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London’s Shabaka Hutchings leads the charge, and anything with his name in the credits is worth your time. Rap meets tuba-driven, combustible, exploratory jazz? Finally! And it’s quite a trip. Sons of Kemet – “Black To The Future” (Impulse!) Kicking off with a pair of Ornette Coleman pieces which are absolutely standards by now and proceeding to search every harmonic corner in the universe, Lloyd seems incapable of making an indifferent recording at this point in his career. Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - “Tone Poem” (Blue Note)Īge seems to mean nothing to saxophonist and bandleader Lloyd, except perhaps, for the accumulation of wisdom. Want to hear what the future of the music might sound like? Keyboardist Mitchell and drummer Gentile seem to have their fingers on the pulse of something excitingly original, and contributions from up and coming guitarists Ava Mendoza and Brandon Seabrook, among others, help make this exhaustive project into the most invigorating racket you’ll absorb this year. Matt Mitchell & Kate Gentile - “Snark Horse” (PI Recordings) Ware’s quartet, finds intuitive artists listening and responding to one another at a very high level. I could put together a top 10 list of albums from 2021 that feature pianist Shipp and bassist Parker, but this trio date, consisting of members from the late saxophonist David S. Whit Dickey, William Parker, Matthew Shipp - “Village Mothership” (Tao Forms) Saxophonist Braxton and his supporting trio of British improvisors create a wholly immersive experience. Here are 12 CDs (or a sizeable downloads’) worth of interpretations from the Great American Songbook and beyond, as presented by one of music’s great nonconformists. Their label, Astral Spirits, is releasing cutting-edge sound at an astonishing pace, by the way.Īnthony Braxton – “Quartet (Standards) 2020” (New Braxton House) That these three can communicate so wondrously is rarer still. Artifacts: Tomeka Reid, Nicole Mitchell, Mike Reed - “…and then there’s this” (Astral Spirits)Ī cello-flute-drums date is rare enough. Seek this out, then sample Goldberg’s astonishing, 1577-minute (that’s not a typo) “Plague Diary” on Bandcamp featuring clarinet solos, occasionally supplemented by electronics, recorded during lockdown in 2020 and into 2021.
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This restless multi-clarinetist, who grew up in Denver, released a beguiling collection of chamberesque, highly listenable meditations this year, with valuable assists from Mary Halvorson’s twisting guitar. Ben Goldberg - “Everything Happens To Be.” (BAG Production Records) But this late-year entry, also a box set, showcases his sage horn interacting with saxophone eminence Henry Threadgill (he released a brief and brilliant set of his own this year, “Poof,”) drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist John Lindberg and Jonathon Haffner, filling in for Threadgill on the last disc. Everything’s engaging, even his box set of solo trumpet performances. Smith released more music in 2021, his 80th year, than many artists share with the world in their entire careers. Wadada Leo Smith’s Great Lakes Quartet - “The Chicago Symphonies” (TUM Records) Plus: Denver live jazz calendar, December/Christmas 2021 Close Menu