Birdman at Rainbow Music, NYC. (photo: Bob Krasner)
Dec. 15, 2021
It’s a good time for digging in the bargain bins as people ditch their CDs in favor of digital-only or succumb to the Great Vinyl Boondoggle. I confess I still get a weird thrill out of sifting through the wreckage of consumerism for musical gems. I liken it to beachcombing – you just never know what small treasure might wash up at your feet. And the randomness just makes it more appealing; it’s different than knowing what you want and going into a store or online and buying that thing. Where’s the adventure and surprise in that?
So here’s a list of this year’s gleanings – mostly found in thrift stores (noted as *), a few from used record shops or Discogs, and the occasional gift from an artist friend. Most of these are older releases that have eluded me previously, though I was already familiar with some of them. Others I’m finally catching up with, filling in some holes in my education. And a few are things I’ve had in the past and got rid of long ago, but decided to revisit – the 1970s, anyone? Except for compilations or box sets, the year shown is for the original release, not the reissue. Artist names in bold are from the Seattle/PNW region (or used to be). No commentary, but the links will take you to the music.
Classical / Electronic / Experimental
Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith - Songs from the Bardo (2019)
Marc Barreca - From the Gray and the Green (2019)
Marc Barreca & K. Leimer - Premap (2014)
Noah Creshevsky - The Tape Music of Noah Creshevsky, 1971-1992 (2004)
Tan Dun - Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth Mankind (1997) *
Terry Fox - Ataraxia (1998)
Harmonia - Deluxe (1975)
The Hilliard Ensemble - Guillaume de Machaut, Motets (2004) *
Paul Metzger - Deliverance (2007)
Akio Suzuki & David Toop - Breath Taking (2004)
Ewa Trębacz - Ewa Trębacz (2013) *
Univers Zero - Heresie (1979)
Kurt Weill / Bertolt Brecht / Lotte Lenya - The Threepenny Opera (1958) *
International
The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana (1975) - Jamaica
King Sunny Adé & His African Beats - Synchro System (1983) - Nigeria *
Badi Assad - Echoes of Brazil (1997) - Brazil
Badi Assad - Verde (2004) - Brazil
Susana Baca - Susana Baca (1997) - Peru *
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey / Garvey's Ghost (1975/1976) - Jamaica
Silvana Deluigi - Yo! (2004) - Argentina
Sona Diabaté - Girls of Guinea (1988) - Guinea *
Chabuca Granda - Grande de América (1973) - Peru *
Israel Vibration - Strength of My Life (1988) - Jamaica
Lura - M' Bem di Fora (2007) - Cape Verde/Portugal *
Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble - Silk Road Journeys (2001) - pan-Asian *
Orquestra Pixinguinha - Pixinguinha 100 Anos (1996) - Brazil *
Silvio Rodríguez - Mujeres (1978) - Cuba *
Téka - Oskelet = Ancient East (2001) - Hungary *
Chavela Vargas - Con el Cuarteto Lara Foster (1961) - Costa Rica/Mexico *
Liliana Vitale - Mujer y Argentina (1995) - Argentina
Various - History of Hawaiian Steel Guitar (1999) - yes, I know it’s the US, but still… *
Various - Music of Islam, Vol. 10: Qu'ran Recitation, Istanbul (1997) - Turkey *
Jazz
Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow (1975) *
Miles Davis Quintet - Relaxin' (1958) *
Miles Davis - Get Up With It (1974)
Miles Davis - Agartha (1975)
Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (1961) *
Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band - Obatalà (1989)
Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories) (1997) *
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (1965)
Herbie Hancock - Thrust (1974)
Quincy Jones & His Orchestra - The Quintessence (1962) *
Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1964)
Charles Mingus: Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings, 1956-1961 (1997)
Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (1976)
Julian Priester - Love, Love (1974)
Don Pullen & the Afro-Brazilian Connection - Ode to Life (1993) *
Marc Seales Band - Live: A Time, A Place, A Journey... (2004) *
Artie Shaw - The Last Recordings Vol. 2, the Final Sessions 1954 (1993) *
The Charlie Smith Circle - Ahead and Behind (2004) *
Pop / Rock / R&B / Songwriters, etc.
American Music Club - The Golden Age (2008) *
Be Good Tanyas - Chinatown (2003) *
David Bowie - 1. Outside (The Nathan Adler Diaries: A Hyper Cycle) (1995)
Kate Bush - The Dreaming (1982) *
Dead Combo - Lisboa Mulata (2011)
Defunkt - In America (1988) *
Martin Denny - Exotica + Exotica II (1957) *
Everything But the Girl - Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (1986) *
Everything But the Girl - Walking Wounded (1996) *
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
Emmylou Harris - Pieces of the Sky (1974)
Isaac Hayes - Presenting Isaac Hayes (1967) *
Loma - Don't Shy Away (2020)
Carole King - Tapestry (1971) *
Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer (2018)
Dorothy Moore - Misty Blue (1976) *
Morphine - Cure for Pain (1993) *
Pocket Orchestra - Phoenix (2011)
Pretenders - Pretenders (1980) *
St. Vincent - St. Vincent (2014) *
Frank Sinatra - No One Cares (1959) *
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust… (2007) *
Moses Sumney - Aromanticism (2017)
Tindersticks - Can Our Love... (2001) *
Laura Veirs - July Flame (2010) *
Velvet Underground - Peel Slowly & See (1995)
Vitamin D - Table Manners 2 (1998) *
Ben Watt - Hendra (2014) *
Yes - Fragile (1971)
Yes - Close to the Edge (1972)
Yes - Relayer (1974)
Neil Young - Freedom (1989) *