Jazz Tracks 2022

 

I usually listen to jazz at work while doing some computer maintenance or slogging through emails. I don't keep as close track of standout albums like I do with ambient and indie. So this is a collection of tracks that I happened to enjoy this year and of course they had to fit with the vibe of the whole mix.

My top 5 jazz albums are:

1. Charles Lloyd - Trio Of Trios
2. Makaya McCraven - In These Times
3. Vega Trails - Tremors in the Static
4. Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Open
5. Oren Ambarchi - Shebang  &  Oren Ambarchi - Ghosted

I cheated on number 5 and included two Oren Ambarchi albums, both of which aren't exactly jazz but I don't really know what genre they are so they get plopped into jazz. I absolutely love both albums and it's my list so I can do whatever I want. Number 4 on the list may not be jazz either as I had it in my top 10 for ambient albums. It's the perfect melding of the two genres. Makaya McCraven - In These Times has gotten a lot of mainstream attention and has shown up on a lot of year-end lists and it deserves it. The album by Vega Trails is essentially bass & wind instruments so it's nice and sparse which why I love it. Charles Lloyd - Trio of Trios is the most straightforward jazz and it's fantastic.

This is the last mix of 2022. Here's to another good musical year in 2023.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Omri Ziegele, Where's Africa - Sunflowerpower (That Hat)
• 05:02    Makaya McCraven - High Fives (In These Times)
• 08:40    Vega Trails - Train To Kyoto (Tremors In The Static)
• 11:28    Charles Lloyd - Ay Amor(Live) (Trio Of Trios)
• 18:38    Jakob Bro & Joe Lovano - Pause (Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian)
• 24:17    Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Brevity (Open)
• 28:31    Dexter Story - Kalimba, Then Space (Feel Recordings Volume 1)
• 30:55    The Arteries of New York City - The Arteries of New York City (The Arteries of New York City)
• 33:50    Akusmi - Fleeting Future (Fleeting Future)
• 38:28    Oren Ambarchi - II (Shebang)
• 48:50    Carlos Nino - Youwillgetthroughthis, I promise (Extra Presence)
• 55:15    Ralph Heidel - SOII (Modern Life)
• 59:10    Bill Frisell - Dear Old Friend(for Alan Woodard) (Four)
• 61:34    end

Best Ambient 2022 part 3

 

I can't decide which of these Best Ambient mixes I like the most. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to listen all 3 all day, every day until the end of the year. Then the journey starts all over again.

As another year comes to a close, it's hard to believe I've been at this for 17 years. Yikes! I'm not sure how long I'll keep creating these mix but I at least have to make it to 20 years, right? If I ever retire from my day job this seems like the perfect retirement activity. Forget golf, I just want to listen to music and create mixes(and go to movies, concerts and funky restaurants.)

Here's to a hopefully less chaotic 2023.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Seabuckthorn - Of No Such Place (Of No Such Place - Laaps)
• 03:26    Son of Chi & Arthur Flink - Part Two (The Fifth World Recordings - Astral Industries)
• 07:45    Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Distant (Open - Hush Hush)
• 12:36    Nils Frahm - Do Dream (Music for Animals - Leiter)
• 19:35    Toàn - Coraline (Phonolite - [Krysalisound)
• 22:35    Gylden - A drink at the stream (Island Friend - Seil)
• 27:00    Oren Ambarchi - IV (Ghosted - Drag City)
• 31:10    Adrian Copeland - No Heat No Light (If This Were My Body - Lost Tribe Sound)
• 36:45    Roméo Poirier - Le case degli altri (Living Room - Faitiche)
• 40:00    't Geruis - Quand Le Bois Chante (Bain D'Étoiles - Laaps)
• 43:20    The Lonely Bell - The Final Light (Kingdoms Of The Deep)
• 49:40    Music For Sleep - L'ansia che cura (L'ansia che cura)

Best Ambient 2022 part 2

 

