You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - Top 7 Jazz Albums of 2018 - #1

Episode Date: December 31, 2018

To celebrate the end of 2018, Peter and Adam countdown their favorite jazz albums of the past year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hey, Pete. Hey, what's up, man. It's New Year's Eve. We're almost there. We're almost there. Yep, big plants tonight? You know what? No, no gigs tonight.

How about you? Let's get together and talk about jazz. How about that? I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin. You're listening to the You'll Hear It podcast. Version 3, B3, Season 3, Daily Jazz Advice coming at you. Season 3, 2019 is around the corner, and we are kind of ready.

Well, we're actually kind of jumping the gun. We're starting season three a day. We're so ahead of the game. We are like literally hours from the 2019, but we're already on season three. All these other jazz podcasts, they got nothing on us. No, tomorrow they're going to be starting their season three. We're starting season three today. Well, and today we're starting season three, but we're wrapping up 2018 with our seven favorite jazz albums that were released in in 2018.

And we're starting here with number one. What is this? This is the bad plus, never stop two. Because they still aren't stopping, you know. And this is like a cool album. I love this album. I mean, this is like, you know, our friends, friends of the podcast, friends of Open Studio. Definitely, yeah.

With the brand new band, which, you know, is 133% different than the OG band. You know what's funny about this album and about, you know, we saw them live the whole week they were here in St. Louis. First gigs with Orrin Evans. First, very first gig. Which was just a little less than a year ago. It's so different, but it still sounds like the bad plus. Like, it's definitely different. Orrin adds, you know, a whole different thing.

You know, Ethan Iverson is awesome, obviously. Yeah. But it's just that one, obviously, the one person in a trio can make that big of a change. But it still feels like the bad plus. It does. It does. There's like an institutional vibe and institutional knowledge beyond any of them, which I think is such a cool thing. What they've created, I'm so, you know, proud of them and just, I just love listening to the record.

You know, I mean, I think all these that we came up with are ones that we, you know, either of us, if not both of us, just have. had a lot of enjoyment. They're not necessarily always the critics' choice. Although a lot of these are on some of the, you know, New York Times and what was that, Paste magazine or whatever, top, whoever the hell they are. Top, top jazz albums of the year. But these are like ones that we

listen to a lot and just enjoyed this year. That also came out this year. Yeah. There's so much good music that happened this year. And I'm glad to see the Blas plus still making music after all these years and still making relevant really good music. Yeah. And what I love about this album is, you know,

As you say, it sounds like the band, but it definitely also sounds like they were able to achieve on this record. Starting a new chapter, obviously with Orrin Evans coming in to fill the piano chair. So there's a sort of, I almost would say innocence was captured in the way this was recorded because they weren't like a regular working band like they are now.

They actually went in the studio pretty fresh. They all knew each other and played a little bit, but they didn't have, I don't think they had any gigs under their belt when they recorded this. They did not. And we saw them after this on their first gig. So they were already a little more seasoned as a trio.

But they're all such seasoned musicians individually that it really came across. But there's a little bit of almost like holding back on this, which I think is great. Because you're never going to get that again. It's only going to get better, of course, from here. Not better. It's going to get different. But I think you'll never have that kind of initial studio moment that they captured. And wonderful document.

Yeah, it's awesome. Yep. Well, my first pick for favorite albums of 2018 is trumpeter, Ambrose. Akun Usair. This is Origami Harvest. Let's have a little bit of a listen. Yep. It's beautiful.

Yeah, this is a nice long listen of a record. We could listen to all 13 minutes of this opening track. Not if we don't want to be sued again. Called a blooming blood fruit in a hoodie. I'm not sure who's on piano on this, actually. I should do some more research. I've just been playing this whole album on repeat. You know, I'm so enamored with the,

With the arranging on here and the use of the strings, you and I both write a lot for strings and have incorporated it into our own music quite a bit. And I think this is one of the best collaborations mixes of a string quartet and actual jazz instruments that I've ever heard. The writing is incredibly sophisticated. The arranging is sophisticated.

I like that it sounds like it was, you know, recorded in a bedroom almost. It feels very close. Yeah. And the whole album is just so brilliant. I think that whenever we talk about favorite albums and tracks and you and I both, there's a common theme, obviously great music, great writing, all these things, but

great sound is important to both of us. I mean, it really makes an impact on, and I would just say, I think everything that we have on this list, big tip of the cap to the engineers and the production. because it's such an important part still. I mean, I think even more so nowadays in our time of everything kind of being all over the place. But I got to check this.

