Here are my top ten music albums
for this year, selected from ones that have been added to the collection in the
last twelve months.
The range seems to be more
limited. No new standout blues or pop
music, only two from the 21st century.
I've obviously had a hankering for jazz and instrumental music featuring
ensembles or solo virtuosi.
Some are suggesting that mp3 and
iTune sales of "singles" will be the death of the LP album, but I
don't think so. For one thing, it's
possible to cherry-pick and design your own album. I did that this year by selecting non-vocal tracks from three
Joseph Tawadros albums and compiling an album that features the skill and
variety of his oud playing, and I think it is very successful.
A good LP album is greater than
the sum of its parts—it has a central purpose and other intangibles such as
balance and mood. The Paul Kelly album here makes the list because I
assigned a retrospective purpose to it, to showcase his song-writing in 1985
just when his career took off.
Anyway, let's get down to it…
* *
* * *
1. Itzhak Perlman
Paganini
24 Caprices for Solo Violin 1972
The Israeli violinist plays what
to me is cerebral music, washes over and into the brain with not a note to be
missed.
2. Jacques Loussier Trio
Ravel's Bolero 1999
After playing with Bach, Loussier
turned his attention to this sublime rendition. Surely it was written for piano?
The last half hour of the album is taken up with Loussier's Nympheas
suite with its seven short movements and this sits well with the Ravel.
3. Margret Roadknight
Fringe
Benefits 1993
We went to visit Margret
Roadknight in Lakes Entrance to buy a couple of albums, including this one
which features guest musicians and some of my favourite songs like My Brown
Yarra and Market Mosaic.
4. Motion Trio
Pictures
From The Street 2004
Polish acoustic accordion trio
whose music ranges from classical composers to their own contemporary works
with Balkan gypsy influences. An
exciting album with great variety.
5. Sabicas
Flamenco Virtuoso, 1961
I've been pining for the flicking
fingers of flamenco to replace some records I used to have, but they all seem
to have orchestration or a drum kit these days. Then I found this album by the Spanish Romani, Sabicas, strictly
a guitar (or two) with hand claps and foot stomps, recorded when they knew how,
and he'd been practising for forty years.
6. Yamandu
Costa & Dominguinhos
Yamandu + Dominguinhos 2007
Yamandu is a Brazilian guitarist
and composer who plays 7-string acoustic guitar and here teams up with an
accordion player, Dominguinhos, with some wonderful Brazilian rhythms.
7. Gerry Mulligan & Johnny
Hodges
Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges 1960
A happy robust album of 5 tracks
by two sax players at the top of their game.
They knew how to get you to come back for more in those days— the album
runs for 33 minutes, about Elvis length!
8. Paul Kelly
Post
1985
I've always listened to Paul
Kelly in "best-of" sets or compilations, and realised I didn't know
any of his albums. I got Post and
Gossip, his first two solo albums (Coloured Girls), and they are much
better to listen to than a wide-ranging compilation. I prefer Post, the first of the two (and it contains Adelaide!).
9. Georges Cziffra
- Liszt 10 Hungarian Rhapsodies 2001 remaster, ?1972
Hungarian pianist plays Liszt,
showing virtuosity of player and composer. Liszt was a great "bash
artist" with panache! I love solo
piano and stuff without an orchestra gets votes.
10. Jimmy Giuffre 3
Jimmy Giuffre 3 1957
The oldest album, 11 tracks
written mostly by Guiffre, who plays clarinet, tenor, baritone, with the rhythm
section of guitar and bass. Guitar and reeds fit well together and the absence
of drum kit helps make the album a pleasure.
* *
* * *
Shortlist included Carlos Del
Junco, Castlecomer, Joseph Tawadros,
Band of Brothers, Talking Heads (!), Oh Mercy, Claude Hay, Zoe Keating,
Arrebato Ensemble and Ray Price Quartet.
No comments:
Post a Comment