Not much to say other than here is Best Ambient 2022 part 2. Enjoy.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Snufmumriko - Langt under noll (Radio Mnemosyne - Dronarivm)
• 06:10    Heavenchord - Field Recordings #19(Field Recordings #4 - Secret Domain)
• 12:00    Austin Rockman - Muter (Our Own Unknown - Krysalisound)
• 13:27    Alio Die - Il Lievito Dell'anima (Distillation Of Time - Hic Sunt Leones)
• 18:25    Taylor Deupree - Rythn (Harbor - Laaps)
• 21:15    Jason Kolàr - Magic / Random / Exotism (Liquid Rhythm - Dauw)
• 27:37    Jarguna - Neogene (Neogene - Projekt)
• 28:33    Alio Die & Dirk Serries - Without The Light Of The Sky, Time Is Lost (The Chapters Of The Eclipse - Projekt)
• 34:25    State Azure - Nova Sonus (Nova Sonus)
• 42:40    Deepchord - Drassanes (Functional Designs - Soma)
• 47:20    Louigi Verona - Journeys on Google Earth III (Journeys on Google Earth)
• 54:22    CELL - Auxin (Onwards System - Ultimae)
• 59:50    Calm Whale - Awaken Earth (Handpan Journey)
• 67:37    Ruven Nunez - Untitled No. 51 (Untitled No. 51 - Longform Editions)
• 75:06    end

Best Ambient 2022 part 1

 

Man, these lists are tough to assemble. So why do I does this? Mostly because I enjoy the exercise of reviewing the tons and tons of music that is released over the year. It's a more active and intentional listening mode that I switch to at this time of year. I love checking out other lists to see what I may have missed. I'll link to some of those in another post. But mostly I'm just a music dork who likes lists.

My Top 10 Ambient Albums of 2022

1. Ecovillage - The Road Not Taken [Laaps]
2. Snufmumriko - Radio Mnemosyne [Dronarivm]
3. Man Watching the Stars - The Sextant of a Blind Seafarer
4. Gylden - Island Friend [Seil]
5. Nils Frahm - Music For Animals [Leiter]
6. Glåsbird - Himalaya [Whitelabrecs]
7. Alio Die & Dirk Serries - The Chapters Of The Eclipse [Projekt]
8. Tapani Rinne & Juha Maki-Patola - Open [Hush Hush Records]
9. Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - Ghosted [Drag City]
10. Tapes and Topographies - Modalities [Simulacra]

Here's the rest of the list in alphabetical order:

• 't Geruis - Bain D'Étoiles [Laaps]
• 't Geruis - Slow Dance on Moss Beds [Lost Tribe Sound]
• Adrian Copeland - If This Were My Body [Lost Tribe Sound]
• Alio Die - Distillation of Time & Spirals of Light [Hic Sunt Leones]
• Austin Rockman - Our Own Unknown [Krysalisound]
• Calm Whale - Awaken Earth
• CELL - Onwards System [Ultimae]
• Deepchord - Functional Designs [Soma]
• Glåsbird - Cinéma Noir [Whitelabrecs]
• Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Restful Spaces [Polar Seas]
• Heavenchord - Field Recordings #4 [Secret Domain]
• Inhmost - Space & Awareness [Tonight’s Dream Records]
• Jarguna - Neogene [Projekt]
• Jason Kolàr - Liquid Rhythm [Dauw]
• Jens Pauly - 1989 [Whitelabrecs]
• Johann Johannsson - Drone Mass [DG]
• Louigi Verona - Journeys on Google Earth
• Michael Scott Dawson - Music For Listening
• Moss Covered Technology - Brick & Air [Audiobulb]
• Oren Ambarchi - Shebang [Drag City]
• Pan-American - The Patience Folder [Kranky]
• Polaroid Notes - Cloud Anthems [Whitelabrecs]
• Romeo Poirier - Living Room [Faitiche]
• Ruven Nunez - Untitled #51 [Longform Editions]
• S. van der Toorn - vervlogenheden i-xi [Aural Canyon]
• Scattered Light - D.A. #017 A.D. 2022 [Dust Archive]
• Seabuckthorn - Of No Such Place [Laaps]
• Son of Chi & Arthur Fink - The Fifth World Recordings [Astral Industries]
• State Azure - Nova Sonus [2022]
• Steve Tibbetts - Hellbound Train [ecm]
• Tapes and Topographies - Amplitudes [Whitelabrecs]
• Taylor Deupree - Harbor [Laaps]
• The Lonely Bell - Kingdoms Of The Deep
• Toàn - Phonolite [Krysalisound]
• William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - “ . . . on reflection [Temporary Residence]

