Dec. 15, 2022
Yep, I still collect physical media — CDs only, mostly from thrift stores, used record shops and Discogs, and I occasionally purchase something new or get things from fellow artists as gifts or trades. My collecting habits are based mainly on whatever I happen to run across randomly rather than looking for anything in particular. It’s much more fun to dig for unexpected treasures than to shop on Amazon.
This year I continued to revisit the 1970s. It’s interesting to listen again in hindsight, with whatever shifts in perception or wisdom that brings. I mean, it can’t just be Boomer nostalgia...right? Then there’s the Brazilian rabbit hole, which feels bottomless. Interesting to note so few electronic/experimental titles this year. I heard plenty of it (see New Releases below), just didn’t actually collect much. The Eno set was new to me, stumbled upon in the public library and then found on Discogs. And even though I already had five of the twelve albums included in the Meredith Monk 80th birthday box set from ECM, I felt compelled to buy it out of deep respect and gratitude for all she has done and given to us.
And speaking of box sets: After many years of rarely listening to The Beatles – because do I really need to ever hear them again? – I splurged on the mono box set (which sounds terrific) and relapsed into Beatlemania v.2.0. The early stuff is fun, but my tastes still run from Rubber Soul onward. And sorry, but yes I do mostly prefer the Let It Be…Naked remix to the original version. And yes, I did watch the entire Peter Jackson Get Back doc (a bit of a slog, but worth sticking it out in the end). And the original Let It Be film (zzzzz…). And the McCartney/Rick Rubin series (also worthwhile). And several other Beatles-related docs. And read the Beatles Recording Sessions diaries. Oh, and then there’s that miraculous AI-assisted remix of Revolver by Giles Martin! I never did like the phony stereo mix, so happy to have this new one thanks to the wonders of digital hocus-pocus. Now do Rubber Soul, please!
Artist names in bold are from the Seattle/PNW region (or used to be). The links will take you to the music when possible.
Classical / Electronic / Experimental
Brian Eno - Music for Installations (2018)
Philip Glass - Music with Changing Parts (1971)
Philip Jeck - Stoke (2002)
Cheri Knight - American Rituals (1980-84/2022; participation and liner notes by yours truly)
Meredith Monk - The Recordings (1981-2016/2022)
Jan Steele & Janet Sherbourne - Distant Saxophones (1976/2022)
Strategy - Music for Lamping (2008)
Various - The Medieval Experience (1995)
Tom Varner - Sound Vespers (2022; I am part of the group)
Wild Card - Wild Card 2 (2022)
International
Anthology of World Music, Africa: The Dan (1967) - Ivory Coast
Bembeya Jazz National - The Syliphone Years (1962-73/2004) - Guinea
Les Brayauds - Eau Forte (1989) - France
Cainã Cavalcante & Zé Paulo Becker - Parceria (2015) - Brazil
Gal Costa - Índia (1973) - Brazil
Yaya Diallo - Nangapé (1980) - Mali/Canada
Djivan Gasparyan - Moon Shines at Night (1993) - Armenia
Françoise Hardy - Personne D’autre (2018) - France
Ustad Zakir Hussain - Essence of Rhythm (1998) - India
Kecak from Bali (1990) - Indonesia
Maria RIta - Maria RIta (2003) - Brazil
Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges - Clube da Esquina (1972) - Brazil
Milton Nascimento - Courage (1969) - Brazil
Milton Nascimento - Milton (1976) - Brazil
Orchestra Baobab - Pirates Choice (1983/2001) - Senegal
Johnny Pacheco - Volando Bajito (1968) - Dominican Republic/USA
Elis Regina - Como & Porque (1969) - Brazil
Amalia Rodrigues - Amalia Rodrigues & the History of Fado (2001) - Portugal
Monica Salmaso - Voadeira (2002) - Brazil
Oumou Sangare - Worotan (1997) - Mali
Mercedes Sosa - Canciones con Fundamento (1965) - Argentina
Various - Musica Negra in the Americas (2002) - multiple countries
Caetano Veloso - Bicho (1977) - Brazil
(Pro tip: If you have any interest in Latin music from the 1950s-80s, visit the incredible Fania Records archive on BandCamp.)
