Best Of 2020: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae

The only pure hip hop album on my Top 25 was Alfredo, the devastating team-up between Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist (see also his brilliant live session with the El Michels Affair). But that doesn't mean the year was devoid of exciting or even important releases from that realm, not to mention R&B and Reggae. A few of those showed up in earlier posts, which are listed first and included on the playlist below. 

Of Note In 2020: Hip Hop, R&B, and Reggae
Charlotte Dos Santos - Harvest Time
Pop Smoke - Meet The Woo 2 (Deluxe)
Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony

Record Roundup: Catching Up (Sort Of)
Quakers - II - The Next Wave
Supa-K: Heavy Tremors

Clipping - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned How far you want to dive into the references to classic horror films and homages to an earlier generation of hip hop artists on this latest from Daveed Diggs' group is up to you. Even if totally ignorant of all the cogitation behind their creative process, I can't imagine the brick hard, serrated beats - constructed by William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes with other collaborators - combined with Diggs' machine-gun delivery not having an impact. Part of that is the sheer viscera Diggs pumps into couplets like: "'Til nine months later with a stomach full of Devil baby/She startin' to think it's time to pump the brakes/But that train left the station with the Great Migration/Bloody tracks left right by the drain, say the name." You would not be mistaken if you assigned the album to the same moment that gave us HBO's Lovecraft Country, another canny a mix of pop-culture inside jokes with social commentary. So whether it's the words or the grim soundscapes that discomfit you while listening, either way you will not be bored.

Conway The Machine - From A King To A GOD, No One Mourns The Wicked (with Big Ghost Ltd.), and Lulu (with The Alchemist) Maybe it's the raw winters of Buffalo that forged this indomitable rapper, who seems to have endless bars to deliver over beats by some of the best producers around, including DJ Premier, Havoc, Big Ghost Ltd., and The Alchemist. In some ways, there's nothing on these three albums that couldn't have come out five years ago, but rather than live on the cutting edge, Conway seeks merely to be excellent. He's also damned convincing in whatever tales he's delivering, with a persona of having come through the fire to rise to the top. But among the brags are heartfelt and humble moments of reflection, as on The Contract from Lulu: "Let's toast to my enemies, no, let's toast to my injuries/Turned my negative to positive, I don't need no sympathy/I'm the GOAT 'til infinity, I wrote with intensity/Plus, my potent delivery, I just hope they remember me." If he keeps up this pace and quality, he'll be impossible to forget.

Megan Thee Stallion - Good News Like Conway, Megan sees no need to jump on trap or drill trends, just serving up fun, creative beats from a roster of expert producers (I count 20!), and slathering her diamond-sharp rhymes all over them with infectious glee. Her joy - and ours - comes not only from her sheer skill with syllables, but her complete lack of inhibition, which can also be found on WAP, the era-defining single (and video!) she made with Cardi B. While Cardi is not on the album, there are a ton of other guests, but she lets none of them dim her shine, although Dababy and Sza come close. While Don't Rock Me To Sleep, the one pure pop move, is regrettable, mainstream hip hop this good is not as common as it should be so all is forgiven. Not that she would care what I think - nor would I want her to!

Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath The Pigeons & Planes Discord is one of the brightest spots on the internet, full of positivity, constructive criticism, and enthusiastic sharing. While time constraints have me mostly lurking, my antennae are always up for something getting a lot of attention, and this nearly genre-free debut quickly bubbled up. As much a rock or pop album, with all the soaring guitar solos and sticky choruses that implies, it slots in here nicely due to its omnivorous nature and sharp attitude. While there is plenty of youthful angst, it fortunately stays to the right side of emo, landing almost in a post-punk zone on occasion. It's anyone's guess where Dawson goes from here, but his options appear to be unlimited.

Spillage Village, JID & EarthGang - Spilligion Even before I knew this collective was from Atlanta, GA, I was getting strong OutKast vibes based on the beat-making, which is colorfully original yet steeped in funk, soul, gospel, etc., and the variety and energy of the flows. Loads of pop smarts, too, with several songs achieving ear worm status. Perhaps a testament to the deep collaboration underpinning the whole album is the fact that, with 20+ producers and a more than a dozen rappers, Spilligion not only doesn't collapse under its own weight, but is actually a joyful and consistent listen. You can listen free on every service, but tell me you aren't tempted by this vinyl package, which is as exuberant as the music.

