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The
OFN Top 10 : 2004
by OFN Staff
January 2005
It would be a tremendous cliché to say that 2004 was a “good year
for music”; any year in which this music continues to thrive is a good
one in this publication’s book. 2004 did, however, have its share
of standout releases, and trying to choose the best of the best was as daunting
a task as ever. So our humble writing staff has attempted to weigh in collectively
on the top new releases of 2004—a list that’s certainly not beyond
debate, but simply a reflection of where a small group of (somewhat!) like-minded
listeners’ ears and passions overlap.
10) Günter/Halliwell/Wastell “+minus [first meeting]” (Trente
Oiseaux)
In a year full of strong releases, +minus [first meeting] was one that
particularly stood out. Here, the delicate interactions of Graham Halliwell’s
alto sax feedback, Mark Wastell’s amplified textures, Nepalese bowls, and
gongs, and Bernhard Günter’s electric cellotar coalesce over the subtly
shaded structures of Günter’s pre-recorded electronic compositions.
Throughout, they collectively traverse improvisations of hyper-magnified details,
ultra-refined timbral range, and shimmering skeins of textural densities. Debates
seemed to rage everywhere on the web (this site included) about the relative
merits of eai. But for those willing to take time to listen, here was a release
imbued with some of the freshest improvisation around. (Michael Rosenstein)
09) Sachiko M/Nakamura/Yoshihide “Good Morning Good
Night” (Erstwhile)
This incredible document from three major figures in eai almost feels like the
culmination of a certain phase, since the music is so refined, so intense that
one wonders what roads remain to be traveled in this particular direction. A
beguiling, bewitching two-disc epic, multiple close listens open up a musical
world of microscopic proliferation whose singularity and depth is among the more
rewarding things I’ve heard this year. (Jason Bivins)
08) Parker/Schlippenbach/Lytton “America 2003” (Psi)
Two gigs—each pruned down to hour-sized dimensions—epitomize an eponymous
tour. These three elders have been at it for ages, but as with the most emblematic
improv outings they reliably tap a reservoir of sui generis. Schlippenbach,
sitting in as 11th hour proxy, jolts the music with a healthy infusion of jazz.
It’s a stimulus that pushes Parker to even ply some Getzian chops. Skittering
sticks over crackerjack kit, Lytton keeps the interplay keenly off-kilter from
his corner. Trio outfits simply don’t get much more telepathic or transcendental.
(Derek Taylor)
07) Rob Brown Quartet “The Big Picture” (Marge)
Alto saxophonist Rob Brown’s The Big Picture is one of the year’s
brightest acoustic jazz efforts due to its musicians, the quality of the compositions,
and the results harvested from the mix of those elements. As for the players,
Brown pairs up with trumpeter Roy Campbell out front, matched by the extraordinary
rhythm team of bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake. The quartet
visits fiery, groove-based realms on tracks like “Dawning” and “Legroom”,
but also wades into meditative arenas like “Wyoming Song” and “Blues
Thicket”, with Brown’s inventiveness and resourcefulness shining
through. For sure, a good bet in any year. (Jay Collins)
06) Dennis González Inspiration Band “Nile River
Suite” (Daagnim)
Lone improviser of the Lone Star State, Dallas-based Dennis González proved
that he can easily hold his own in the fast company of the Big Apple on a pair
of 2004 releases. Nile River Suite was likely closer to his heart since
the compositions reference early hero Jimmy Lyons as well as his deep-seated
musical individualism. Subtly mixing secular and sacred motifs, González’s
tunes easily propel a cadre of the Naked City’s best—second trumpeter
Roy Campbell, reedist Sabir Mateen, bassist Henry Grimes, and percussionist Michael
Thompson—into his unique sound world. The CD is more proof that exciting
improv takes place every day way beyond the confines of the big media centers.
