My last show of the year, time to look back at some of my favourite releases from the past year. Here is the list, in no particular order:
-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party "Chain of Light" Realworld
-Utsav Lal "Raga Bhimpalasi" Independent
-John Luther Adams/JACK Quartet "Waves and Particles" Cantaloupe Music
-Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper "Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper" Matsuli
-Mdou Moctar "Funeral for Justice"
-Frederic Chopin/Yunchan Lim "Chopin Etudes" Decca
-Sun Ra Arkestra "Lights On A Satellite" In and Out Records
-L'Etran de L'Aïr "100% Sahara Guitar" Sahel Sounds
-India Gailey "Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth" Redshift Records
-Thomas de Hartmann "Thomas de Hartmann Rediscovered" Pentatone
-Dumai Dunai "Sometime Between Now and Never" Independent
-Arun Ramamurthy Trio "New Moon" Greenleaf Music
-Namian Sidibe "Namian Sidibe" Sahel Sounds
-Constantine Caravassilis/Liana Guberman-Chriss, Carla Jablonski, Daniel Moody, Tenth Muse Ensemble, Constantine Caravassilis "From Sappho's Lyre" Orchid Classics
-Lemon Bucket Orkestra "Cuckoo" Lemon Bucket Orkestra
-Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars "Chronika" Borscht Beat
-Various "Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982)" Analog Africa
-Bounaly "Dimanche à Bamako" Sahel Sounds
-Cecil Taylor "Live At The Cafe Montmartre" DA Music
-Giacomo Meyerbeer/London Symphony Orchestra, John Osborn, Elizabeth DeShong, Mané Galoyan, Sir Mark Elder "Le Prophète" LSO
-Msaki x Tubatsi "Synthetic Hearts Part II" No Format
-Sabri Brothers feat. Ghulam Farid Sabri & Amjad Sabri "Jami" Piranha
| Ya Allah Ya Rehman Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party - Chain of Light - Realworld |
| Basle Ballake Sissoko & Derek Gripper - Ballake Sissoko & Derek Gripper - Matsuli |
| Refuge Msaki x Tubatsi - Synthetic Hearts Part II - No Format |
| Mountainweeps i. glacial light fluttering in the wind India Gailey - Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth - Redshift Records 
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| Mountainweeps ii. naked of an ancient watery sheath India Gailey - Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth - Redshift Records
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| Mountainweeps iii. leaking fauna and stones India Gailey - Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth - Redshift Records
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| 2024 was a great year for Sahelian guitar, with fantastic releases from L'Etran de L'Air (their first studio album) and Mdou Moctar (who now stops in Ottawa regularly!) from Niger and Bounaly from Mali.
Mdou Moctar will be in Ottawa on Monday, Feb 3rd! https://bronsoncentremusictheatre.com/events/event/mdou-moctar-3/ |
| Indode L'Etran de L'Air - 100% Sahara Guitar - Sahel Sounds
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| Imajighen Mdou Moctar - Funeral For Justice - Matador |
| Chérie ye Bani Bounaly - Dimanche à Bamako - Sahel Sounds |
| Tembe Na Tembe Ya Nini Orchestre Celi Bitshou - Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982 - Analog Africa |
| My two favourite names in Free Jazz are Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor and they both had releases recently! This past Record Store Day saw a special reissue of Cecil Taylor Live At the Cafe Montmartre in a trio with Jimmy Lyons on alto and Sunny Murray on drums. The Sun Ra Arkestra just released a new recording celebrating the centennial of leader Marshal Allen. Both tremendous albums! |
| Lena Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray - Live At The Cafe Montmartre - DA Music
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| Dorothy's Dance Sun Ra Arkestra - Lights On A Satellite - In and Out Records
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| Five Duban Songs: Eros Sanctified i. The Gazing Gossamer Constantine Caravassilis/Ariana Chris, Tallinna Kammerorkestar, Kaisa Roose - From Sappho's Lyre - Orchid Classics
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| Five Duban Songs: Eros Sanctified ii. Explore Me Constantine Caravassilis/Ariana Chris, Tallinna Kammerorkestar, Kaisa Roose - From Sappho's Lyre - Orchid Classics
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| Five Duban Songs: Eros Sanctified iii. Dating Daphnis Constantine Caravassilis/Ariana Chris, Tallinna Kammerorkestar, Kaisa Roose - From Sappho's Lyre - Orchid Classics
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| Five Duban Songs: Eros Sanctified iv. Lalage Constantine Caravassilis/Ariana Chris, Tallinna Kammerorkestar, Kaisa Roose - From Sappho's Lyre - Orchid Classics
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| Five Duban Songs: Eros Sanctified v. Communion Constantine Caravassilis/Ariana Chris, Tallinna Kammerorkestar, Kaisa Roose - From Sappho's Lyre - Orchid Classics
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| Into the Light Dumai Dunai - Sometime Between Now and Never - Independent
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| Parova Mashyna Dumai Dunai - Sometime Between Now and Never - Independent
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| Gadjo Dilo Lemon Bucket Orkestra - Cuckoo - Lemon Bucket Orkestra
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| Zijdi Zajdi Lemon Bucket Orkestra - Cuckoo - Lemon Bucket Orkestra
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| Frank London called this album "An ecstatic musical plea for unity, a joyous light in the darkness." Something we could all use right now! |
| Greekz (Yevonim) Frank London Klezmer Brass Allstars - Chronika - Borscht Beat |
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My list feels a bit small this year... I know there is so much music out there I missed. Share with me your favourite 2024 releases I don't know about!
1:49 PM, December 26th, 2024