Goodie Mob - Survival Kit Speaking of the Dirty South, here comes the Mob with their first album in seven years - and one of their best. Even at nearly an hour, it does not overstay its welcome thanks to the lively tracks by Organized Noise and energized and engaged rhyming from everybody, including the three stellar guests: Chuck D, Andre 3000, and Big Boi. Considering the way 2021 has kicked off, I'm going to keep this album close at hand. As Khujo Goodie says in the title track: "Mask on, gloves on, we ain't out the woods yet/The power of the mind is my survival kit."

Run The Jewels - RTJ4 Some have complained that while this is good, it's nothing new from Killer Mike and El-P, but I think the former is carrying the latter less often, which is refreshing. El's beats are as great as usual, with more of an electro flavor (and a great Gang Of Four sample on The Ground Below), inspiring Killer Mike to some awesome heights, as on this verse from Goonies Vs. E.T.: "Ain't no revolution is televised and digitized/You've been hypnotized and Twitter-ized by silly guys/Cues to the evening news, make sure you ill-advised/Got you celebrating the generators of genocide/Any good deed is pummeled, punished, and penalized." There's also a devastating Mavis Staples feature on Pulling The Pin, and one of the best rallying cries ever on JU$T: "Look at all these slave masters posing on your dollar." When I start using paper money again, I will be looking hard.

Sault -  Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise) Through a combination of savvy marketing and a canny combination of influences ranging from Black Heat and 24 Carat Black to contemporary funk, R&B, and hip hop, this mystery collective topped many a list of 2020's best music. Much of that acclaim was deserved as they delivered two albums full of sticky tunes, danceable grooves, and up to the minute rallying cries. However, each album is salted with PSA like interludes (like You Know It Ain't) that lose their luster after a few listens. But there is much that is thought-provoking and much that is sheerly enjoyable here. Maybe next time around they'll realize they have nothing to prove.

Orion Sun - A Collection Of Fleeting Moments And Daydreams This slightly updated version of her 2017 EP shows off Tiffany Majette's talents with exquisite focus, slightly more so than her other 2020 release, Hold Space For Me. But both make great use of acoustic guitars, scratchy records, bossa nova samples, and Majette's voice, which has a delicacy belying its hidden strengths. Both records are a time-lapse view of a new original blossoming before your ears.

Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) Anyone who's heard 2018's Isolation, Uchis' first album, would know from songs like Your Teeth In My Neck that she is "sin miedo" (without fear) - and that she's an endless font of melody. That combination means it's no surprise that this album of mostly Spanish language material goes down so smoothly. She traverses boleros and reggaeton with equal ease, demonstrating that steely delicacy on song after song. Even on a banger like Te Pongo Mal, she never oversells, making an album that will work at a party but also in quieter circumstances. The last track, Angel Sin Cielo, which could have been a tour de force of layered vocals over acoustic guitar, is an unfortunate misfire, but the rest is close to perfection.

Denise Sherwood - This Road If the name looks familiar to you from the On-U Sound universe led by Adrian Sherwood, you're already on the right track to digging this delicious debut by his daughter. Apparently years in the making as she sought her voice, it's helped by that temporal variety, with touches of trip-hop and drum & bass among the sleekly assured reggae you would expect. And it's a gorgeous voice, too, confident yet restrained, with the low-key strength of someone who knows they have nothing to prove. More than holding its own among classics from the New Age Steppers, African Head Charge, and other Sherwood projects, This Road sees the On-U legend yet being written. All hail!

Toots & The Maytals - Got To Be Tough That was a bit of a sorry roller coaster ride we went on last year with this reggae legend. First, there was his inspiring interview in Rolling Stone, which revealed a long-in-the-works new album would soon be coming to fruition, with the unlikely help of Zak Starkey. Then, just days later, the dispiriting news that this indefatigable force had been felled by complications resulting from COVID-19. So now the album had the dual weight of not only being his first in ten years, but his final statement. I'm happy to report that, after a shaky start (the first song is annoying, the second inconsequential), and despite an unnecessary remake of Three Little Birds, this is a fine album. His voice sounds strong throughout and there are more than a few songs - the title track especially - worthy of including on a career-spanning playlist. There may be more in the vaults that will come out posthumously, but for now this will serve as a capstone to a life in music that needed no burnishing. 

