JANUARY 2015
Epolyphony By Steve Chase
Steve’s Picks 2014 Every year there are a ton
of best of lists on the Internet, covering every conceivable genre and musical taste. As in past years, I present to you my picks of great music from 2014, with a Spotify playlist. The se- lections are in no particular or- der; I picked them using Duke Ellington’s prescription, “if it sounds good, it is good”, and because I really like them.
Beautiful Life—Jimmy
Greene. The saxophon- ist Jimmy Greene (www.jim-
mygreene.com) presents this album of tribute and hope for his six-year-old daughter, Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, who was killed at Sandy Hook El- ementary School. He brings to- gether a fi ne backup group that includes Christian McBride on Bass and pianist Renee Rosnes, along with a number of friends from the Jazz world. My Play-
list track is a ballad with Pat Metheny, and recordings of his daughter singing.
Solo Concerts—Bruce Hornsby. There is so much more to Bruce Hornsby (www.
brucehornsby.com) than that song The Way It Is. He has had a prolifi c career, playing pop, rock, jazz, and even a stint as a member of the Grateful Dead. Lately he has written a musical and toured this summer, open- ing solo for Pat Metheny and as a member of Ricky Scaggs band, along with his band The Noisemakers. This collection of solo pieces refl ects his lin- eage, with a diverse set of mu- sic showing his range as a com- poser and performer. I love his tune Mandolin Rain, and that’s what I picked for the playlist.
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mail. Cards are issued by Citibank, N.A. pursuant to a license from MasterCard International and managed by Citi Prepaid Services. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere MasterCard debit cards are accepted. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. Additional terms and conditions apply. ®/™ ©2015 Maytag. All rights reserved. To learn more about the entire Maytag brand line, please visit
maytag.com. CCP-17514.
*Visit
maytag.com for warranty details. **See sales associate for rebate form with complete details. Only valid at participating Maytag brand retailers. Rebate in the form of a Maytag brand MasterCard® Prepaid Card bymail. Cards are issued by Citibank, N.A. pursuant to a license from MasterCard International and managed by Citi Prepaid Services. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere MasterCard debit cards are
accepted.MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. Additional terms and conditions apply. ®/™ ©2015 Maytag. All rights reserved. To learn more about the entire Maytag brand line, please visit
maytag.com. CCP-17514.
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No Guts, No Glory-moe. great jam
band moe.
(
www.moe.org) produced one hell of a new album in 2014. No Guts, No Glory was originally planned to be an all acoustic release, but thank goodness they changed their minds, this album has some of the most ex- citing electric music out there in a long time. The group dishes out a menu of rock that covers the gambit of their solid niche in the jam world. Stand- outs include the psychedelic classic Silver Sun, the raucous Billy Goat, the neo pop anthem Blond Hair and Blue Eyes, and my playlist pick, the acoustic/ electric The Pines and the Apple Trees. Turn this one way up.
Mehliana: Dragon—Mark
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Brad Mehldau. I admit it, I have never been a Brad Mehldau (
www.bradmehldau. com) fan. I really wanted to be, but I just could not con- nect with the guy’s music, until this album came along. Gen-X
electronica artist Mark Guili- ana joins boomer keyboardist Mehldau, and together they create an amazing set that breaks Mehldau into a whole new realm of music. The tunes mix ambience, complex beats, funk, jazz, and beefy synth lines—really provocative stuff. I picked my favorite song Hun- gry Ghost for the playlist.
If Sorrow Swims—Green- sky Bluegrass. The revival of roots, acoustic and bluegrass music is producing some really spectacular material. If Sorrow Swims is one of those albums, created by Greensky Bluegrass (
greenskybluegrass.com), an extremely talented group of guys from Michigan. The mu- sic is a kind of hippie Newgrass with some real soul infused throughout. Burn Them is my playlist pick, but the whole album should be listened to again and again. Watch this video for another listen to this song:
www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KVfX1qiZWEs
Similar Skin—Umphrey’s
McGee. Yeah, I know, not an- other Umphrey’s (
www.um-
phreys.com) album. My stand up comedian friend Pete Domi- nick mocks my UM mega-fan- dom, but it is my column, and this new album is great. The band wanted to produce an old- fashioned rock and roll album, and they succeeded.
Similar
Skin is complex, earthy, and exuberant, with some smoking new tunes mixed with studio renditions of tour favorites. My favorite band has done great this time. I picked the title track for the playlist.
Spotify Sessions—Shakey
Graves. A lejandro Rose-Gar- cia, a.k.a Shakey Graves (www.
shakeygraves.com) is an alt- country/Americana one-man
Enjoy my picks, and Happy
New Year! You can fi nd my Spotify playlist at http://bit. ly/12EmVpQ Give it a listen.
band that is quickly building a big fan base with Millennials, and me. Spotify Sessions is an EP with some great live mate- rial. Give him a listen and see what you think. I picked Un- lucky Skin for the playlist.
Alive—Hiromi. Post-bop
Japanese pianist Hiromi (www.
hiromimusic.com) is a must lis- ten. On this set, she joins con- trabass guitarist Anthony Jack- son and drummer Simon Phil- lips. Together the trio creates a set of complex, technically diffi cult and vibrant jazz, funk, and fusion.
It is invigorating,
best listened to in one sitting, with a good red. I picked the title track for the playlist.
This is All Yours—Alt-J. I
had been waiting for the new album from Alt-J. Their sec- ond disc continues the band’s distinctive sound--an earthy, edgy, alternative techno-folk sound that changes on a dime. Their melodies are beautiful, complemented by Joe New- man’s radically dynamic vocals. I picked The Gospel of John Hurt for the playlist.
The 1971 Fillmore East Re- cordings—The Allman Broth- ers Band. In this comprehen- sive set of recordings from the Allman’s (allmanbrothersband. com) legendary Fillmore shows in 1971, fans can be engulfed into the sheer brilliance of the ensemble, which ended their 45 year career at an epic fi nal run at the Beacon Theater. I picked for the playlist a wonderful version of the Dickey Betts standard In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, which features saxophon- ist Rudolph Carter.
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