What albums did you listen to today?...continued

Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus Excellent housey soul-fusion released last year on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Records. The rhythm section is out of this world here, the drums and bass work perfectly, and so does the beautiful Rhodes piano. From time to time, we also get horns with notable trumpet playing. Phenomenal!

Egg - Egg Not as excellent as The Polite Force, but listening to this album feels deeply nostalgic. I can still remember when I have first discovered what would become my favorite band of all time, Egg. The whole aura of this album felt so mysterious, unique, and eccentric. It still does.

Bill Laswell  - Baselines Great album. I thought it would be good to get my hands on Bill Laswell’s discography as a whole, so I’ve started with his first solo release. Already, Laswell presents incredibly original, self-assured material that does not sound quite like anything else. A bit of jazz, funk, dub, avant-garde, but no labels properly describe this.

Jan Dukes De Grey - Mice and Rats in the Loft The nostalgia strikes again! Awww man, I remember how much I loved this album last year (not a long time ago, isn’t it?). I wrote a 5-star review of that album back then, maybe a bit too quickly, but now I know it was an appropriate rating. “Sun Symphonica” is unearthly, I thought I had remembered it well, but it was such a revealing re-listen. Amazing.

Joe Henderson - Multiple Rather average and forgettable in the overall reception, but good nonetheless. Great solos, which are at the same time modal and “free.” Also, I quite like the variety it has, going from spiritual-fusion-esque character of the first track to the swinging pace of the last track.

The Residents - The Third Reich’n’Roll I’m really enjoying The Residents lately, although enjoyment is probably not the purpose of this music. As I said yesterday, they are excellent musicians and composers in addition to making this odd uncompromising post-American statement.

The Residents - Santa Dog A short four-song single, which is the first-known release by The Residents. A bit more comparable to other things in the musical world, but still extremely weird and fascinating.

Wolfgang Dauner’s Et Cetera - Knirsch This is a grower. I’m still not engaged by everything on this album, but the best moments of this one really are delightful. Synth melodies, guitar solos, and free-improvisation - these are some of the highlights. Will be coming back to see if I can appreciate the work as a whole.