Singles: This category always churns up essential stand-alone singles. In 2020 there was the aforementioned WAP and we also got Frank Ocean singing dreamily in Spanish on the spare Cayendo, the warm Terry Callier/Isley Brothers vibes of The Sun by Secret Night Gang, Hot Sauce, another tasty lagniappe from Pinkcaravan!, and Lockdown, the quarantine smash by Anderson .Paak. He rose to our current moment with one his best songs yet, somehow giving us permission to dance while looking squarely in the face at some of the challenges of 2020. My grandchildren will understand a bit more of what we're going through when we play them Lockdown. What music will you share with them to help them understand?

For more from these genres, check out my archive playlist - and make sure to follow the 2021 edition so you don't miss anything.

You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2019: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2018: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2017: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2016: Hip Hop and RnB
A Vacation In Hip Hop Nation
A Few Brief Words About Some Recent Hip Hop

Best Of 15: Hip Hop

Kendrick Lamar bestrode the world of hip hop - and music in general - like a colossus in 2015. But there was much else that excited in the world of beats and rhymes, whether on full albums or just EP's and singles.

Pusha T can elevate even minor tracks with 16 bar features, which is mostly what we got from him this year. Until this month, when he dropped King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. Supposedly made up of the songs that didn't quite fit on his next album (King Push, due in 2016), this has some incredibly strong stuff among its 10 tracks. Crutches, Crosses, Caskets, Untouchable, Keep Dealing - these are among the best songs he's released since Clipse sunsetted. Wild beats, words bitten off like beef jerky, and enough attitude to flatten Manhattan - at it's best Darkest Before The Dawn is all you could want from Pusha. Avoid the acronym songs, however. M.F.T.R. has way too much of The-Dream, with one of the least hooky hooks ever, and M.P.A., with Kanye West and A$AP Rocky, has to be one of the most depressing posse cuts I've heard.

But on Sunshine, the closing track, he gives us something special: an impassioned look at the post-Freddie Gray landscape of racial perceptions and relations between African Americans and those "sworn to protect and serve." That there may be even better material to come is a tantalizing prospect indeed. As Pusha says in Keep Dealing: "How I blew my first million/Luckily was something in the ceiling/Keep dealing."

London's own Kate Tempest stayed in the game with Bad Place For A Good Time. A moody masterpiece, it was also one highlight of her smoking set at Mercury Lounge back in March.

It was sad that Chance The Rapper let another year pass without following up 2013's Acid Rap. But it was difficult to stay down when he was making such joyful music with his friends Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment on Surf. Opening song Miracle was a dose of pure wonder, Slip Slip Slide featured Busta Rhymes sounding reinvigorated among its joyful horns and young guns, and Sunday Candy instantly became the greatest hip hop song about grandmas. Those are just a few of the highlights from a consistently sweet album. Chance also finished up the year strong with the single Angels, letting us keep hope alive for next year.

I'm always happy when Isaiah Rashad's Cilvia Demo comes up on shuffle, but he's been quiet since it came out in early 2014. He recently released one song, Nelly, that finds him in top form - hopefully prepping us for more in 2016.

I don't know if we needed a whole album of Fetty Wap's rap, but Trap Queen will long define the sound of 2015. Love that video, too.

A$AP Rocky turned out to be a lot more interesting on AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP than hinted at by his earlier work. Too long by about 20 minutes, but full of songs that zig and zag into realms both soulful and spacy, the album's pinnacle is L$D, which also had a brilliant video inspired by French bad boy auteur Gaspar Noe. This is new territory for NYC hip hop.

Speaking of new territory, California's Vince Staples ambitiously wanted his debut Summertime '06 to be a rap Dark Side Of The Moon. Not quite - but he shows a lot of promise, with more personality than many young M.C.'s.

Even though its best song was two years old, Raekwon's Fly International Luxury Art was a credible attempt at updating his sound, mixing his Wu Tang grit with everyone from his Wu Tang comrade Ghostface Killah with newer voices like A$AP Rocky, French Montana and 2Chainz. Unlike Ghostface, however, who found new life by collaborating with BADBADNOTGOOD, Rae may be holding himself back by trying to keep up with the mainstream.

Your Old Droog has no concerns about the mainstream, however, unless rapping about 90's alternative rock is a lot more popular than I think it is. The New Yorker released an album's worth of material over two EP's, Kinison and The Nicest. "I don't make music for mass consumption," he raps over a classy beat by EL RTNC on We Don't Know You. Maybe so - but that doesn't mean more people shouldn't listen.

