1. Kamasi Washington – The Epic
This aptly titled debut album by talented saxophonist is a 172 minute, 3 record set featuring a 10 piece band, a 30 person full string orchestra and a 20 person choir. The core band all grew up playing together in Los Angeles came together and rented themselves a studio for a month in 2011 and locked themselves in from 10 in the morning until 2 in the morning and collectively recorded 190 songs for 8 different projects. Kamasi Washington’s album of 17 songs is the first release from these sessions. This is high art and easily the best new album I heard all year. RIYL: John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Eddie Gale, Donald Byrd, Horace Tapscott, Build An Ark, Sun Ra, etc.
2. Robert Earl Keen – Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions
3. Ann McCue – Blue Sky Thinkin’
Popmatters says it better than I could:
Quote:
Despite the fact she had a hand in writing every one of its dozen songs, any one of the selections might just as easily be mistaken for a standard tune that originated in the ‘20s, ‘30s or ‘40s. McCue opts for a kind of ragtime revelry, an approach that involves sax, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, violin, accordion, double bass and a carefree ambiance overall.
Although both the mood and the music seem to lend themselves to scenarios which involve booze, bravado and bordellos, McCue’s perky attitude—along with the colorful paintings she chose to adorn the album’s cover—suggests she had a somewhat mischievous intent in mind. Indeed, several songs come across as quite a big tease. When she utters the lyric, “Mama don’t rock / Daddy don’t roll / Devil’s in the middle / And he wants your soul,” the sentiments she’s hinting at become about as dark as it ever gets. On the other hand, McCue can tend to get a bit testy at times. For example, on the song “It Wasn’t Fun While It Lasted” she mercilessly lambastes a lame-ass lover by raking him over the coals with a long list of transgressions. This is a woman who doesn’t feel any obligation to simply stand by her man, especially when she has ample reason to rebel.
Still, that forthright repast doesn’t detract from the playful attitude the album conveys overall. McCue mostly seems quite content to indulge in more frivolous pursuits and a kind of unabashed sentimentality shown on such tracks as “Little White Cat,” “Dig Two Graves” and “Save a Life”. That carefree innocence is a joy to behold, as well as a timely reminder that not everything expressed these days has to be chock full of doom and gloom. More importantly, it’s a milestone of sorts in McCue’s career, one that suggests she’s ascended to a new plateau in terms of creativity and accessibility. Like the eternal optimism its title suggests, Blue Sky Thinkin’ portrays its maker as having a knack for both sass and brass.
The band is excellent. Dave Alvin provides great harmony vocals on one song and the following song was co-written with Tentoze favorite, David Olney:
4. Barna Howard – Quite A Feelin’
5. Macaco – Historias Tattooadas
6. Gill Landry – S/T
Gill Landry used to be a multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, steel guitar, etc) with the Old Crow Medicine Show performing under the name Frank Lemon. As a solo artist, he performs roots rock under his own name. This is his third album but the first one I’ve heard. “Just Like You” (see below) just might be my favorite song from 2015 but the whole album is really good.
7. John Moreland – High on Tulsa Heat
8. The Westies – West Side Stories
9. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon
10. Jason Isbell – Something More than Free
11. Simon Stanley Ward – S/T
12. Watkins Family Hour – S/T
13. David Ramirez - Fables
14. The Pine Hill Project – Tomorrow You’re Going
15. Matt Keating – This Perfect Crime
16. Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits – Biscuits and Gravy
It’s a lazy description but Scrott Hrabko has the sort of sound that I could imagine Justin Townes Earle playing if he’d taken a slightly different path after his first couple of albums.
17. New Orleans Jazz Vipers – Going! Going! Gone!
18. Darrell Scott – Ten: The Songs of Ben Bullington
19. Dean Owens – Into the Sea
20. Ben Rogers – The Blood Red Yonder
21. Chuck Hawthorne – Silver Line
22. Andrew Combs – All These Dreams
23. Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
24. Daniel Romano – If I’ve Only One Time Askin’
25. Kevin Deal – Nothing Left to Prove
26. Beth Bombara – S/T
27. Gretchen Peters – Blackbirds
28. Barnstar – Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out!
29. Bill Fay – Who is the Sender?
30. Spirit Family Reunion – Hands Together
