Finally, I just want to mention Dave Sumner’s monthly roundups of new releases on Bandcamp. These are really useful for keeping up with new work and discovering new artists, since he covers a wide range of styles/labels/scenes/etc. I really enjoyed reading his work this year.

Along those lines, I saw a video where Akinmusire recommends Paul Jacobs’s recordings of Schoenberg piano pieces. I’ve never really enjoyed Schoenberg, but this new context unlocked a lot of the beauty in his work, and sheds some interesting light on Akinmusire’s soloing, too.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed recently is pairing albums—listening to one and then the other a few times in a cycle.
I found the Glover album around the same time I was getting into Wayne Shorter’s Schizophrenia, and each made the other a lot more fun; they tell different stories when juxtaposed.

Oh is a brilliant composer, crafting song structures that use memorable hooks/riffs and melodic phrases to scaffold wide-ranging improv. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, one of my favorite current musicians, plays warm, brilliant lines, and drummer Tyshawn Sorey unifies the group.

#1
Strange Heavens
Linda May Han Oh
Kind of Like: Andrew Hill, certain Woody Shaw, Ornette Coleman, Tomeka Reid Quartet
Good for: Everything, just put this on all the time
I couldn't get this short enough, so see the next post for a description.

#2
Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Nicole Glover
Kind of like: Wayne Shorter
Good for: The part of the roadtrip where you enter or exit the city; late night reading
Combines accessible, pretty melodies/harmonies/songs with adventurous, knotty solos. It’s peaceful without ever being somnolent.

#3
Apple Cores
James Brandon Lewis
Kind of like: Jeff Parker, Don Cherry, certain Archie Shepp
Good for: The ride to work or the bar after, cooking with a game on in the background
Smart, high energy, angular yet catchy. The album works as a coherent piece, with recurring themes and sly callbacks.

#4
Solace of the Mind
Amina Claudine Myers
Kind of like: Debussy, Oscar Peterson, Kris Davis, Messiaen, Mary Lou Williams
Good for: Walking the dogs at sunset, looking out a train window
A serene blend of hymns, ambient, gospel, and quiet avant garde. I’m new to this album, but it stays with you.

#5
Myra Melford Splash
Myra Melford w/Michael Formanek & Ches Smith
Kind of like: Ethan Iverson, early Cecil Taylor
Good for: Contemplating, doing a bit more work at 9pm
Melford is one of those improvisers where you feel like you can hear her thinking as she plays. It’s very fun to think with her.

First some honorable mentions:
Jacob Garchik - Ye Olde 2 (complex, free, loud, cool guitar work)
Steve Lehman - The Music of Anthony Braxton (sharp, pretty renditions of classic work)
Mary Halvorson - About Ghosts (her usual brilliant, slurry, angular, intellectual work)

Dorothy Ashby
Lee Konitz
Yosuke Yamashita
Andrew Hill

I realized I forgot about Paterson, because I was on a bus, and that's the kind of movie that permanently colors certain experiences, not least: riding a city bus. Anyway I'd put it roughly 6th on this list.