"Call me the 27th character," Jonwayne raps on the opening cut to Jonwayne Is Retired, the six-song follow-up to 2013's Rap Album One. He's definitely a character and I'm glad he's not really retired as he is a singular presence, a wordsmith and beatmaker of much originality. If you want to try your hand at the words, he also released Here You Go, a two-part collection of spectacular beats. If he's giving this stuff away, what is he saving for his next album?

Killer Mike used to be underground, now he's interviewing presidential candidates. Between politics and touring constantly, it's no wonder we only got two new songs this year from Run The Jewels, his collaboration with El-P. Rubble Kings Theme (Dynamite) is a bit of a throw-away but the menacing Bust No Moves was no outtake, with Killer in especially fine form. There was a also a cat-themed remix album but I'm allergic to cats.

I guess we'll now have to wait until 2016 for Kanye West's Swish (or whatever he's calling it now) to be released. Fortunately, he dropped a few songs to spice up this year. The stomping All Day could have fit on the brilliant Yeezus, although it's a little less edgy and you can actually dance to it. The real pop moves, however, came with FourFiveSeconds, which had Paul McCartney strumming behind 'Ye and Rihanna, who actually sounds good in this raw setting. Strange bedfellows, maybe, but no one's hogging the sheets. Macca also plays a sweet keyboard behind the tender Only One and even with the liberal and creative use of autotune, Kanye is singing better than ever. Maybe all that time with Justin Vernon is paying off. Whatever direction the next album goes, count me in.

Another return I hope we can look forward to in 2016 is Missy Elliot, who's last album was 10 years ago. Her career was slowed by a number of things, including a bout with Grave's disease, a kind of hyperthyroidism, which was successfully treated. Her Super Bowl appearance in February showed she hadn't lost a step and reintroduced her to the world. Earlier this month she put out WTF (Where They From?), which was classic Missy from start to finish, as was the hilarious video. Pharrell's on the track, too, and brings his A game, but there's no question that Missy is the star. Hip hop can use more of her high-spirited, left-field stuff so I'm pulling for a big 2016 for Missy!

Here's a playlist to get you started.

 

You might also enjoy:
Best Of 15: The Top 20
Best Of 15: Out Of The Past
Best Of 15: Reggae

Summer Party Mix: Short Takes, Singles, Etc.

It's summer, prime mixtape season, so here are some short takes on recent albums and singles with party potential that should soundtrack your next shindig.

Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - Surf While we wait for Chance The Rapper to follow up Acid Rap we can enjoy this sunny and eclectic group effort from him and his buddies (some of them famous, like Busta Rhymes and Janelle Monae). Perhaps some of the positive vibrations are little more than bromides ("Just be you!") but it's hard not to be infected by the joyous spirit that runs through Surf. With darkness emanating from TV's and headlines everywhere this is a welcome dose of sweetness. This is free on iTunes so don't hesitate.

Beck - Dreams Well, he said the next one would be different. After the triumph of the GRAMMY-winning Morning Phase (also my #2 album from 2014), the world was Beck's oyster and he's found a new direction: polished dance-pop. While that might make you think that this notorious appropriator is being cheesy and ironic, Dreams is beautifully produced and seems completely sincere. It's delightful. I think when he performs at the GRAMMY's next year, the Twittering masses will remember who he is.

Shamir - Call It Off This young singer/songwriter from Las Vegas is getting a lot of attention and rightfully so - he's bursting with talent. After a time playing country, he's thrown his lot in with a brand of stripped down electronic R&B that at its  best is irresistible. Call It Off is the most appealing song for me, an addictively danceable kiss off that will have you moving no matter where you are. Give his album Ratchet a try, too - there's some depth there. Shamir is one to watch.

Alekesam - All Is Forgiven I heard this haunting dub-inflected beaut on an episode of Don Cheadle's excellent House Of Lies. Turns out Alekesam is the duo of Sal Masekela and Sunny Levine, the respective offspring of Hugh Masekela and his collaborator Stewart Levine. So it's in their blood - get transfused.

Holly Herndon - Morning Sun A lot of the talk about Herndon focuses on her process. While it is interesting to learn how she uses natural and found sounds to create electronic textures, it doesn't always pay off for the listener. I could scold myself for a lack of commitment - or I could just dial up Morning Sun, the sleekest song on her album Platform. Who's going to pony up the remix? Breton - you in?

