Great list. Immanuel Wilkins (Blues Blood), Ron Miles (Old Main Chapel), supergroup Motion I (Out Of/Into), and Roy Hargrove (Grande-Terre) releases were notable as well. One record which I think deserves wider recognition is Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade. It’s one of the best albums of the year for me.
Jay Bellerose is better known as an LA session drummer who's recorded with a slew of people including Joe Henry, Bonnie Raitt, Rhiannon Giddens, Aimee Mann, and Allen Touissaint (to name 5). It's great to hear him in this context. Great list, Hank!
Great list! (Monder's Planetarium would have been my #1!) Some others worth listening to from this year in case you missed them:
Nir Felder - III
Simon Moullier - Elements of Light
Dayna Stephens - Closer Than We Think (featuring the young, amazing guitarist Emmanuel Michael)
Gotta catch up with that Dayna! Saw Emmanuel M. with Marcus Gilmore earlier this year and was blown away
Right on. Emmanuel going to be a major force -- who knows where he's going to take his talents.
Good job Hank!
Great list Hank! (Laugh Ash would likely be my #1, followed by Iyer's 'Compassion')
Great list. Immanuel Wilkins (Blues Blood), Ron Miles (Old Main Chapel), supergroup Motion I (Out Of/Into), and Roy Hargrove (Grande-Terre) releases were notable as well. One record which I think deserves wider recognition is Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade. It’s one of the best albums of the year for me.
Jay Bellerose is better known as an LA session drummer who's recorded with a slew of people including Joe Henry, Bonnie Raitt, Rhiannon Giddens, Aimee Mann, and Allen Touissaint (to name 5). It's great to hear him in this context. Great list, Hank!
Catching Fire made me want to run through a wall in a good way— I love seeing it here!