Jazz
Stephan Athanas & the ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble - Welcome to Egypt (1997)
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Full Force (1980)
Carla Bley Band - Musique Mecanique (1979)
Anat Cohen & Trio Brasileiro - Rosa dos Ventos (2017)
Marilyn Crispell Trio - Storyteller (2004)
Duke Ellington & Mahalia Jackson - Black, Brown, and Beige (1958)
Jimmy Giuffre - Free Fall (1963)
Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra (1970)
Herbie Hancock - Sextant (1973)
Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1970-72/1994)
Johnny Hartman - The Voice That Is! (1964)
Shirley Horn - Travelin’ Light (1965)
Thelonious Monk - The Complete Blue Note Recordings (1947-58/1994)
Kenny Wheeler/Lee Konitz/Dave Holland/Bill Frisell - Angel Song (1997)
Michael Wimberly - Afrofuturism (2021)
Pop / Rock / R&B / Songwriters, etc.
The Beatles - Let It Be…Naked (2003)
The Beatles - Past Masters (1988/2019)
The Beatles - The Beatles in Mono (2009)
The Beatles - Revolver: Deluxe Edition (1966/2022)
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - The Mirror Man Sessions (1971/1999)
J.J. Cale - Naturally (1971)
Common Language - Flesh Impact (1993)
Sandy Denny - No More Sad Refrains: The Anthology (2000)
Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (1969)
Aretha Franklin - Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings (1972/1999)
Robert Fripp - Exposure (1979/2006)
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
Howlin’ Wolf - Howlin’ Wolf + Moanin’ in the Moonlight (1959 + 1962/1986)
The Impressions - Complete A & B Sides 1961-68 (2009)
Rev. Charlie Jackson - God’s Got It: The Legendary Booker & Jackson Sessions (2003)
Rickie Lee Jones - It’s Like This (2000)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
John Lennon - Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon (2005)
Loma - Loma (2018)
Low - Double Negative (2018)
Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle (1967)
Pink Floyd - Meddle (1971)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (2007)
The Roches - The Roches (1979)
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You + Lost & Found: Rarities (1981/2021)
Paul Simon - The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (1964)
Moses Sumney - Grae (2020)
Traffic - When the Eagle Flies (1974)
Muddy Waters - The Anthology (2001)
The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks (2011)
Various - Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (2006)
New Releases
In spite of what the above might suggest, I do hear a lot of current music, though not much that falls within the realm of “popular.” Honestly, there is so much new music being released that I find it hard to keep up. For work-related reasons I mainly focus on unusual/experimental stuff. I’d buy more of it if it was released on CD, but these days most new physical releases are on vinyl or cassette, and there’s not much thrill in collecting audio files, so I remain more of a listener than a collector of new releases. But here are some things from this year that made a lasting impression on me. As above, artist names in bold are (or were) from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, though some have moved away or left us.
John Luther Adams - Houses of the Wind
Holland Andrews - Doubtless
Yara Asmar - Home Recordings, 2018-2021 (Lebanon)
Vic Bang - Burung (Argentina)
Brown Calvin - Dimension//Perspective
Norm Chambers - Mirage Colony
Chris Cochrane & John Thayer - Excavation
Sarah Davachi - Two Sisters
Domenica Diavoleria - Forever Your Salesgirl
Garek Druss - Soft Fascination
Kaley Lane Eaton - Cedar
James Falzone - So Far Still (recorded by yours truly)
Corey Fuller & Richard Skelton - Isolarii
Katarina Gryvul - Tysha (Ukraine)
Doug Haire - Western Stoner
Joseph Halajian - The Shamlian Project
Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian - Songs of Horaman (Iran)
Robin Holcomb - One Way or Another
KMRU - Epoch (Kenya/Berlin)
Matt McBane & Sandbox Percussion - Bathymetry
Moor Mother - Jazz Codes
Camila Nebbia - El ruido de todo que desparece (Argentina)
OHMA - Between All Things
Patrick Shiroishi - Evergreen
Jamie Stillway - Lullaby for a Stranger