Bird is the Worm Best of 2013: Albums 6-10

Today’s post reveals the 6th through the 10th Bird is the Worm albums of the year.

*****

For each album considered for inclusion, I was looking for it to hit me right in my heart, provoke a strong emotional reaction.  I was also looking for it to engage my brain, provide some intrigue or fascination with the music being presented.  Extra points were awarded for doing Something Different or building on a premise that embraced the best qualities of creativity.  Strong musicianship alone is not enough.  Many solid albums didn’t make the list.  It literally pains me when I see some of the albums that weren’t included.  But I listen to a lot of music, and one of the rare downsides to encountering so much great Jazz is that some of it won’t receive the recognition it deserves.  So there you have it.

These are not reviews.  They are simple thoughts, reminiscences, fragments of recollections, and brief opinions about how each album struck me both now and when I first heard it.  There is a link to a more formal review following each entry… that’s where you go to find out what’s what about each recording.  Most reviews are accompanied with embedded audio so you can hear some of the music, as well as personnel and label information, links to artist, label, and retail sites, and anything else that seemed relevant at the time I wrote the review.

Let’s begin…

*****

6.  Tim Horner – The Head of the Circle 

This album just keeps getting better with each listen.  A sextet built upon one excellent melody after the next, and possessing a sound of such fullness as to suggest that it’s more than just six musicians at work.  The quality I most love about this recording is the anticipation it builds for the next firework display of melody in the subsequent song, even as the current one is still working its way through to its conclusion.  In that way, I find it somewhat reminiscent of a 2012 album released by Horner’s label mate Florian Hoefner, Songs Without Words.  Horner has vibraphonist Joe Locke sitting in on this session, and that turned out to be a very wise decision.  An album that engages the listener in concise, fascinating conversations.

Released on Origin Arts.

A Bird is the Worm review HERE.

*****

7.  Reijseger / Fraanje / Sylla – Down Deep

This trio recording of piano, cello, percussion and chant harks back to the Codona trio recordings of Don Cherry, Collin Walcott and Nana Vasconcelos.  In this instance, cellist Ernst Reijseger, pianist Harmen Fraanje, and percussionist Mola Sylla bring their own expression of jazz and folk music.  Like the Codona recordings, Down Deep leans far heavier to the folk music side of that equation, but like the Codona recordings, the music is just too damn beautiful for it to really matter what genre the album belongs to more.  Peaceful seaside music that ambles patiently from note to note, a rustic kind of serenity that can fill the space of a lazy Sunday afternoon with sublime music that sparks with life and drifts like dreams.  A stunning album built on nuance and grace.

Released on Winter & Winter.

A Bird is the Worm review HERE.

*****

8.  Anna Webber – Percussive Mechanics

I love how all the moving parts on this complex album just seem to fall into place at exactly the right time.  An album that made a terrific first impression, then went through a series of slow reveals of additional interesting facets as the first blush faded and the real work of getting to know an album got underway.  The rhythmic action is this album’s bread and butter, but it’s the way melodies coalesce from within a percussive fog that elevates this recording up a notch or three.  Not easy to make a challenging album so damn simple to connect with, but Webber pulls that feat off.  No end to this album’s ability to fascinate.

Released on Pirouet Records.

A Bird is the Worm review HERE.

*****

9.  John Zorn – The Mysteries

A trio recording of guitarist Bill Frisell, harpist Carol Emanuel, and Kenny Wollesen on vibes (and bells), performing the compositions of John Zorn, following up on last year’s Gnostic Preludes, and mining the same themes.  It’s a sea of rhythmic eddies and curls and ripples, and the melodies are glimpses of fish darting beneath its surface.  Those fish are what the eye is drawn to, but the reason for the magic in the first place is the environment created by the rhythmic approach.  It’s also why, despite the album’s heavy melodic presence, these songs speak more to tapping the foot and bobbing the head than they do humming along to the music.  A mesmerizing album, one that a listener can just immerse themselves in.  Each time it ends, I feel like something has been taken away from me, and often feel compelled to hit that play button again and start over from the beginning.

Released on the Tzadik label.

A Bird is the Worm review HERE.

*****

10.  Nicole Mitchell’s Ice Crystal – Aquarius

I kept expecting this album’s mesmerizing quality to shatter.  Its haunting presence, its dissonant personality, its sharp angles and edgy demeanor… all of these things should be sufficient to keep the listener at a safe distance, but the music’s abiding warmth makes it safe to get right up close, and its why once eye contact is made with this recording, it won’t let go.  There’s something almost hypnotic about this music.  That is possesses this characteristic while presenting challenging music… that’s an accomplishment that can’t be esteemed too greatly.  Mitchell keeps making music that’s a little bit different every time, yet retains a signature sound that translates to each successive project.  I’m amazed at how amazing this music continues to be.

Released on Delmark Records.

A Bird is the Worm review HERE.

*****

Tomorrow’s post reveals the Bird is the Worm numbers 2-5 2013 albums of the year.

Cheers.