I receive anywhere from 10-20 CDs per week in the mail. I can’t listen to them all, so they tend to collect in neat stacks around my apartment. I’d like to think I’m becoming more efficient, but keeping up with all this music is a constant struggle (one that I’m happy and honored to undertake, of course). Anyway, I finally decided that life could not go on until I went through some of this backlog. In the last week or so I’ve made a lot of progress. Here is just some of the music I should have checked out a lot sooner:
Mark Weinstein, Algo Más: Cuban Roots (Jazzheads) — I’ve yet to hear a more abstract Latin jazz recording. Featuring Jean-Paul Bourelly, Santi Debriano and more. Weinstein, a flutist, already has a new one, titled O Nosso Amor.
“Belly-Up”: Fredrik Lundin Overdrive Plays the Music of Leadbelly (Stunt Records)
Raynald Colom, My Fifty One Minutes (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Borrowed Time (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Giulia Valle Group, Colorista (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Abdullah Ibrahim, A Celebration (Enja/Justin Time) — this retrospective features essential music going back to the early ’70s, including duets with the late bassist Johnny Dyani.
3 Sisters, Village (romhog records)
Inside Out, What Is This Thing? (romhog records)
Barry Romberg Group, Greatest Hits (romhog records) — in short, anything on romhog is worth getting.
Ruby Braff, You Brought a New Kind of Love (Arbors) — recorded just after 9/11, most of this has Braff on cornet with just Bill Charlap on piano and Jake Hanna on minimal drums, no bass player. The tone and clarity are amazing.
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