I'm ashamed to say I haven't listened to this record, and I've seen it all on these lists. I know it's a hugely impactful record of this year, and so I'm excited to dig into it. It's awesome, man. It's part of the whole, you know, this new wave of music that's happening, and it's one of the best examples, I think.

Here's a little more. Vision of vaccine, a cure even. The blur of reasonings, rearing their heads like a hydra. Blood in my eye, bro, and I can't see But I still lead like a one-eyed king Up in the land of the blind, bro. I got my man on the line,

he got one last job for a player. The sunblash rocks. And you know what? And we can talk about this a little bit, but this is, you know, this kind of the new thing right now. And there's not just like, you know, a burning track and a ballot or whatever.

I mean, it's a very specific artistic statement in a way that I think only someone of his generation can do. And it's a lot of extended tracks, extended, you know, double CDs, double LPs, really stretching out. Yeah. I love it. And the incorporation of hip hop and electronic music, just not even if it's electronic or even if it is straight hip hop, but just like the ideas behind them are incorporated.

Conceptual. Yeah, the concepts. Really cool stuff. All right, what we got for number three? Okay, number three, we're going to go, I was going to say old school, but Keith Jarrett, he's always relevant, you know, even when you forget about him for a quick minute, He comes out with something and they released. I mean, this was recorded like 10 or 15 years ago,

but his ECM recording that was just released this year, La Finesse. Let's check it out. Yes, and this is interesting. Wait, which track is this? This is the first track. Yeah. So this is his classic composition, part one. Which is always different.

What the hell is going on in this guy's head that he can do all that? Well, he actually has two minions playing the piano along with him, just so it's six hands going on right there. That's incredible, man. That is incredible. Yeah. No, the control and the. I mean, look, playing a few seconds here, we can barely do it justice,

but it gives you a sampling of just, you know, what he did and how they captured it. You know, La Finesse is a beautiful opera house, famous, iconic space in Venice, of course. I couldn't imagine what it would be like in that magical little island city that's sinking into the Adriatic or whatever that is. In that, you know, centuries-old venue where all this great opera had been to hear him at what I'm sure was to very exacting standards of a Steinway that was rejected seven times before he approved. But I mean, you know, what he can do.

I've heard him before do solo piano. This is most of the record of the concert was improvisation, although he does get into a little bit of standards. I think he does Stella by Starlight at the end. But it's that free improvisation, just piano tour de force. Keith Jarrett, gone wild, you know, running around, lifting his shirt up and everything, and only as he can. And it's just amazing.

I don't think that's what he does. No, I was going wild. Ben, I'll tell you what, shame on me. I have not checked that out. out, but just from listening to those first few seconds, I am going to go on a deep dive of that. That is incredible. Yeah. Wow.

This is one like, you know, you go into your piano man cave or woman cave, lock your family out and just, you know, vibe. This is definitely one that, to annoy the spouse. Exactly. They're not into jazz. Yeah. All right. So I'm going to go from my next one, number four here. This is our buddy, St. Louis, his own and now Kansas City resident, Peter Schlam, Vibraphonis.

and this is an album called Electric Tinks. He has this old electric vibraphone that he plays. And Peter's like, man, since he was a teenager, he's always been one of the most creative forces of nature. You know, I don't think I've ever heard him play a wrong anything. And this is the opening track. This is Skyler's view. Yeah, so those are vibes.

Those are electric vibes. So he gets that sort of distorted sound. That's not triggering anything. No, it's like a distorting. You know, crushed amp sound. See a little blowing. The language he's acquired over the years is truly humbling. Yeah, man.

He's got his own thing big time. But check it out. It's called the Electric Tinks from Peter Schlam. Yeah. And you can go to, you know, we're all about supporting indie artists here. Go to peterslam.com. That's P-E-T-E-R-S-C-H-L-A-M-B.com and pick up that bad boy. Dang, right.

