Fourth of July weekend marks the halfway point of the year, more or less. A time to take stock of favorite events, and the best records released, thus far. And 2008 has seen some better than average music in many genrés. Here's a purely subjective list, as i see it. What are your favorites? Please post below.
1. "Tha Carter III" Lil' Wayne The crown is passed from Jay-Z to this New Orleans based hip hop artist. A patchwork and sometimes, baffling, pastiche of sounds that succeeds at almost every twist and turn. "Tha Carter III" is a glorious departure from Wayne's usual barrage of free mixtapes. Language advisory.
2. "Sonidos Gold" Grupo Fantasma This Austin-based Cumbia collective has been poised for their breakout. This is the record that should put them over the top, and into national recognition. Prince is a huge fan. Maybe you will be, too.
3. "Filtros" Los Gauchos Argentine composer, Guillermo Klein has used this little big band for even bigger ideas and compositions since 2003. The talent gathered here is phenominal. So's the music. Best jazz release of 2008, thus far.
4. "Set The Alarm For Monday" Bobby Previte & The New Bump Bobby Previte is a drummer whose compositions are often tightly arranged, with little or no improvisation. Like Henry Threadgill, he often uses unusual instrumentation and draws on many non-jazz musics for his compositions. This release is no different with its feet planted in thematic, film noir settings. He gets an assist from NYC based trumpeter, Steven Bernstein and Jazz Passenger's vibraphonist Bill Ware and bassist Brad Jones.
5. "Early Reflections" The Bennie Maupin Quartet Maupin is best known as the man who added the distinctive bass clarinet to Miles Davis' landmark recording, "Bitches Brew." In recent years, he's been releasing a steady stream of beautiful recordings, and this may be the best so far. Working with a largely unknown collection of Polish musicians, Maupin sets each piece with a leit motif, and then gradually builds to beautiful and distinctive improvisations tied to the motif's head. A gorgeous, thoughtful record.
6. "Provinciano" Fernando Huergo Fernando Huergo is an Argentinean musician living in Boston. Today's Argentinean musicians interested in Jazz, have begun the fusion of their native music with a Jazz vision. This new generation overlooked the division of Tango and Folclore by being influenced by both. Jazz Argentino is a style developing in many cities around the world and has grown quite quickly. Their music goes beyond traditions, and creates music that, while being essentially Argentinean, transcends to the universal.
7. "Dig, Lazarus Dig!!" Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds From his label's website: "Finding new ways to be the Bad Seeds is an ongoing mission for Nick Cave and his confreres. This evolutionary quest has sped up to an intoxicating pace. Last seen out in public under the guise of Grinderman, a no-nonsense rock'n'roll excuse to "head down to the basement and shout," now Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds hit the elevator button straight back up to the cerebral penthouse suite with their fourteenth album, DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!! "A hemorrhaging of words and ideas," is how Cave describes the follow-up to 2004's Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus." Exactly.
8. "House Of Return" The Jeff Gauthier Goatette Jeff Gauthier's fifth CD as a leader, features guitarist Nels Cline of Wilco. Gauthier has been named a Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star for two years in a row as both instrumentalist and producer. "Gauthier and his group show how it should be done, rooting themselves solidly in the jazz tradition while at the same time extending and revitalizing it." -Bill Tilland, BBC Online
9. "I Am I Am" J.D. Allen Trio Detroit born J.D. Allen has spent most of his career in New York City, where he has played with Lester Bowie, George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, David Murray, Wallace Roney, Cindy Blackman, Marcus Gilmore, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Dave Douglas and Nigel Kennedy, among others. The trio setting, sax, bass and drums, is stripped down, and a challenge to the performer. Allen rises to the occasion brilliantly.
10. "Banda Larga Cordel" Gilberto Gil Brazil's Minister of Culture and Tropicalia pioneer, Gilberto Gil dives in head first in the vertiginous waters of the digital revolution on his latest record, “Banda Larga Cordel.” Wanting his music to employ all new media, including mobile telephony, samples, ringtones, “Banda Larga Cordel,” sees the reaffirmation and irreversible enrollment of the artist in the new rules of the universe of bits and bytes, hugging all its risks and challenges.