2024 will go down as an excellent year for music if you ask me. I discovered a lot of new (and old) music, witnessed some amazing performances, went on some great record shopping trips and managed to catch up on some reading along the way. A little less productive in terms of the number of articles published compared to last year but that’s part of the game. To some extend this had to do with the fact that halfway during 2024 I updated my home cinema setup with a new amplifier, omnipolar surround speakers and 4K television which in turn has me prioritizing movies and series over listening music as of lately. Still that didn’t overshadow the quality of music one bit and I want to share some of that magic hoping it will rub off on you too.
Link Wray – Link Wray
I remember the hand written card the folks at Evelin Novacek Music Specialty Store slipped into the plastic outer sleeve saying something along the lines of Captain Beefheart, Dr. John and Jimi Hendrix. Others listeners hear a clear blueprint for “Exile On Main St.” a year before its release date. However you put it, it remains a hugely underappreciated record than will stand the test of time on its own merits without any superlatives in the form Rock and Roll hall of famers.
Rusty Wier – Black Hat Saloon
It didn’t take long after my last post to follow up with an album that borrows from Folk, Rock, and Blues but at its core is still very much Country. Black Hat Saloon takes her turns and twists much like a rough and tumble rambler, one moment standing in the middle of an empty desert the other in the back of a saloon telling traveller’s tales to whoever lends an ear. Purists might consider Black Hat Saloon too smooth or too far off, but it is just “that” which opened doors for others to bring Country to new frontiers.
Phil Upchurch – Darkness Darkness
Slingin’ his guitar since the mid-50’s, Phil Upchurch has been an in demand session player roaming the “Windy City” and as house guitarist for Chess played with virtually all Blues heavyweights passing through its legendary recording booth. Shortly after leaving Chicago for greener pastures, he recorded a spectacular double sider that yet has to find its match. Call it Jazz, call it Funk, call it Soul or call it Blues, or just music of the highest order.
Christos DC – Kung Fu Action Theatre
Another victory lap for an artist that couldn’t do much wrong to begin with, taking a step into the unkown with a pure instrumental set named Kung Fu Action Theatre. After a string of highly regarded album releases, Christos DC is still expanding his horizon following up on an idea of merging Chinese traditional instrumentation such as the Guzheng, Dulcimer and Erhu with a modern day Roots Reggae sound. The result, a dreamlike airy soundscape with lots of room for every instrumental to take its place in the superb final mix by Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred.
Kung Fu Action Theatre is now available on Vinyl limited to 100 copies. Grab yours while you can!
Chocolate Milk – Action Speaks Louder Than Words
When the collective sense of timing becomes criminally good, you would almost forget the level of musicianship it takes to play that funky. This eight piece band interlocks so tightly, playing in the pocket for an entire album worth of trailblazing Soul and Funk as if the engineer pressed record without intermissions or retakes. Produced by none other than Allen Toussaint and with the inclusion of the closing track which feels a bit out of place, Action Speaks Louder Than Words falls just short of perfect.
Kenny Smyth – Powerful Dread
There’s no shortcoming of talent in Jamaica and at times it seems the island never runs out of the stuff. Kenny Smyth is definitely one of the brightest among the newest generation of Reggae stars and Powerful Dread is a showcase in word, sound and power. With abundance of young talent on board of this project in the form of the mighty Tuff Gong All Stars completed by some of the most seasoned session man on the scene have helped to bring the best out of this young and upcoming talent.
Jah Lil – Can A Man Cry
Jah Lil first full-length album Can A Man Cry has slowly taken hold of me and is far from letting down it’s grip. Having witnessed Jah Lil perform songs like “Can A Man Cry” and “Pet and Pamper” gave deeper meaning to an already brilliant set of personal notes on life. However firmly rooted in Reggae, Can A Man Cry portrays a contemporary style following in the footsteps of Reggae revivalists that went before.
Donald Byrd – A New Perspective
I’m not what you would call a Jazz adept but utter brilliance is simply hard to ignore when it is so evident as Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective. I had the album on my want list for some time now and even passed up the opportunity to purchase a rare pressing since the asking price of 250 euros was a bit too rich for my blood. I’m happy I did, because the SHM-CD I bought recently sounds phenomenal for just a fraction of the price.
Peter Somuah – Letter To The Universe
It has been a while since I put my enthusiasm on paper about Peter Somuah’s debut release Outer Space. On the follow-up, the multifaceted Letter To The Universe, Peter invites us to take another plunge into his universe through music. Along for the ride Peter invited some kindred spirits in the form of the multidisciplinary Latanya Alberto, neo-griot Stevo Atambire and Ghanian legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.
J.J. Cale – Naturally
J.J. Cales’s sound and way of singing has always put me right at ease even knowing he went through his early career dirt-poor and disillusioned about the music industry. Things took a turn for the better when other artists started covering his songs and royalties earned him enough money (and appraisal) to make a living as an musician, releasing his first album 32 years in the making. Even though the success in the wake of its release resulted in him not enjoying life as before, Naturally remains as cool as a summer breeze and I for one still enjoy every second of it.
That’s a wrap for 2024. Thanks for all the support throughout 2024 and I hope seeing you back next year for another year of music.