All right. All right, what do we got next? Next we have Oh, number five We have Cecil Salvance The Window This is amazing record duo with Sullivan Fortner

Yeah Who I think is just You know One of the best pianists out there Certainly one of the one of the No, I was going to say of the young pianist But he's just one of the best pianists Playing Jazz right now

Talk about an original voice Sullivan Fortner They both have an original voice But as a pianist It's really impressive Let's check it out This is the first track This is Visions

To see the milk and honey land Where hates a dream and love forever Stair Or is this a vision in my mind Yeah I mean this is What else do you need? Yeah yeah And I mean the piano playing

Cecile's voice The recording amazing And I love You know This is of course The Stevie Wonder Classically From Inner Visions That is such an amazing lyric

What they've done kind of deconstructing. I'm always a little reticent to say that, but that kind of is what they're doing, but in such an authentic way to their voices as a duo, really. But I love, I think that Stevie Wonder has one of the

deepest catalogs for vocalists. Absolutely. And it's, you know, it's easy to kind of do a cover of a tune. I mean, it's not easy, but you can do it's Stevie cover and kind of do it just like he did it and you can be compared to Steve. And it's still going to be good because it's such a, you know, deep catalog. But when you can change

it and really bring it to your voice, have the confidence to bring it to your voice for both of them and present it in this way. Wow, it's like, I mean, it's really like it brings to mind some of the Ella Fitzgerald Duer recordings, and I'm forgetting the piano, I think it was Ellis Larkins. They did, you know, like Gershwin and these these wonderful songs, really high quality songs and sort of made them their own and just laid them out there. And this, they're kind of playing around in that territory in a nice way. And the whole record is like that too. It just start to finish. It's such high quality. two great young artists at the top of their game.

And it's funny because I think to them it's like, oh, that's like some old schools. I mean, actually it is, even to me. I mean, that's like early 70s, you know, but Intervisions, that's one of the deepest, I mean, just deepest cut, kind of fertile ground, I think, that's been both pulled out nicely

but more often sort of abused in the jazz world or kind of bastardized or whatever. So it's great to hear them drawing on that rich material. That's awesome. a cool way. Well, so speaking of another original voice from a young pianist, one of my favorite records of this year is a solo piano record from a fantastic young pianist named Glenn Zaleski. He released it himself and it's just start to finish such tasty and original playing. Let's check out the preview track. So here's what's so cool about that too, about this track, is that

he released the whole album as a free download on his website. So you can go to to glens lesky.com and just download the album and it's some of the best solo piano playing that I heard this year for sure yeah and as we were listening to that I actually downloaded his album so I'm glad that you said that I mean that's such a such a cool thing and we're talking about you know supporting indie artists and stuff but if you want to get some good for our pianists out here if you want to get some good solo piano ideas he's got a very original voice on the instrument yeah absolutely I can't wait to dig into this man this podcast is just so personally useful for me Thank you.

Are we doing this for ourselves? Yeah, well, I am. This is so entertaining yet self-serving. I still can't believe you're here every day. It's great. I know. All right, so I think we're up to number seven. Number seven.

Is it 2020 already? We're almost there, man. The balloon's about to drop, man. No, I mean the next year. We've been here. We're doing this episode for quite a while. I'm so witty. I really caught that one.

Oh, is we stretching out a little bit? We're stretching out a little bit. So how you've been, bro? Everything cool? How was your year? Can you recount this? I turned 40 yesterday. You know that, right?

Oh, man. congrats. Dang, I missed. So next year, the presence is coming. Right? Some friend you are. Okay, number seven, we've got, let's trudge through this here. We've got the slacker Joshua Redmond. Who? With an all-star group, but a super interesting project that they did. This was released this year, still dreaming. Yeah. On the, I believe it's on none such, but it's Brian Blade, um, Ron Miles on trumpet, Brian Blade, of course, on drums. And Scott Colley on bass. And this is a great record. I got to to hear them live a couple of times. Great concept. I think it's sort of loosely based upon

the kind of instrumentation and vibe that Dewey Redmond. I'm trying to remember the name of the group, but kind of like late 70s still, still, not still dreaming. That's the name of this. I'll come up with it in a second. But let's check out a little bit. Yeah. Man, played. I love, they're very confident with the lick there. I'm glad we're ending with somewhat of a swinger. Yeah, kind of old new dreams. That's the record I was trying to remember the group. So Don Cherry, Dewey Redmond, Edman, New Orleans, great drummer, Ed Blackwell, and Charlie Hayden. To me, it's kind of coming out of that. Check out this new one from Joshua Redmond. And Pete, happy new year, man. Yeah, man. Great 2018. Man, all the best to you, man. Let's meet here tomorrow and do it again.

We'll start it all up. You'll hear it. You'll hear it.