(Ken Waxman)
05) Frank Gratkowski Quartet “Facio” (Leo)
Are there any other unspoken superlatives that might not have been shared about
reedist Frank Gratkowski’s spectacular quartet with trombonist Walter Wierbos,
bassist Dieter Manderscheid, and drummer Gerry Hemingway? Most likely not. Facio,
their third as a working collective, builds upon previous works and as such,
considers the tension between composed and improvised realms as well as spontaneously
improvised drills. This nine-part suite prickles, glides, grooves, and
delights, with Gratkowski’s quirky thematic threads providing blueprints
for the group expeditions. Braxtonian twists like “Part 1 [evocation]” and “Part
8 [outburst]”, hard swingers like “Part 5 [rush]”, ruminative
ventures like “Part 6 [interference]”, and the playful dance of “Part
9 [celebration]”, result in a dazzling record from one of creative music’s
most important current ensembles. (Jay Collins)
04) Atomic/School Days “Nuclear Assembly Hall” (Okka
Disk)
It seems like every third record that dropped this year featured Ken Vandermark.
Prolific to the point of excess (I counted 12 outings he led or appeared on in
2004), the truth is that none of those releases were bad; most were good, and
a few were marvelous. Nuclear Assembly Hall was one of the marvelous
ones, as Vandermark and fellow Chicagoan Jeb Bishop joined forces with some Scandinavia’s
finest musicians. This double disc packs a lot in: It swings, it grooves, it
even breathes a little fire. The compositions provide fertile opportunities for
all eight players, and the interplay among them is exceptional—sometimes
rousing with big band dynamics, at other times exploratory and intense. You get
two discs with two different, but complementary sounds. The first one is harmonically
richer, the second one, at times, harder and freer. Ken Vandermark, restless
soul that he appears to be, is a great bandleader. (Adam Hill)
03) Dennis González NY Quartet, “NY Midnight
Suite” (Clean Feed)
Who knew that Dennis González’s August 2003 sojourn to New York
City would plant the seed for not one, but two of 2004’s most highly acclaimed
releases? In fact, NY Midnight Suite and Nile River Suite were
so well received, the only debate surrounding them was in attempting to decide
which was the better of the two. NY Midnight Suite gets the edge
here, as the trumpeter and his modestly clairvoyant quartet of tenor saxophonist
Ellery Eskelin, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Mike Thompson hold the musical
equivalent of a candlelight vigil in the streets and subways of the Big Apple. (Scott
Hreha)
02) Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls “Breeding Resistance” (Delmark)
After nearly ten years and three releases, Chicago drummer and bandleader Ted
Sirota finally put out a record that was heard by more than a handful of listeners. And
what a record it is: Breeding Resistance effortlessly adds West African
and Caribbean spice to a smart, spacious post-bop aesthetic, resulting in one
of the year’s most truly enjoyable releases. Sirota’s dedication
to social justice—realized in the form of tributes to kindred spirits Ken
Saro-Wiwa and Fred Hampton, among others—offers further substance, proving
once again that the best protest music feeds the hips as well as the mind. (Scott
Hreha)
01) Rivers/Rudolph/Eisenstadt “Vista” (Meta)
It’s not that Sam Rivers was 80 when he recorded Vista that makes
it such an incredible feat—although that kind of longevity in this business
must certainly account for something. What makes it so powerful is the combination
of two stellar percussionists in tandem with Rivers’ highly rhythmic and
trenchant lines. Vista is fundamentally about melodic drummers and rhythmic
melodies, even as those two phrases seem trite post Max Roach and Cecil Taylor.
It is a recording like Vista, however, that helps one re-hear the essence
of this music, the power of complex rhythms and striking melody. Indispensable.
(Matthew Sumera)
Honorable Mention
- Tim Berne’s Big Satan “Souls Saved Hear” (Thirsty Ear)
- Jewels and Binoculars “Floater” (Ramboy)
- Paul Murphy “Shadows-Intersection-West” (Cadence Jazz)
- Steve Swell “Suite for Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers” (CIMP)
- Brötzmann/Ellis/Eneidi/Krall “Live at Spruce Street Forum” (Botticelli)
- Maria Schneider Orchestra “Concert in the Garden” (Artist Share)
- Dave Burrell Full-Blown Trio “Expansion” (High Two)
- Cecil Taylor & Italian Instabile Orchestra “The Owner of the
River Bank” (Enja/Justin Time)
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