Vince Staples - Summertime OK, I know you can't dance to this moody one-off from Staples' interesting debut - but you need a song to listen to after (most of) your guests have left. Even if his ambition to "be Pink Floyd" is yet to be realized, the mere fact of it is to be celebrated. This could be forever, baby...

A$AP Rocky - LSD That Pink Floyd reference might make more sense on this woozy wonder (the Gaspar Noe-influenced video is aces, too). Can't say I've ever taken the A$AP world domination plan very seriously (RIP A$AP Yams), but Rocky keeps getting better. There's other good stuff on At.Long.Last.A$AP, too, but this is classic. 

Run The Jewels (feat. Cuz) - Bust No Moves Whaddya know, even El-P and Killer Mike are getting a little spacey. But Mike's verse is as down to earth as it gets on this great jam - originally a Record Store Day exclusive.

Raekwon (feat. Estelle) - All About You This lush gem has been floating around for a couple of years and is now a high point of the album Fly International Luxurious Art. It borrows some of its drama from the Isaac Hayes school - kudos to producer Jerry Wonda - and Rae and Estelle pair up nicely. While not a classic, there's other good stuff on the album as well. 

Alessia Cara - Here The borrowing from Isaac Hayes is more explicit in Here, as Cara draws on the same Ike's Rap sample that fueled trip-hop classics by both Tricky and Portishead. Here is an ode to introversion that I can relate to, but the passion in Cara's voice means she really wants to connect - and she does. 

Singers & Players - Reaching The Bad Man This dubby conqueror is just one of many great tracks on Sherwood At The Controls Vol. 1 1979-1984, a killer compilation of some of Adrian Sherwood's great post-punk productions. Singers & Players was Sherwood's super-group featuring Jamaican eminences (Mikey Dread, Bim Sherman) and British avant gardists (Ari Up, Keith Levene), a fruitful blend indeed. Want more? Grab this deadly mix from Test Pressing.

Jahdan Blakkamoore - Sweetest Ting The Guayana-born Blakkamoore has the perfect voice for post-dancehall digital reggae, burnished and powerful but capable of both delicacy and joy. This song is the purest dose of sunshine from his third album, Order Of Distinction, but there's more to love there and on his earlier records. 

Buena Vista Social Club - Lost And Found This mix of thrilling live performances and nearly top-flight outtakes is the perfect hit to quench your nostalgia for when nostalgic Cuban sounds burned up the airwaves. It's a really good time and can add spice to many a mix. Right now I'm hooked on Tiene Sabor, featuring the ever-magnificent Omara Portuondo.

Various Artists - Next Cut! Yet another devastating collection of reggae rarities from Pressure Sounds, focusing on sounds from Bunny "Striker" Lee & Friends. Take your pick for your mix. 

The Notations - Still Here (1967-73) Número Group has made their name with dozens of releases bringing obscure soul music to light, as they do on this great single-artist collection. The Notations might not be The Temptations but they had a lot to offer - one listen to I Can't Stop should make you a fan. 

Fetty Wap - Trap Queen I heard the executors of Francis Scott Key's estate petitioned to have this become the new American anthem, but Soulja Boy voted them down. Sour grapes, I say. 

Your Old Droog - Kinison There was a brief period where a dash of mystery had people wondering if this was Nas in disguise. Now we know he's his own man, as this pop-culture obsessed album demonstrates. He can be funny, as on Gentrify My Hood, or blithely vicious, as on Homicide. He does have some of Nas's crisp New York flow, which could make it easy for that legend to imagine biting some of the excellent beats by El RTNC and others - better be careful, boys. Also give an ear to The Nicest, a six-track EP that just came out. Busy man - get busy catching up.

Check out my playlist featuring all of these plus a few assists from the best records of the year. What's grooving you?

Best Of The Rest Of 14: Hip Hop & Jazz

Hip Hop Is Not Dead, But It May Be On Vacation

I'm willing to take the heat for not signing on to proclaim Run The Jewels 2, the second album from the duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P, the second coming. It's good, some of it is even great, but none of it as good as Killer Mike at his best, such as on R.A.P. Music, my #7 album from 2012, also produced by EL-P. EL-P is brilliant behind the boards, one of the finest, but he's only an OK rapper and I just don't want to hear him on every song. Having been in the trenches with Killer Mike since he stepped out from OutKast's shadow with Monster in 2003, I reserve the right to be a connoisseur of his unique charms. I just hope that everyone who fell over RTJ2 will check that first album (you can get a CD of it for .55 CENTS on Amazon!) out along with R.A.P. Music and the nearly as brilliant Pl3dge. 