I've done three separate mixes to celebrate the best ambient music of 2022 and I will post one a day.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Ecovillage - Silent River(ft. Henrik Meierkord & Ruven Nunez) (The Road Not Taken - Laaps)
• 03:10    Jens Pauly - Vast (1989 - Whitelabrecs)
• 08:40    't Geruis - la petite riviere (Slow Dance on Moss Beds - Lost Tribe Sound)
• 13:00    William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - . . . on reflection(one) (“ . . . on reflection " - Temporary Residence)
• 19:41    Scattered Light - A.D. 2022 - SP#086 (D.A. #017 - A.D. 2022 - Dust Archive)
• 23:36    Man Watching the Stars - Sakkyoku • 55 Cancri (The Sextant of a Blind Seafarer)
• 29:10    Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Montague's Creek (Restful Spaces - Polar Seas)
• 36:05    Inhmost - So Far Away (Space & Awareness - Tonight's Dream Records)
• 40:12    Glåsbird - Vansa (Himalaya - Whitelabrecs)
• 44:30    Johann Johannsson - To Fold & Remain Dormant (Drone Mass - DG)
• 47:54    Tapes and Topographies - The First of Many Moons (Modalities - Simulacra)
• 51:54    S. van der Toorn - vervlogenheid i (vervlogenheden i-xi - Aural Canyon)
• 55:08    Michael Scott Dawson - Summerfallow (Music For Listening)
• 57:51    Pan•American - Swimming in a Western Hotel (The Patience Fader - Kranky)
• 60:30    end

As usual I listened to a lot of music in 2022. Anyone who says there's no good music being released is just not trying. There's a ton of it and it's hard to keep up. My Spotify playlist of 2022 albums has 4000 tracks in it. I end up making playlists called Heavy Rotation & More Time in an attempt to give select tracks & albums a more in depth listen. I also have separate 2022 playlists for ambient, electronic and jazz in an attempt to keep it all straight in my head.

All that is to say there was a lot of music in 2022 and I have some favorites that I'd like to share with you.

MY 2022 FAVORITE ALBUMS:

1. Kevin Morby - This Is A Photograph
2. Angel Olsen - Big Time
3. Sprints - A Modern Job EP
4. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention
5. Shearwater - The Great Awakening
6. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field
7. Yard Act - The Overload
8. Beth Orton - Weather Alive
9. Gang of Youths - angel in realtime.
10. Hermanos Gutierrez - El Bueno Y El Malo

#1 - Inspired by his father's illness and paging through old photo albums, this album celebrates all the joys and heartaches of life and is catchy as hell.

#2 - Perfect country-tinged album with beautiful melodies and gorgeous pedal steel guitar.

#3 - Bursting with energy & angst, I love this EP.

#4 - Yes, it sounds like a Radiohead album but that's a good freaking thing!

#5 - this whole album has a late-stage Talk Talk vibe going on. A beautiful album.

#6 - Excellent indie jangly guitar music. The title track compares breaking up with someone to being an expert in a dying field - you have all this knowledge that is now useless.

#7 - Another album that is bursting with energy. This one is fun as heck.

#8 - This sounds like Beth Orton doing her own take on a Radiohead vibe and it works. This may have been the most surprising album of the year.

#9 - I don't really listen to this type of music much anymore - big, bold, fist-pumping arena rock - but I latched on to this album early in the year and kept returning to it.

#10 - I found Hermanos Gutierrez via Khruangbin. It's an instrumental album on which they use heavily reverbed guitars creating a kind of film soundtrack-esque atmosphere and vibe.

Here’s the rest of the list in alphabetical order:

• Beach House - Once Twice Melody
• Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
• Courtney Marie Andrews - Loose Future
• Curse of Lomo - People in Cars
• Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses: Phantom Limb
• Florist - Florist
• Horsegirl - Versions of Modern performance
• Hurray for the Riff Raff - Life on Earth
• Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure
• Los Bitchos - Let the Festivities Begin!
• Lucrecia Dalt -¡Ay!
• Makaya McCraven - In These Times
• Mitski - Laurel Hell
• Momma - Household Name
• Nilufer Yanya - Painless
• The A’s - Fruit
• Wet Leg - Wet Leg
• Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
• Wild Pink - ILYSM

I'll post ambient favorites soon but until then what are your favorite "normal" albums from 2022?