The Jazz.com Blog
December 31, 2008 · 0 comments
The Best Jazz Tracks of the Month
Is the jazz world getting stranger, or is it just me? Five days every week, jazz.com picks an outstanding track from a recent release and features it as Song of the Day. But the bands seem more peculiar all the time.
Look at this month’s picks (listed below) for example. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t name my band “Rinse the Algorithm”—or even, as in this instance, “rinsethealgorithm.” But it sounds positively euphonious compared to “Mostly Other People Do the Killing.” How did that one ever get past the focus groups?
Despite the unwieldy moniker, we liked MOPDTK's music, which features Jon Irabagon, winner of the recent Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Irabagon was honored for his horn playing by judges Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath and Jane Ira Bloom. But we give him an award for best imitation of Ornette Coleman on an album cover by a non-African-American.
Not to be outdone, Mark Saleski celebrated a song called “Losing Weight Through Prayer.” Hey, is this jazz.com or belief.net? The goat on the cover did not entice me—I haven’t bought an album with barnyard animals on the sleeve since Pet Sounds. And what can I say about an instrument line-up that includes shortwave radio and “modified Speak & Spell”? Mark promises that “your ears will be forcefully opened.” You need to supply your own Q-tips.
I tried to jump into the fray by reviewing Warsaw Village Band’s “Wise Kid Song”—which sounds as if mostly other people are doing some goat-killing over by the bandstand at a wedding in Gda?sk. But no modified Speak & Spell on this track, alas.
Along the way, jazz.com also featured cover versions of songs by Strawberry Alarm Clock and Sonny Boy Williamson during the month; the music of Venezuela; a version of “Take Five” that incorporates some hip-hop; and a wildly creative reworking of that old warhorse "All Blues" with Markus Stockhausen (son of the famous composer Karlheinz Stockhausen) on trumpet. And if you want your ears opened in a more traditional manner, we highlighted great tracks by artists such as Sonny Rollins, Jim Hall and Bill Frisell.
Below are links to our reviews of all the tracks featured as Song of the Day during the month. Each one comes with full personnel and recording info, as well as a link for (legal) downloading. And don’t forget to rinse your algorithm when your done!
Rinsethealgorithm: Urban Nocturnal
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Arild Andersen: Independency Part 3
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Warsaw Village Band: Wise Kid Song
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Barnacled: Losing Weight Through Prayer
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Mark Rapp: Incense and Peppermints
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Billy Boy Arnold: Decoration Day
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Gjermund Larsen: ArriVals
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
The New Jazz Composers Octet: Bad Alchemy
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Joani Taylor: Take Five
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Andy Scherrer: Karma
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Marco Granados: Los Tiestos De Moca
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Mostly Other People Do the Killing: Drainlick
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Francisco Mela: Benes
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Masters of War
Reviewed by Ed Leimbacher
Dave Frank: Snow Falls on 5th Ave.
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Jonatha Brooke: My Flowers Grow Green
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm: R.L. Burnside
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Vince Mendoza: All Blues
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Frank Catalano: My One and Only Love
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Bryan Beller: Love Terror Adrenaline / Break Through
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
New York Electric Piano: Temple Tantrum
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Sonny Rollins: More Than You Know
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Ari Hoenig: Moment's Notice
Reviewed by Eric Novod
This blog article posted by Ted Gioia.
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