Of the other beats and rhymes I returned to over the year, young Isaiah Rashad's Cilvia Demo is the one that still draws blank stares, even though it hit the Billboard charts at number 40. So much for sales. Despite having nine producers, it's a very consistent sounding record, woozy and soulful and Rashad has serious flow, never straining to put across his well constructed verses. While he gets more personal than most, which is great, I also found that some of the seeming profundity dissolved on repeated listens. One to watch, for sure. 

Freddie Gibbs has about 10 years on Rashad but is still in the early part of his career. Piñata gave this gritty, down-to-earth rapper the endorsement of one of the greatest beat constructors of all time, Madlib, who produced the whole album. If Gibbs wasn't quite up to the challenge lyrically, the collection is still quite excellent. Madlib also did the soundtrack for Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton, the fine documentary about the Stones Throw label. If you're looking to add a little weight to your own collection, you can pick up a nice collection of his cues on a 10" disc.

A new release from Mobb Deep always gets my attention, and if The Infamous Mobb Deep was not quite a return to form, it's a solid record with at least two great songs in Low (feat. Mack Wilds) and Waterboarding, which is a few years old but needs more ears. Also,the deluxe edition came with some unbelievable archive material from their still-astonishing mid-90's emergence - worth the price.

You're Dead!, the fifth album from Flying Lotus, was another seamless slab of beauty, but while there were amazing moments (listen for the Rosemary's Baby theme), it was not quite the sum of its parts. I've listened to literally dozens of hours of Miles Davis at his wildest (mostly unofficial releases) and while it's nice to know FlyLo is also up on that stuff, I'm not blown away by his take, even with Herbie Hancock sitting in. Something about his music stimulates my creativity, though, so I'm glad to have more of it. His protege (and son of Bobby) Taylor McFerrin gave us the lighter-than-air Early Riser, which I liked quite a lot. I'm on the fence if it belongs here or down there in the jazz section - either way, more, please. Catch him when he opens for Hollie Cook at the Highline Ballroom on January 8th, 2015. Dream date!

Another hip hop-infused studio wizard with ties to both Stones Throw and Flying Lotus, is Ras G, who had his name on at least a few albums this year, including Raw Fruit Vol. 3 and Down To Earth Vol. 2. The latter is seriously murky, like a dub-inflected version of old hip hop, but always in the pocket. My favorite is probably Raw Fruit Vol. 3, a collection that proves once again that funky and goofy are not that far apart, and that both can be beautiful.

Also on Stone's Throw was MNDSGN's Yawn Zen, a song cycle of gleaming sounds that had the intimacy of diary entries. I would hate for it to go overlooked.

Finally, Pusha-T's Lunch Money, produced by Kanye West, is a postcard from the edge, hopefully announcing hip hop's return in force in 2015.

On The Jazzy Side Of The Street

While I admit that much of my engagement with the jazzier spectrum of music is retrospective (you mean there's yet another great Freddie Hubbard album on CTI?), a couple of new things caught my ear. Macroscope by The Nels Cline Singers has no vocalists per se (there is some wordless singing) but it does have Cline, one of the most phenomenal and versatile guitarists of our time, playing knotty and spectacular things with a group of equals. Cline is using his time off from Wilco well, also releasing an acclaimed series guitar duets with Julian Lage.

More straightforward and filled with relaxed charm was Bobby Hutcherson's Enjoy The View, which marked the 73-year-old vibraphonist's return to the legendary Blue Note label. Since the other players are Hammond organ king (and trumpeter!) Joey DeFrancesco, sax icon David Sanborn, and veteran drummer Billy Hart (700 albums as a sideman - and counting), it's very much a group effort. Wisely under-produced by Don Was, this is an inviting and lighthearted album. None of these players need to show off at this point in their careers so they just enjoy each other's company and we get to listen in. Thanks to Richard Williams, whose excellent blog, The Blue Moment, brought me here.



Still to come: Who's New (To Me), EP's, Synths, Classical & Composed and Out Of The Past.