attitude AND direction, many different flavors of classic rock and the feeling that Ty Segall is just getting started. There is hope after all!
Feel
6. The Bad Plus - Rite of Spring
Apart from their shear virtuosity, restless spirit and single minded focus on following their own path, The Bad Plus is a band. An ensemble, a collective. No one ever seems to play over anyone else, and the result is very well structured songs. Seeing them live, it is amazing how they seem to be reading each other’s minds and push through musical twists and turns that are often jaw dropping. Choosing to recreate The Rite of Spring from a jazz trio perspective was a ballsy move, and they pulled it off with amazing skill. It is an exceptional album and along with their other 2014 release, “Inevitable Western” it has earned them my Artist of the Year ranking.
Sacrificial Dance
7. Badbadnotgood - III
Everything I had read about this band made me not want to bother listening to them. Jazz/hip hop fusion? Ok, I guess, but not really my cup of tea. I have seen Herbie Hancock and Max Roach do it, I liked it, but realistically I like their jazz stuff better. My girlfriend bought this and put it on for me one evening and I was floored. It’s been on heavy rotation ever since. I think the song “Kaleidoscope” is one of the year’s best songs and the entire album is very strong.
Kaleidoscope
8. Ambrose Akinmuserie - The Imagined Savior…
I love true, real artists. People who create for themselves and don’t give two shits about what others say about their music (see Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Iggy Pop, etc). I think Ambrose Akinmuserie has the potential to be that type of an artist over his career. He is a young trumpeter with great tone, unique songwriting ability and that something special that you can’t quite put your finger on. This album is beautiful -- with different singers, different styles and a clear direction. That’s two great albums in a row and I am willing to bet there will be a lot more down the road.
The Imagined Savior...
9. (T) Chung Antique - Sweater Weather
Chung Antique is an all instrumental band that defies genre, you could call it prog, you could call it indie, you might even call it Portland hipster. I don’t care, it reminds me of Discipline-era King Crimson, and I like it very much.
Stop Making Synths
9. (T) Le Butcherettes - Cry is for the Flies
Demon Stuck in Your Eye
11. Chick Corea Trio - Trilogy
I love Chick Corea, I can’t count the number of times I have seen him live. But I don’t generally buy his albums. Not that they are anything less than stellar, it’s just that you know what you are going to get and I am always searching for something new. I read numerous reviews about this album being different, so I went ahead and bought it. It really does have a different feel, and it is very, very good. With Brian Blade (Drums) and Christian McBride (Bass) plus a few guest musicians (Spanish guitar, horns, voice) this live album has thrills, nuance and emotion. It seemed that the players were in the zone and really enjoying the performances, and the audiences knew it. I listened to all three albums straight through and time sorta stood still. If you like jazz, it will be very hard for you not to love this album.
Trilogy
My Best of the Rest
(No particular order)
The Muff’s – Whoop De Doo
The Muff's "Weird Boy Next Door"
The Bad Plus – Inevitable Western
Inevitable Western
Alive
Time's Tales
Fred Hersch & Julian Lage – Free Flying
Free Flying
Leonard Cohen – Popular Problems
Did I Ever Love You
Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden – Last Dance
Last Dance
Dave Stryker – Eight Track
I'll Be Around
Avishai Cohen – Almah
Kumi
Neighborhood Brats – Total Dementia
We Own the Night
Mark Turner Quartet – Lathe of Heaven
Lathe of Heaven
Vijay Iyer – Mutations
Mutations
Jack White – Lazaretto
Lazaretto
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